Many children spend several hours on the Internet engaging in various activities. This has become a source of concern to several parents particularly because the internet is robbing them of real-life experiences.

Some children don’t know how to make friends in reality because they spend most of their time online. If you know how to spot when your kid is struggling with internet addiction, it becomes easier to set some rules that will reduce their dependence on the internet.

Here are some signs that show your kid is addicted to the internet.

Withdrawal symptoms

You can tell if your kid is struggling with internet addiction when they experience withdrawal symptoms if they spend time away from the internet. Some of these withdrawal symptoms may include fatigue, anxiety, irritability, inability to sleep properly, etc.

Lose track of time when online

When a child is addicted to the internet, they may lose track of them when they are online. This means that they can spend several hours surfing the internet without paying attention to other activities that they have to do.

When they are off the internet for some time, it may seem like they spent a short time, and they will be eager to go back to the internet again.

They focus less on academic work

As a child’s dependence on the internet increases, their interest in school work reduces. Their focus and concentration will reduce and it will be noticeable from the lens of the teacher. Such children may skip assignments, and their performance on tests might not be as expected.

Prefer to spend time alone

When a child is struggling with internet addiction, they will prefer to stay alone instead of being around people. You will notice that their relationship with friends and family will not be smooth because of their aversion to social gatherings.

Lie about Internet use

Anyone who is addicted to the internet is likely to lie and this applies to children too. They may lie about the number of hours spent on the internet so that they won’t get blamed.

Kids are more prone to addiction because they are still in their development and formative years. This is the period where they need to be exposed to the right things because it determines how they would turn out when they become adults.

When it comes to behavioral addiction, parents and caregivers need to watch out for their kids so that they don’t get caught up in the web of addiction.

Here are some ways to prevent your kids from getting addicted

• Know their friends

If you don’t want your kid to get addicted, it is important to know the kind of friends they keep. You should also know who the parents of these kids are before you can trust your child with them.

Some of your kids’ supposed friends might be exposed to behavioral or substance abuse at an early stage.

Hence, your kid could get influenced if care isn’t taken. If you are not fine with the type of friends your kids are keeping, do not hesitate to set some boundaries.

• Educate your kids

Do not feel that your kids are too young to know what addiction means. You need to ensure that they have access to the right information so that they won’t get the wrong ones from other people.

Ensure you break down the concept of addiction to them, and stress the implications that come with it. When children are afraid of something, they will most likely stay away from it.

• Introduce healthy habits

Another way to prevent your kids from getting addicted to certain behaviors is to encourage them to adopt healthy habits. Teach them how to start exercising at that young age.

Also, explain the importance of a good diet and rest to them. When they get used to healthy habits, the chances of developing an unhealthy dependence on a behavior reduce.

It is important to always watch out for your children and be sure that they are in safe hands doing the right thing

Behavioral addictions are behaviors that an individual becomes obsessive about without minding the negative consequences attached to it. Many people believe that behavioral addiction does not exist because it doesn’t work like substance addiction.

However, healthcare professionals have opined that if your body becomes dependent on any activity to the point where it becomes disadvantageous, then an addiction is in play.

In this post, we’ll be revealing some signs of behavioral addiction:

Anxiety and depression

When an individual is experiencing behavioral addiction, they are likely to get anxious or depressed. This would occur when they are not within reach of their addictive behavior.

Additionally, if some of them are deliberate about quitting their addiction, they might get depressed or anxious because of the attachment and dependence they have developed.

Secrecy/Privacy

Another sign that shows that someone is going through behavioral addiction is when they start getting private about their activities. The primary reason is because they don’t want to get disturbed during their addictive behavior.

For instance, someone who is addicted to video games would prefer to play it in private so that they would not get disturbed.

Reduced productivity

When someone is addicted to a behavior, they are likely to be less productive. If a working-class individual is experiencing behavioral addiction, they would not be productive at work because they are more focused on their addiction.

On the other hand, if a student is struggling with behavioral addiction, their academic performance will decline over time.

It would be easy to notice that they are not as dedicated as they used to be before their addiction problem set in.

No one likes to be told that they are addicted. Hence, when you notice these addictive signs, you need to be strategic when you approach them. Make them understand that they can get their life back on track with the right treatment.

When it comes to addiction treatment, you can opt for the one that fits your needs if you are fully aware of your addiction problem. If not, it is best to seek professional help to get your life back on track.  

In this piece, we’ll be revealing some common addiction treatments guaranteed to restore an addicted person’s life to normalcy.

Detoxification

Detoxification is for those who are addicted to alcohol or drugs. The purpose of detoxification is to eliminate toxic substances in the body. When you withdraw from the use of these substances, some unpleasant symptoms follow, and this is why medically-aided detox is important.

Some of these symptoms are life threatening and you need detox to avert any impending danger. It is important to mention that detox does not treat the hidden causes of addiction. However, it is used in association with other therapies.

Counseling

Counseling is an integral part of addiction treatment that should not be ignored. Counseling is essential because it helps the individual realize the root cause of their addiction. Moreso, addiction helps you realize the impact of your addiction on you and those around you.

Hence, it is correct to say that counseling is an eye-opening session that all addicts need to pass through. When the addict fully admits their addiction during this stage, it makes it easier for the counselor to create a treatment plan for the addict.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT is an essential treatment tool because it is used for several types of addiction. The purpose of CBT is to help you spot certain triggers and develop vital coping skills. When CBT is combined with several other therapeutic techniques, it can prove to be a powerful source.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

REBT is essential in helping you acknowledge your negative thoughts and teach you how to fight against feelings of self-defeat. The essence of REBT is to help you acknowledge that you possess the willpower to overcome anything that is plaguing you.

Addiction refers to the continued involvement in an act that is disadvantageous to the body in different ways. You’ll discover that addicted individuals are aware there are ongoing changes in their body, but they are powerless to stop themselves from continuing in the addiction.

For some addicted individuals, they dream of a sober life but they don’t know how to, because they don’t have the right source of help around them.

Below are some reasons why people cannot control their addiction:

Peer pressure

Peer pressure is one of the reasons why people get addicted and it is another primary reason why people remain addicted.

When you move with addicted people, they directly and indirectly encourage you to sustain your addiction. And it would be challenging for an individual to pull out when their peers are deeply involved.

Ignorance

For some addicted individuals, they have no idea that they are addicted. If anyone tells them they are addicted, they would refute such claims instantly. To them, they feel they are satisfying themselves instead. This particularly applies to those who have behavioral addiction.

There are some addiction types like sex addiction, gaming addiction, shopping addiction etc. These forms of addiction are behavioral types and it is normal for someone who is addicted to any of them not to be aware.

Fear of the Unknown

Some individuals cannot imagine their lives outside addiction, so they would rather not try to explore that part. The reason is because, they don’t believe their life will be normal when they are not addicted. To them, their addiction is the new norm and they have come to accept it.

What such people need is for someone who is vast in the addiction process to explain to them. They need to realize that the life after addiction recovery is better than the life within addiction recovery.

If you are struggling with addiction or you know someone who is, it is best to seek help or assist them in finding professional help.  

We all have a basic idea of what addiction involves, and we are aware of the fact that, it gets to a point where we totally submit to it, and allow it to rule our lives.

Even though you believe in God or not, you need to be aware of the fact that, there are some things in your life which you might treat as God, and addiction is one of them.

It is enlightening to know that, addiction fills in for the role which God is meant to play in your life.

When it comes to addiction, people feed it; serve it; focus on it; crave after it, and they get emotional over it. This is wrong because we are meant to do these things to God and not our addiction.

An addicted person serves his or her addiction with the entirety of their lives. Their way of life is an attestation to the degree of love of their addiction.

They plan their time around it, they have a particular budget for it, and when discussions are being held with family and friends, you try to introduce the concept of your addiction into it.

The way we were created, our lives were meant to revolve around God, however, the sad part is, it revolves around addiction for the addicted people, and this birth unhealthiness.

God should be your ultimate focus, and there is an important need of submitting to him, instead of addiction. When you make addiction your primary focus, it makes your life skewed, and it becomes difficult for you to make the right priorities out of your life.

During the course of addiction, it would be difficult for you to control your cravings, and it sucks in your energy on a gradual basis.

However, the case is different when you crave God, you seek him, and owing to the fact that he is in the spiritual state, he continually renews you.

So, which would you opt for, a profound relationship with God, or a life riddled with addiction. N