When I first started using Facebook I wasn't particularly interested in connecting with old friends. I wasn't interested in knowing what they were doing. I used Facebook to play the games. Cafe World, Restaurant City, Yoville and Farmville any game I could get my hands on. I played for hours and then turned into weeks. I was intrigued by how many types of food I could cook in a day. How many plants I could plant in a few hours. I timed my games to when I would wake up and when I would go to bed. I had panic attacks when I missed my food and it became spoiled. After several months of driving myself mad and my husband for that fact I stopped. Cold turkey.
But like with any addiction I relapsed. I relapsed to the point of creating not only one account but several. I was stuck. I felt like I failed and didn't share with anyone what I did all day. After beating myself up and being depressed I quit again.
I went back to my first Facebook account my original and started playing those damn games again. I don't know the joy of anything else and am stuck again. I truly don't have any control over myself and thank my higher power that it's not drugs or drinking. But it's serious and I need help.
The Mental Health industry does not find this to be a serious problem. But there are thousands of websites willing to help with internet addiction. Cognitive therapy based approaches are recommendable due to their systematic and direct focus on reducing problem use and preventing relapse, and the strong scientific support for the approach.
