Nicron #113 03 октября 1999

Press - Dependence on virtual reality computer.

        For Whom the Tolls yell?


    Dependence on a virtual reality computer -
        a new kind of addictive behavior


Galkin, KY
Mental hospital.
Volgodonsk.


"The computer is a theoretical metaphor for the mind, helps us 
understand the nature of our consciousness."                 VV 
Nalimov. "... In the brain, a professor there line: 'damaged

system file of reality. Reload this universe
Danet? .
                        Bohnhoff Maya K.


   "Every age has its neuroses," - said Viktor Frankl, and
was absolutely right. At the turn of two centuries and even 
millennia psychiatry begins to deal with the new 
psychopathological states generated by scientific and 
technological development of humankind, a sharp increase in 
socio-economic tensions and having as a basis for such 
widespread and interrelated suffering as social phobia, anxiety 
and depression. As always in a transitional era, along with 
examples of beauty and harmony revives all the ugly, painful, 
mysterious, promotes neurotic society. Active processes 
biopsihogeneticheskoy restructuring, leading to disruption of 
homeostasis on the one hand, the change of moral criteria in 
society, a sharp decline in living standard and cultural level 
on the other hand, impair mental health, particularly 
noticeable in children and adolescents. The prevalence of 
neuropsychiatric disorders in children is now approaching 79 
percent (Med.gazeta ", № 98 of 09.12.98g.). In total, the first 
time in my life revealed non-psychotic mental illness increased 
from 6.9 per 10 thousand population in 1970. to 22.6 in 1993. 
(Gurovich IJ, Preiss, VB, VB Golland, 1995).. The average 
annual average levels of border mental disorders in 15 
economically developed countries increased from 9.6 to 205.3 
cases per one thousand population, including neuroses from 2.4 
to 148.1 cases (Petrakov BD, 1972.1996 gg.). These numbers are 
constantly anxious, emotionally repressed people, tense, pale, 
suffering from nervous tremor, palpitation, experiencing 
inappropriate fears, embarrassment, fear. All of them, whether 
children, adolescents, or adults, will inevitably begin to look 
for ways to ease the state, starting a fight with the states 
and its underlying causes, or to run away from them. "Escape" 
might be a suicide (their absolute growth and relative 
rejuvenation become disastrous), but more often escape from 
reality, causing psycho-emotional stress, achieved by changing 
his mental condition, mainly the state of consciousness as a 
higher level of psychic reflection of reality. Altered mental 
status is achieved taking psychoactive substances - alcohol, 
drugs. This pernicious habits and traditional and rightly 
received much attention. But there are other perverse 
inclinations, which allow for changing his mental state for 
reduce stress and neuroticism, which leads to a repetition 
experience up to the subordination of all life this pernicious 
habit, confirming the truth of the aphorism: "The habit - 
second nature." English perverse, morbid addiction called 
addiction, hence arose the term "addictive behavior" - 
Addictive behavior, about which he wrote Miller W., Landry M., 
and we have - Korolenko TS.P., Don TA, Licko AE etc. The term 
"addiction" was used as tantamount to the term "addiction" 
(give megademu "Addiction"! - approx. WB). :) 

   Adoption of ICD-10 allows more widely and consistently used 
sindromologichesky approach, which is useful for a more 
thorough and detailed study and systematic behavioral 
disorders, which include addiction, and yields the possibility 
diagnose such dependence, as gambling, overeating, etc. In the 
event of addictive behavior have the value of many factors: 
personal characteristics, character ENVIRONMENTAL influences, 
biological factors. Destabilizing effect psychogenic requires 
the central nervous system searches sustainable recurring 
condition - a stereotype that can be not only physiological, 
but pathological. This state is recorded in long-term memory 
and post-retirement Action of primary psychogenic. Any pattern 
of behavior has own neurophysiological basis, which is 
indirectly confirmed by the registration of phenotypic 
similarities. The brain seeks and finds in stable long-term 
memory (including pathological) condition for removing anxiety 
and other painful symptoms. The appearance of hyperactive 
determinant structures (Kryzhanovskii G.H.) leads to a "vicious 
cycle" of addiction. Publications appeared (Schowalter GE), 
indicating the relationship of genetic control of activity of 
the dopamine system with the predisposition of people to 
"search for the unknown." Thus it is possible suggest a link 
between dopamine activity and a tendency toward addictive 
behavior. Among the types of addictive behavior are best known: 
alcohol intake, intake of other substances alter the mental 
state (chemical addiction). Less known, but are classified: 
Participation in gambling sexually addictive behavior, 
overeating or fasting (non-chemical addictions). Even less well 
understood: "rabotogolizm" long play rhythmic music. 
Practically unexplored theme of addiction, which will be 
discussed - the dependence on virtual reality computer, in 
particular, and kiberaddiktsiya as such. Defining the addictive 
behavior as escape from reality through changes in mental state 
(Korolenko TS.P. Sigal, M., 1990.), We can say that the reality 
created by computer certainly changes the mental state than are 
prone to addiction and personality were used, the more that 
interaction with the computer not only not condemned by 
society, but also serves as an indicator to determine the 
significance, including material prosperity. World created by 
computer, called a virtual reality (VR). 

   By dictionary definition: a "virtual" (Latin virtualis) - 
means "staying in a latent state and which can appear to 
happen, maybe." Given that our nervous system is unable to 
distinguish genuine real situation of an imaginary, for 
neurotics BP computer - is to replace the present reality as 
"meaningful part of the world" (Stenius E., Wittgenstein L.) on 
"New reality" that is better than this. It allows you to 
develop subjectively pleasant emotional states, artificially 
changing "mood". For several reasons (fashion, availability, 
interest, etc.) in Russia, a virtual addiction spreads among 
children and male adolescents, rarely in men up to thirty 
years. However, there are reports of foreign sources of 
exposure to American housewives that form of addiction. The 
term "virtual reality" was offered at MIT in the late 1970's 
years to express the idea of ​​human presence in the computer 
created the world (Hammet F., 1993.). In Russia, for the first 
time this concept was mentioned in 1984. Genisaret OI and nasal 
H.A. BP's personal computer, coupled with BP on other computers 
(the Internet), creates cyberspace (CP), which currently covers 
almost the entire world, connecting millions of people both 
mentally healthy and mentally ill. BP is regarded as one of the 
realities and, most often as a psychological BP. The user 
starts refers to the computer as a living creature, or begins 
to identify with the computer. Gradually erased the line 
between animate and inanimate, between personality and computer 
material and spiritual, between the reality of the computer and 
the true reality. Due to the peculiarities of the human nervous 
system, which I mentioned earlier, blended nonphysical and 
physical space and time, that allows the user to "avoid" the 
entropy as a function of linear time, serving the cause of 
anxiety (Such as personality traits) or anxiety (as a product 
of emotional scope of rights). The computer becomes a fetish 
(the process of making a fetish), part of a ritual, replacing 
the drug, gambling and collecting the same time. Computer user, 
is prone to addiction, while using it in an altered state of 
consciousness - the psychological trance. Frozen face, lined on 
the monitor screen, slow response (or lack thereof) to external 
stimuli - that is the characteristic form of some users who are 
prone to addictive behavior. The reality, as a meaningful part 
of the world is refracted through a special state of 
consciousness. First drew attention to the strong desire of 
people to repeat and repeat the experience with BP's computer 
or computer space with BP Griffiths M. and Young K. Based on 
observation and study of patients can be distinguished 
dependent on BP's personal computer "isolated" (often 
associated with computer games) - "virtual addiction" (Galkin 
KY 1998), and dependence on Internet networks - "Internet 
addiction" (Goldberg I. 1997).. It is believed that the 
prevalence of Internet addiction is similar to the prevalence 
of pathological gambling, ranging from 1 to 5 percent of users. 
In general, dependence from the computer reality can be called 
"kiberaddiktsiey" (Griffiths M. 1995).. If psychological 
dependence goes into mental illness, can we talk about "virtual 
mania." 



In the case of a virtual addiction affects mostly male person
sex, as in the case of Internet addiction, such differences by 
gender not been established. There are opinions that, in his 
incarnation as the most technologically BP can be compared to 
hard drugs because the end-target of this system is

the human brain. Unable to adapt and live in the real world, 
the neurotic goes into the world of BP. The social factors that 
contribute to the development of a virtual addiction, first of 
all we put public approval. As her mother said one of the 
Addict: "Better computer than drugs. "important role played by 
the fashion for computers that are becoming more affordable and 
social infantilism of users. It should be noted that persons 
with borderline disorders prefer addictive realizations of 
non-chemical form (Korolenko TS.P., Dmitrieva T. B., 1999).. 
Accentuation of the types most likely to develop a virtual 
addiction unstable and schizoid, less other types. To 
psychological factors that contribute to the development of a 
virtual addiction, also include the attractiveness of 
experiences, development of hedonistic setting (obtaining 
pleasure at any price), the reaction simulation, compensation, 
group (For example, when using Internet chat rooms), hobbies / 
response. Of particular note is informative and communicative 
hobby - "Thirst for constant light of new information that 
requires no critical thinking process, as well as the need for 
a set of surface contacts, allowing This information exchange 
(AE Licko). Addictive behavior in virtual addict becomes a 
lifestyle, in the process which a person is trapped in a 
permanent departure from reality into a state of altered 
consciousness. Emerged and is growing with each passing year 
the subculture of computer users with its own language 
(jargon), incomprehensible to the uninitiated, with its 
rituals, symbols, humor, etc., similar to subcultures of the 
criminal world, drinkers and drug addicts. Relations with 
computer addict from becoming more intimate, emotional, 
creating the illusion of stability and comfort, as in fact 
pathological stereotype. Over time, increases the dissociation 
- narrows the range of interests, falls educational and 
industrial efficiency, to a greater extent the growing 
difficulties of communication; Addict declining ethical and 
aesthetic, no longer look after themselves. Need for lessons on 
a computer or game console is getting stronger, coming into 
competition with hunger, thirst, need for live communication, 
recreation, etc. Ten years ago, on such conditions were not 
known, they are almost non-existent. Now, survey the schools, 
we can identify more than one dozen prone to a virtual 
addiction of young people. It's much easier and cheaper 
Internet access. With the development of computer technology 
the situation is clearly deteriorating. The need is investigate 
the problem both in terms of medical psychologists, and 
psychiatrists to develop methods of prevention and treatment. 
We can assume that the main method of treatment would be a 
virtual addiction psychotherapy and, in particular, existential 
psychotherapy. We can also assume, based on the principle of 
"Every cloud has a silver lining" that the dependence on 
virtual reality could form the basis of treatment of drug 
dependence. In any case, in the coming century, this problem 
will further development.



   Dear Colleagues, The editors of Psychosphere "requests to 
support research article's author, fill in given below form and 
send it to the address: 347340, Volgodonsk, Rostov region. str. 
Steppe, 191. Mental hospital. Telfaks (86392) 27917. Or by 
E-mail: 

  pnd@volgodonsk.cityline.ru
Address web-site: http://www.vdonsk.ru/ ~ alex / galkin /


   nketa


   Incomplete proposals


   Below is a 36 pending proposals. Read them
and finished, writing a first-past you the idea. Do this as 
quickly as possible. If you can not just finish a proposal - 
write on and join in with them later. 

Computer - it ...
I feel good if my computer ...
My time ...
When I'm at the computer ...
My family thinks that ...
I love to work with ...
If your computer does not work, I ...
The world to me ...
Unlike humans computer ...
At school I ...
Most of my friends ...
Front of the computer I feel like ...
The computer is always ...
I could (could) be very happy (happy), if ...
I think that a true friend ...
Seriously, if your computer ...
I've always wanted (wanted) ...
In a few moments the computer ...
The future seems to me ...
Compared with the rest of the computer ...
For me, the Internet - it ...
I do not like people who ...
People with whom I work ...
More recently, the Internet ...
My most vivid memory is ...
I believe that most Internet users ...
If I had money ...
When I go out into the street ...
My concerns are not just made me ...
In fact, computer and Internet ...
The worst thing that happened to me to make it ...
I know it's silly, but worried ...
I like to communicate with people who ...
I do not like when ...
Seriously, if your computer ...
When I sit in front of the computer, my condition resembles ...

            - -
Source: Virtual Journal Psychosphere, Number 3, 1999
Figure "Free Soft" - with http://www.anekdot.ru
Figure "iexplore.ico" - author Eugene Golyakov / Spencer Winset 
/                    Diamond Group.



/ Ps. September 2, 1999 marks 30 years of an episode in which
was first established a connection between two computers 
through a standard telephone line. Americans consider this the 
day Birthday Internet. (According to NTV).


   As they say, with prazdnichkom. And God bless you. :)


[Now the computer can be disabled].

            - -