By Rotem Brayer, LPC
Do you want to stop your internet addiction?
If you can’t stop being on the internet, and you want to quit – I am here to help. If you’ve tried quitting many times and feel like you can’t control your behavior – it’s not because of bad moral character or lack of willpower. I specialize in treating Internet Addiction.
Your inability to control your internet use is a neurobiological problem that can be solved.
Your internet habit will change only when your brain changes. If therapy is not going to rewire your brain – you are going to keep doing the same thing. You will keep using the internet, promise yourself that you will never do it again, and the next day you will do just that. You will feel the same shame. The shame about trying to quit and failing every single time. To stop your addiction, you will have to create new pathways in your brain.
Your brain can be rewired
The brain is more “plastic” under certain conditions. Brain plasticity is the brain’s tendency to change as a response to the environment. In situations like smoking cigarettes, using cocaine, or watching the internet, the brain’s reward center (called the nucleus accumbens) changes dramatically. The more you smoke, use, or watch – the more changes happen in this area of the brain. In our work together, we will activate certain areas of your brain to enhance plasticity and rewire your brain.
Your reward center on the internet
Watching the internet leads to massive rewiring in the reward center of the brain.
The reward center of your brain is located deep inside your brain, about 3 inches behind your eyes. It is a part of your emotional brain, and it doesn’t understand language. So when you promise yourself that this is the last time you’re using the internet – the reward center of your brain doesn’t listen.
The reward center of your brain is the part that craves. YOU know that watching the internet is bad, but your reward center doesn’t listen to you. It doesn’t understand you. It just craves.
How does rewiring your brain help you change your habit?
The first result of the rewiring of your brain will help you reduce cravings. Your cravings will not go away but they will not be as intense.
You will be in control instead of being controlled by the reward center of your brain.
You will still have cravings, but you’ll know exactly what to do because we’re going to have a plan. We will prepare for these situations. Our work will include things like visualizing your cravings and how you are going to respond to them. We will prepare for worse case scenarios and practice skills that will help you cope with triggers (some of this work you will do by yourself at home).
Do you have any other mental health conditions?
There are two main types of internet addicts. If you suffer from depression, anxiety, trauma or any other mental health issue, your treatment is going to take longer.
If you are addicted to the internet and don’t have any other mental health concerns, chances are that our treatment is going to be brief and you will see results relatively quickly.
A little about how I work
Creating a plan with specific goals is the best way to create real, sustainable changes.
You and I will talk about concrete goals. We will talk about what you want to get out of our work together, and what you are willing to do to achieve your goal.
In my experience treating people with different types of addictions, I learned that just talking doesn’t usually change behaviors. People don’t stop using the internet (or meth) because they talked about it with their therapist and they mutually agreed that this is a good idea to quit.
So how will I help you?
- Specific Plan – Creating a specific plan is what’s going to make our work successful. You will get assignments. Yes – you are going to have homework. That’s what is going to make your behavioral change sustainable.
- EMDR therapy – This therapy goes beyond the limits of language. It rewires the emotional brain. This part doesn’t understand your language. This is where your internet addiction lives. It’s a primitive part of the brain that is hard to access through words.
- HRV Biofeedback – You will see, in real-time, what happens to your nervous system when you are feeling triggered. This biomarker is going to help you change behaviors through your body and not only through your thoughts.
- Post-treatment plan. After we’re done with our work, you will still run into triggers. Letting you leave therapy without preparing you to deal with triggers will not be very helpful in the long run. Before you leave we will create a specific plan of what to do when feeling triggered.
You can stop using the internet. I’ve successfully helped many people to quit this habit. It takes hard work but it’s possible. If you’re ready to change your internet addiction habit – give me a call or schedule an appointment now. I am here to help.
schedule now with Rotem Brayer.
