I Surf To Much And It Has Become A Problem. Need Advice

[Changing4Best]

Yes, I leave my phone home a lot too. I hate being interrupted by it when I am with real life. I treat it basically just as if it is still a land line, even though it is a cell phone. When real life happens, I want to be in it fully, not half in another world.

 

[Nevermore]

Yes smart phones have sucked me in too. I talk to google too much!
I'm excited at the thought of leaving the phone at home!! I would so love to go back to the days of the home phone. I don't answer it if I'm with someone but most people do. I hate that!
And hate being contactable all hours of the day.
A friend was telling me just the other day that something about the light coming from smart phones causes endorphins to rise - and thus very addictive!!! She also said they've found out that too much use of the net causes mood disorders etc
If I can get her to send the article I'll post it up here!

 

[anthony]

Like any addiction, it is just another form of such. Nothing to be ashamed... recognising and admitting you have a problem is typically the largest step. Now... what are you going to do about it?

 

[KwanYingirl]

@Mallaky well it is true I am a recovering alcoholic, I am by nature impulsive. I don't buy things online to get high. I am impulsive. So I don't click checkout for a week. And I only order what I have to spend in my checking account. I don't charge. But I have too many clothes and all I need is time away from the act of ordering and once I'm back in rational mind, I decide what to buy and what to remove.

I am a complete obsessed with shoes. I won't buy any more as I have nowhere to store them.

 

[Mallaky]

I cannot explain it. All I know is that when I am on the 'net, I lose all sense of time!

Indeed. Thats why I wondered if my penchant for dissociation could play a role.

Now... what are you going to do about it?

First I made this thread, which I then showed to my partner, whom I did not tell before how I felt. We had a good talk about this. I have also started to draw, when I would normally surf. These first 2 days it seems that this substitution might work very well. I can even do it in the same spot I used to surf, which is great, I feel very safe here, and I always wanted to learn drawing. And, inspired by desiderata when I start surfing I try to keep the clock in sight at all times. Last step I am trying to figure out what I consider healthy and what unhealthy internet behavior, and once I have, I want to stop mixing these two. Since I made that thread I spent half the time I used to on the net, which is still way too much, but an improvement nonetheless.

recognising and admitting you have a problem is typically the largest step.

It feels like it, because something is different already. I felt a sense of, well, healthy shame(?) when I zoned out earlier the day, surfing for a hour, when I planned to just quickly check something. This helped me snap out of it.