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Internet addiction: when difficulty stopping becomes a problem

Sultan AlmuhasinMedical review: Tatmeen team7 min read
شخص ينظر إلى هاتف في غرفة مظلمة، وخيوط زرقاء تمتد حوله نحو شاشات معلقة تعرض صورًا.
Article contents
  1. The internet is a medium: what are you doing on it?
  2. Which diagnoses are recognized?
  3. When should you seek help?
  4. A practical step instead of cutting every connection
  5. If you are worried about someone close
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
  7. Sources and references
  8. Writer and reviewer

You may spend much of the day on a screen because of work, while someone spending less time loses sleep or gambles with money needed at home. Hours alone do not determine addiction. More useful questions are which behavior is difficult to control1, how it affects life and whether it continues despite attempts to change.

People use “addiction” casually for many habits, but a rewarding or repeated habit is not automatically a disorder. Equally, lacking a familiar diagnostic name does not make a problem unreal or exclude help.

If your main concern is buying or loss of control around eating, online or offline, see the guide to behaviors that are hard to stop and appropriate assessment. Here we focus on what you do online and its effect on your day.

The internet is a medium: what are you doing on it?

Gaming, communication, work, shopping and gambling are different activities. Grouping them as “internet addiction” can obscure the problem to address. Consider the activity itself: do you start playing and struggle to stop when intended? Lose money and gamble again to recover it? Browse to escape distress, then lose sleep and find the next day harder?

These are questions for understanding, rather than a diagnostic test. Consider work pressure, isolation and sleep, mood or attention problems too. A professional can assess multiple aspects1 instead of assuming the screen causes everything.

Which diagnoses are recognized?

Behavioral addiction concerns an activity2, such as gambling or gaming, rather than substance use. The activity may become difficult to control, take priority over important parts of life and continue despite harm. But repeating or enjoying something does not by itself make it a disorder. Diagnostic requirements differ with the behavior3 and need professional assessment.

Behavior or label An important distinction
Gambling disorder A diagnosis in ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR; gambling may be online or offline.
Gaming disorder A diagnosis in ICD-11 covering online or offline gaming. Internet Gaming Disorder remains a condition for further study in DSM-5-TR.
“Phone addiction” or “social-media addiction” Common and research labels, not automatic equivalents of gaming or gambling diagnoses. They are not independently named DSM-5-TR diagnoses.
Another repeated behavior causing problems Requires assessment of the behavior and context; resemblance to another habit does not establish the same diagnosis.

Classification systems differ. ICD-11 also has other specified and unspecified categories for disorders due to addictive behaviors; their existence does not make every online label or questionnaire valid. A professional assesses control2, whether the behavior takes over important parts of life3 and whether it continues despite consequences. They also assess whether it causes marked distress or clear impairment4 in study, work, relationships or other parts of life. There is no universal number of hours that determines the diagnosis.

When should you seek help?

Seek help when harm recurs or change becomes difficult: repeatedly disrupted sleep, missed work or study, spending that affects essentials, severe distress, repeated conflict or unsuccessful attempts to regain control. Do not wait for a diagnostic duration before seeking help for a current problem.

Gambling can cause financial and family harm5 even below a diagnostic threshold. If you try to recover losses by gambling again, seek help to stop gambling, protect essentials and review the situation instead of treating a larger bet as a debt solution. You could start by telling a professional: “I keep gambling to win back what I lost, and the money I need at home is at risk.” This explains what needs help before a diagnosis is settled. Financial boundaries need not mean a relative taking control of your whole life.

If distress makes you fear you may harm yourself, seek urgent help. In Saudi Arabia, call 997 for an ambulance6 and ask a safe person to stay with you.

A practical step instead of cutting every connection

Choose one situation to change and an outcome you can notice. If browsing delays sleep, you might keep the phone away from the bed, disable unnecessary notifications and arrange another way for important calls to reach you. If work requires internet access, distinguish work tools from the activity you struggle to stop. Disconnecting completely may disrupt work without addressing the problem.

Make a simple note: What did I start doing? How did I feel? What was delayed or harmed? What change did I try? Use it to understand a situation or explain it to a professional, not to score yourself. Do not record passwords, private messages or other people's information.

Specific daily adjustments may help but neither establish diagnosis nor always provide enough support. If harm continues, seek suitable assessment. In Saudi Arabia, call the Ministry of Health on 937 for medical guidance7. Ask about experience with the behavior that concerns you, rather than assuming every “digital detox” is an evidence-based treatment.

If you are worried about someone close

Start with an effect you observe: “You've been sleeping less and missing more work. How do you see it?” Agree on a step they choose or offer help arranging assessment. Do not diagnose by hours or make surveillance and punishment the whole plan. For a child, age-appropriate involvement from a safe caregiver matters; an adult diagnostic checklist is not a verdict on them.

The first goal can be better sleep, protecting household money or attending an appointment, rather than proving the word “addiction.” Focus on the actual problem and a useful step toward addressing it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I'm addicted to the internet?

Hours alone do not determine addiction. More useful questions are which behavior is difficult to control, how it affects your life and whether it continues despite attempts to change. A professional also assesses whether it takes over important parts of life and whether it causes marked distress or clear impairment in study, work or relationships. There is no universal number of hours that determines the diagnosis.

Is internet or phone addiction an official diagnosis?

It depends on the behavior. Gambling disorder is a diagnosis in ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR, and gaming disorder is a diagnosis in ICD-11, while Internet Gaming Disorder remains a condition for further study in DSM-5-TR. “Phone addiction” and “social-media addiction” are common and research labels, not independently named DSM-5-TR diagnoses. Still, lacking a familiar diagnostic name does not make a problem unreal or exclude help.

When should I seek help for internet use?

Seek help when harm recurs or change becomes difficult: repeatedly disrupted sleep, missed work or study, spending that affects essentials, severe distress, repeated conflict or unsuccessful attempts to regain control. Do not wait for a diagnostic duration. In Saudi Arabia, you can call the Ministry of Health on 937 for medical guidance. If distress makes you fear you may harm yourself, seek urgent help: call 997 for an ambulance and ask a safe person to stay with you.

How can I cut down on internet use without disconnecting completely?

Choose one situation to change and an outcome you can notice. If browsing delays sleep, you might keep the phone away from the bed, disable unnecessary notifications and arrange another way for important calls to reach you. If work requires internet access, distinguish work tools from the activity you struggle to stop. Disconnecting completely may disrupt work without addressing the problem.

How can I help someone close who can't stop using their phone or gaming?

Start with an effect you observe, such as sleeping less or missing more work, and ask how they see it. Agree on a step they choose or offer help arranging assessment. Do not diagnose by hours or make surveillance and punishment the whole plan. For a child, age-appropriate involvement from a safe caregiver matters, and an adult diagnostic checklist is not a verdict on them.

Writing and article review

Sultan AlmuhasinWritten bySultan Almuhasin

Content writer and researcher at Tatmeen, working on Arabic and English articles across mental health and everyday life topics, including relationships, stress, work, habits, and family.

Tatmeen teamMedical reviewTatmeen team

Every Tatmeen article is reviewed by care providers licensed by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, so what you read is accurate and trustworthy.

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