Lesson 1590: The comorbid relationship between internet addiction and anxiety/depression
Duration:70 minutes
Topic Introduction: This course focuses on the comorbid relationship between internet addiction and anxiety/depression—these are not independent but often form a mutually amplifying cycle: on the one hand, people with chronic anxiety, loneliness, and low self-esteem are more likely to use the internet, games, or social media as a "buffer zone" to temporarily escape tension and emptiness; on the other hand, excessive internet use disrupts sleep patterns, weakens real-life achievements and interpersonal connections, exacerbating anxiety and depression in real life. Many people thus fall into a vicious cycle of "the more uncomfortable they feel, the more they go online, and the more they go online, the more uncomfortable they feel." This course will analyze the formation mechanism of this comorbidity from four perspectives: emotion regulation, reward system, behavioral habits, and self-identity, helping you understand that it's not that you're too bad, but that your brain is using a costly way to survive. The course will also guide you to initially identify warning signs and intervention points, laying the foundation for more systematic treatment and life adjustments later on.
[arttao_Healing_Course_tts_group1590_1594]○ The comorbid characteristics of internet addiction with anxiety and depression
- Bidirectional amplification effect:The stronger the negative emotions, the more prone one is to internet addiction; the deeper the addiction, the stronger the sense of loss of control over reality, and the more severe the anxiety and depression become.
- The "single outlet" for emotion regulation:The internet has become almost the only way to relax, causing other channels of health regulation to be neglected or degenerated.
- Sleep and circadian rhythm disruption:Staying up late to binge-watch TV shows, play games, and scroll through social media disrupts the circadian rhythm and is a major contributing factor to the worsening of anxiety and depression.
- Self-evaluation and shame:They enjoy a brief escape while simultaneously feeling intense self-blame, creating a vicious cycle of "the more ashamed they feel, the more they try to escape."
- Social withdrawal and decline in practical functioning:Reduced face-to-face contact, task delays, and declining academic/work performance further deepen feelings of hopelessness.
▲ AI Interaction: When Emotions and Internet Use Become Intertwined
Sometimes, it's hard to tell whether our low mood is due to excessive internet use or whether we're simply too uncomfortable to leave the internet. This lesson invites you to temporarily set aside "whose fault it is" and first examine how these issues are interconnected.
Please write down the three most frequent emotional states you have recently (e.g., tension, emptiness, loss, numbness), and add a sentence after each emotion: How do I usually use the internet to cope with it?
Next, write down a consequence you're worried about, such as "going to bed even later," "procrastinating on homework," or "becoming increasingly reluctant to see people." This isn't to intensify your self-blame, but to see the pattern itself.
You can explore with AI: If the internet is just a "temporary painkiller for the brain," would you be willing to prepare a gentler alternative for yourself, such as taking a short walk, writing a few lines, drinking a cup of hot tea, or doing a slow stretch?
Click the button below and, with curiosity rather than judgment, work with AI to analyze your own "emotion-internet use" loop.
○ Relieving comorbid emotions: Music therapy
Choose a piano or string piece with a steady rhythm and clear melody, and adjust the volume to a level that won't drown out your breathing.
Do a little self-check while listening to music: close your eyes and focus your attention on three parts of your body in turn—forehead, shoulders and neck, and chest—and notice if you feel any tension, oppression, or emptiness.
Then, write three sentences on the paper: "At this moment I feel..." "The reason I most want to escape to the internet is..." "If I don't want to comment, just describe my state, it is..."
The goal of practice is not to change immediately, but to make music a container for emotions, so that you can see and accept yourself without having to go online.
○ Oriental healing tea
Recommended drinks:Rose Pu-erh Tea
Recommended reasons:Pu-erh tea is mellow and has a lingering sweetness, while rose tea soothes the liver, regulates Qi, and calms emotions. The combination of the two makes it a suitable "emotional buffer" drink to cope with complex feelings, neither overly exciting nor causing drowsiness.
usage:Take 3g of Pu-erh tea and 3-5 dried rose petals, rinse the tea once with hot water, then brew again. Let it cool slightly before drinking. It is recommended to drink this tea before or after writing in a mood journal or doing relaxation exercises, coordinating with slow breathing and focusing your attention on the aroma of the tea and the temperature changes in your throat, allowing your mind and body to gradually slow down from a highly stimulating state.
○ Greek-Mediterranean Diet: Chickpea, Spinach, and Olive Oil Stew
Stews made primarily with chickpeas, spinach, tomatoes, onions, and olive oil are rich in plant-based protein, dietary fiber, folic acid, and polyphenols. These help maintain stable blood sugar levels and a balanced gut microbiota, which are closely related to emotional stability and brain function. The warm, soft, and chewy texture encourages slow eating and mindful awareness, allowing you to experience true nutrition and satiety while reducing the urge to overeat due to emotional fluctuations or feelings of emptiness.
○ Free Mandala Healing
Image therapy: Identifying your place in overlapping lines
When you look at the circles and interwoven lines of a mandala, you can silently imagine one of them as "emotional fluctuations" and the other as "internet usage." There's no need to determine which is more accurate; just notice that they are close together in some places and gradually separate in others.
Mandala drawing isn't about drawing something; it's about observing. While observing, you can ask yourself: Is it necessary to immediately focus your gaze on the screen when you're feeling your worst? Or is it possible to pause for a few seconds, letting your gaze fall on the image, your breath, a teacup, or any real object? These few small pauses are often the beginning of taking a step back from the cycle of suffering.
○ Suggestions for practicing Roman script
In this lesson, ancient Roman script is used to convey the imagery of "integration rather than division." The robust vertical lines and balanced letter spacing symbolize placing emotional experiences and internet use back on the same life axis, rather than as adversaries.
- Writing words:
Latin:Integratio(Integration)
Meaning in Chinese: To acknowledge complexity without being torn in two. - Psychological Intention:
When you write "Integratio", you can silently tell yourself: "I have the need to go online, and I am also troubled by emotions, but they both belong to me, not to each other." Let each letter be an affirmation of your wholeness, rather than focusing on "one corner of the problem". - Writing method:
Using a slightly thicker ballpoint pen, slowly trace the letters on lined paper, deliberately keeping the height and slant of the letters consistent. Pay attention to each stroke, as if setting clear boundaries for your own rhythm: you can go online, or you can stop; you can be sad, or you can be seen. - Emotional transformation:
When you find yourself scrolling through the internet while simultaneously feeling intense self-blame, try pausing and writing "Integratio" a few times, along with a sentence describing your current state, such as "I am both escaping and trying to survive." Let words become a gentle bridge between emotions and actions, rather than a new form of criticism.
○ Internet Addiction and Co-occurrence of Anxiety and Depression: Guidance and Suggestions for Art Therapy
This page uses drawings to externalize the entangled relationship between "internet addiction," "anxiety," and "depression," allowing you to see that you are not the problem itself, but rather at the center of a complex network. The drawings are for self-awareness purposes only and do not replace medical diagnosis, treatment, or emergency intervention.
I. The Triple Ring: The Intersection of the Internet, Anxiety, and Depression
- Draw three overlapping circles and label them "Internet usage," "anxiety," and "depression," respectively. You can use different colors to represent different parts.
- Write down your most frequent behaviors in the "Internet usage" circle: scrolling through short videos, playing games, browsing social media, repeatedly checking messages, etc.
- Write down your most typical worries in the "Anxiety" circle, such as "Achievements/Work Performance", "Others' Opinions", "Uncertainty about the Future", etc.
- Write down words related to helplessness, disappointment, and self-blame in the "Depression" circle, such as "I don't want to do anything" or "I feel useless".
- In the central area where the three circles intersect, briefly describe your experience here: for example, "I often spend a lot of time online when I'm feeling the worst, and then the online activity makes me feel even worse." Finally, use a light-colored box to circle the small point that you think is most likely to change (for example, "the time I spend on my phone before bed").
II. Emotional Thermometer and Internet Usage Gradient
- Draw an "emotional thermometer" from 0 to 10 on one side of the paper, where 0 represents relatively stable emotions and 10 represents extreme pain.
- Next to the thermometer, draw a corresponding "Internet usage gradient," from "almost never using the internet" to "almost inseparable from mobile phone/computer." Connect the most frequent combinations of your experiences with arrows, such as "emotional state 7-8, playing games continuously for several hours."
- Choose a middle range (e.g., mood 3-5 points) and draw the alternative behaviors you would be willing to try, such as "send a truthful message to someone", "go for a ten-minute walk", or "write down three small things".
- Write a reminder at the bottom of the screen, such as: "When my emotions haven't reached a 10 out of 10, I still have the opportunity to take care of myself in a gentler way than 'escaping into the internet'."“
Note: Co-occurrence often develops through a long-term process of stress and habitual patterns, and you shouldn't expect to "fully recover" after just one or two sessions of practice. The important thing is that you're beginning to be able to describe your situation in images and words; this is already preparing a clearer map for future help and change. If you experience strong self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or severe functional impairment, please seek professional psychiatric or psychological services as soon as possible, and prioritize your own safety.
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○ 1590. The comorbid relationship between internet addiction and anxiety/depression: journaling guidance suggestions
① Comorbidity review: Write down the scene that left the deepest impression on you in the past week, where you were in a bad mood and spent a lot of time online. Just describe what happened objectively, without judging right or wrong.
② Emotional profile: In this scene, give a subjective score of 0 to 10 for "anxiety", "depression" and "urge to go online", and briefly write down what each of them would like to say to you.
③ A small entry point: Choose one of these three aspects that you are most confident you can make a small change to, such as "shortening your online time by 15 minutes" or "posting a genuine request for help before logging into the game."
④ A positive summary: Use two or three sentences to gently summarize today's observations, such as, "It turns out I'm not just 'lacking in self-control,' but have been living in a clumsy but sincere way all along." Allow yourself to continue moving forward despite imperfections.
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When you begin to see the anxieties and depression shrouded behind internet addiction, you are no longer just a "collection of problems," but someone striving to understand themselves and find a gentler outlet. May you, under the light of understanding, slowly find a rhythm that allows you to be supported by real life while maintaining a suitable distance from the internet.
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