ADDICTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA

The abuse of social network platforms and participation in virtual micro-communities is something more that just realisation of interpersonal contacts through the social network, it is a compulsion of immediate presentation of a message without control, it is a focus on presenting to the widest network of contacts we have, it is a feeling that we cannot imagine a life without an account on some of the social network platforms and evident waiving of the off-line life. Spending time on social media becomes such a time-consuming activity that we neglect other spheres of life. Despite many possibilities, we are reluctant or totally incapable to realise relationships in a real world. Entirety of our social activity is realised in a virtual world. Addicted people have dysfunctional typical family and social life. They experience powerlessness in fulfilling basic obligations of everyday life. The consequences of an addiction are visible in our usually inadequate behaviour, sensed negative emotions, isolation from reality. When we try to minimise time devoted to social media, we start to experience withdrawal symptoms and anxiety. The worst symptom for our environment is a usual denial of addiction, not admitting that the problem exists. As psychotherapists, we believe that it is impossible to fight the addiction alone, without the support of a specialist. Therefore, we invite you to contact us.

The department is coordinated by Iwona Kitala, certified addiction therapy specialist (National Bureau for Drug Prevention). Academic lecturer at Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa and University of Humanities and Economics in Łódź. She has been working for several years at the Day and Stationary Ward as a therapist specialising in addictions, has the right to work as: First Emotional Intervention assistant, crisis management trainer, coach, vocational adviser. She has an ADR Academy certificate (no ENMA-SMUG 0002/2006-2011) confirming competences to work as Mediator (criminal, juvenile, family and civil matters), is the director of the Trainers Team of the National Mediation Centre, supervisor and vice-president of Polish Mediation Institute. Her main speciality is behavioural addiction.