SOCIAL NETWORKING sites and dating sites on the internet can become addictive for recovering addicts, according to leading experts in Ireland and Britain.
"What happens is that dating sites become a contact zone for some people in recovery mode and this can lead to spending hours online," said Austin Clarke, addiction counsellor and head of treatment services at the Rutland Centre, Dublin.
According to Mr Clarke, online contact on dating sites can then develop into sex addictions as people meet each other in a depersonalised way. "In the United States, most of the clients attending sex addiction clinics are in recovery from other addictions," he added.
Social networking sites such as Facebook can also fuel addiction and leave users feeling insecure, according to David Smallwood, an addiction counsellor working at London's high-profile addiction treatment centre, the Priory clinic.
"Users of Facebook can become addicted to the buzz of collecting new online friends," said Mr Smallwood. But, he warned that their self-esteem could plummet if their friendship requests were rejected or they compare their profiles unfavourably with others.
"It's about acquisition and acquisition is a very, very addictive process," he said. "These websites are very competitive. If you are on Facebook and you don't have 100 friends, then you don't exist. They can affect anyone but will have a much more pronounced effect on someone with addictive traits," he said.
There are up to one million users of social networking sites in Ireland, according to Ruairi McKiernan, founder of the youth health and wellbeing site, SpunOut.ie. "Some of these people will have issues around isolation and mental illness but social networking sites per se haven't come up as a problem on our online discussion forums," he said.
"I know it's an issue in places like China but young people in Ireland are generally gregarious and sociable and social networking sites are an extension of this," he said.
However, Austin Clarke suggested recovering addicts should keep away from anything that could encourage compulsive behaviour. "Addicts in recovery have a huge void in their lives and it's easy to get cross-addicted," he said.
"We encourage people who have completed our treatment programme to attend our continuing care group for a year and also to attend self-help groups up to three times a week," he said.
Mr Smallwood agreed. "Visiting social networking sites and even socialising in bars and clubs is not recommended for those in the early stages of recovery. They should stick as closely to support groups where they are less likely to feel inadequate and they can avoid situations where they are setting themselves up for a fall," he said.
