It was recently reported according to Minister of Children and Women’s Affairs Chandrani Bandara that Sri Lanka may soon introduce a law to ban minors from using Facebook. The statement was made in light of the recent rise in use of social media and technology by much younger audiences. While technology is an unavoidable part of everyday life, there are those who are unable to regulate their compulsions; those who have gone beyond what is “necessary”. Such behaviour is what falls within the definition of “behavioural addiction” – more specifically, “digital addiction”. Behavioural addiction, such as pornography, computer gaming, and gambling, is often referred to as process addiction or non-substance addiction, and such addictions can result in many of the same adverse effects as drug and alcohol addictions. It is associated with impulse control, directly connected to the “rush” or “high” that one experiences when engaging in a particular behaviour. Sri Lankans are particularly averse to seeking treatment for disorders of the mind; often suffering in silence or living in denial. However, like any other illness, addiction can often derail one’s personal growth and livelihood, and therefore, requires treatment. Mel Medura is an organisation dedicated to providing aid for those who are in need of assistance regarding varying addictions. Their services, which used to consist of aid with regard to substance abuse, have now been expanded to behavioural addictions as well. We discussed the newly expanded service and the future of treatment for behavioural addiction in Sri Lanka with Mel Medura’s Honorary Director Jomo Uduman. People don’t know where or how to seek help When asked what prompted this new expansion of Mel Medura’s services to include behavioural addiction, Uduman said: “We realised that this is an issue which is escalating rapidly, spiralling out of control without being addressed,” adding that “people do not know where or how to seek help for themselves or their family and friends.” Mel Medura’s key workers have also received specialised training from their Honorary Consultant Dr. Shamil Wanigaratne, who is a clinical psychologist and is also the head of an addiction centre in Abu Dhabi. Uduman provided that everyone is vulnerable, and can be affected when excessive time is spent on digital devices, which then reduces the opportunity for one to develop and practise emotional intelligence (EQ), which, according to social scientists, has been placed above the importance of IQ. Speaking about digital addiction, he further discussed how and why children and adults get addicted to digital devices. Tech giants have craftily designed their products and services to encourage and tempt users to engage with their products for as long as possible. He said: “We have absolutely no idea that lurking behind our screens are these experts using their knowledge to create products that will continue to capture our attention for profit.” How digital addiction can negatively affect our lives When such behaviour takes centre stage in one’s life, you are susceptible to a host of negative effects. × Digital dementia – a breakdown of cognitive abilities caused by the overuse of digital technology × Text neck – chronic head/neck pain caused by hanging one’s head forward, and looking down at the device for extended periods of time × Digital eye strain – caused by smaller screens, squinting and straining one’s eyes to see There’s also cyber bullying, which has resulted in an overwhelming number of instances of self-harm by victims, who were viciously attacked by abusers allowed a wide platform to disseminate their abuse. How to prevent it? Uduman stressed on the importance of the role that adults and parents play in preventing such addictive behaviour; they must transform into role models, and be conscious of their own social media habits if they wish to moderate their children engaging with technology and media. He said: “There are no easy answers for these young people who are bombarded with messages throughout the day; parents must first set the example. There have been countless occasions where I’ve seen parents hand over their phone to their child to keep them occupied,” he said, adding that it is up to parents and adults to encourage “talking over texting”. We also spoke with Prasad Gunawardena, who is one of the very few staff members working at Mel Medura, which is largely a volunteer organisation. Band aid on a bullet wound Speaking about the nature of treatment and the ground level interactions with addicts, Gunawardena said: “When it comes to counselling, behavioural addiction, and alcohol and drug addictions can, to an extent, be generalised; the main difference is that the withdrawal symptoms for drug and alcohol addiction tend to be physiological, whereas for behavioural addictions, it’s mostly annoyance and irritability sort of thing.” He said that in his experience, when an individual suffering from addiction is brought to Mel Medura, they are often seeking a quick fix, asking for medication which could allow them to put a band aid on a bullet wound. Prasad said they often discourage medication, with the exception of severe cases of withdrawal, in which case they will be directed to government psychiatric units to be treated. Otherwise, several sessions of counselling are recommended. “The methodology we employ is similar to what one would suggest to stop smoking; the trick is to break the habit. Most addicts have a schedule. If we take smoking, for example, they must have 20 cigarettes a day on regular intervals, and what we do is, not ask them to reduce or to stop, but to delay using. If they smoke their 9 a.m. cigarette at 9.30 or 10 a.m. and continue to vary it, then often times, as time goes on, everyday activities will get in the way of smoking, and eventually, break the habit.” It is but one course of action. Prasad shared with us about a recent patient they met, seeking assistance for a digital addiction; a young man who must use Facebook every day. Since he does not own a mobile phone, he pays an internet cafe for an hour every day. He also spoke of a young girl who has over three thousand friends on Facebook, and spends large amounts of her day commenting and engaging on it, and even a married gentleman who must use Facebook so often that he neglects or rushes through all of his familial obligations in favour of using the site. He also suggested that a good exercise for those who feel that they may have developed a digital addiction is to go one day or a few hours without the digital device in question, and then, if it is your phone, evaluate whether it was a difficult thing to do, and see if they truly missed out on anything important. Self-evaluation is the best way to break a habit, but if you feel that further help is necessary, Mel Medura is ready and available to provide complete assistance free of charge. History of Mel Medura The Sumithrayo Drug Demand Reduction Programme (Mel Medura) began in 1984, when Sumithrayo realised that over 30% of suicides in Sri Lanka were related to drug and alcohol addiction. The programme promotes attitude and behavioural changes to reconstruct life, rebuild family and social relations, and develop adequate coping skills to revert to a society where drugs and alcohol are readily available. Mel Medura is a community based treatment and rehabilitation centre, employing a process which now involves a healthy combination of motivational interviewing, CBT and active listening coupled with looking closely at healthy lifestyle changes to improve poor decision-making and coping skills. The Mel Medura service is free. Contact: 2694665/2693460 Email: melmedura@sltnet.lk Address: 60, Horton Place, Colombo 07   By Dimithri Wijesinghe