Cybersex leading to depression and financial bankruptcy is the latest internet addiction disorder being treate... Read More

BENGALURU: Cybersex leading to depression and financial bankruptcy is the latest internet addiction disorder being treated at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences ( Nimhans ). Over the past eight months, its Service for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) clinic has seen three young men seeking treatment for problems arising out of cybersex addiction.

Webcam usage, loneliness, boredom and accessibility both in terms of finance and technology were the common traits in all three cases, SHUT psychiatrists said. The patients are still being counselled at Nimhans.

While one unmarried 32-year-old man said he spent over Rs 80,000 a month to buy tokens to access webcam models, another man sought help to save his marriage from troubles stemming from his cybersex dependency. The patients attributed their problems to their severe dependence on webcam models for erotic experience, which they found more stimulating than conventional pornography.

" The first such case we saw was eight months ago when the family of a 40-year-old married man brought him for treatment. He had a history of erectile dysfunction and was on medication for the same. The man was into cybersex for over three years. The case came to us after his wife got to know of his addiction and found out he'd lost money in dollars to buy tokens to access such sites. In all the cases, patients experienced loss of control despite knowing the consequences of indulging in cybersex," said Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, professor, SHUT clinic.

According to Dr Sharma, cybersex being an interactive online mechanism assures privacy, efficiency and an emotionally intimate experience, leading to addiction and loss of money among young men.

The 32-year-old unmarried man's cybersex addiction came to his family's notice after they noticed that he was in dire straits financially despite earning a six-digit salary. "He had borrowed heavily as he would spend over Rs 80,000 a month to buy tokens for cybersex interaction. As the loans piled up, lenders turned up at his house. The cost of cybersex varies with time, nationality of the clients and nature of interaction," said doctors.

Nimhans professors have written about the three cases in a peer review journal. "This appears to be just the tip of the iceberg. There could be many more who have been addicted to cybersex and are unable to bear its consequences. Such people need professional assistance," the doctors said.

