Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Updated : April 9, 2014 12:13 PM IST
When we read a post on how selfies were deemed to be a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association on adobochronicles.com we were tempted to believe them without realising that they were a satire website. The ADOBO CHRONICLES in its word claims to be 'your source of up-to-date, unbelievable news. Everything you read on this site is based on fact, except for the lies'.
They had a very specific definition claiming selfitis was 'the obsessive compulsive desire to take photos of one's self and post them on social media as a way to make up for the lack of self-esteem and to fill a gap in intimacy'. They also said that the APA had decided to classify the disease into three levels:
The article went on to claim that according to the APA, while there is currently no cure for the disorder, temporary treatment is available through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
What really convinced that it might be a disorder was a recent case in the UK. While selfies might be harmless for most people, it proved near fatal for British teen Danny Bowman who spent up to 10 hours a day taking photos trying to capture the perfect selfie, and failing to do so tried to commit suicide, according to the Daily Mirror. His condition became so debilitating that he dropped out of school and remained homebound for six months. 'I was constantly in search of taking the perfect selfie and when I realized I couldn't I wanted to die,' Bowman told the Daily Mirror. 'I lost my friends, my education, my health and almost my life.' The youngster subsequently was treated for
The youngster nearly overdosed on pills but his mum intervened and helped save his life. While the teenager's case was extreme, this was what led to psychiatrists to consider selfie addiction to be a serious mental ailment.
Also read: OCD - things you ought to know
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