I can very much relate to what your describing.

In the last few years I've done a lot of personal work around compulsive behaviors such as dating, relationships, sex, buying stuff, etc., and the internet is a part of this system for me. I've learned that there's a real nuerological component to all of my behaviors and that I get a common "hit" from all of these seemingly different activities: a sense of control, relaxation/numbness/being "checked out," distance from my emotional problems and a false sense of connection with others and community. I get very lulled by the endless stream of options and information and it takes painful physical and emotional consequences to get me out of the cycle.

I've made a lot of progress around the more destructive of these behaviors, but "moderate" internet usage is still a real struggle. It's not as simple as "just don't do it" since, much like the rest of my behaviors, trying to moderate my behaviors just leads to a series of rationalizations about why I need to be doing it "for just a few minutes" and the cycle starts all over again, often escalating to new heights.

In 12-step terminology, I seem to lack "power" over the behavior and my own personal attempts to "manage" it repeatedly fail, not because I'm weak or lack determination, but because I've created an unhealthy relationship with the behavior that's become mandatory in a sense. My body craves the "hit" I get when I get online and do my morning surfing, afternoon surfing or compulsive learning about some arcane subject. When I don't do it, my mood is different and I'm typically more easily upset or frustrated. The behavior is inherently mood altering.

So what to do? I've found it's important for me to reach out to others and be honest when I'm struggling with these behaviors, be it compulsive shopping, surfing the net, compulsively looking at dating ads on Nerve or the like. It's all the same thing for me personally and it's taking a lot of work around my core problems of intimacy, self-esteem, trust and family of origin stuff for me to move past it. I'm developing a better emotional barometer so that I can tell when I'm feeling strong emotions such as sadness, anger, fear, and I then have to make a conscious effort to sit with the often uncomfortable emotions as opposed to using one of my behaviors to escape the real emotion going on.

I hope this is helpful. Good luck.

...taking at least one vacation to a low tech place.

The vast maority of my 45 years every summer i have gone to a secluded spot on a semi secluded island.

When I was a kid this place had an "outdoor toilet" and kerosene lanterns.

Nowadays it has electricity and many of the modern conveniences. A few years back other family members decided the phone (primarily for the information junkies, though also because some family members are getting well into their 70's). I insisted that the rule must be to unplug and put the phone away before you leave, in case that the next visitor may wish to pretend it is not there. If the phone *is* out when I arrive the very first thing I do is to unplug it and put it away.

I will admit that when I leave the property I do check my cell phone for messafges, and in rare cases make calls. But I always have the seclusion nearby to return to.

Radio is also optional. And TV is NOT part of the equation. If a TV is left at the cabin it will be disposed of.

The effects of the place on people is amazing. Everyone I have taken there has enjoyed it. For at least a month afterwords one can close one's eyes and picture the place and achieve relaxation.

And in the spring, once we start making the schedule, each time I think of the place it slows my brain and lowers my heart rate.

We all need a place like this. But perhaps we also need a place like this between vacations. Mybe a special coffee shop where you never bring your laptop and always turn off your phone/pager/palmtop/treo/blackberry.

Or maybe a room in your house that is designated for mediation and relaxation.

Good Luck

It seems very likely to me -- and I'm shocked that nobody else has suggested this possibility yet -- that Scatterbrain has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The NEED to be informed, and to check every last possible source of information, clearly takes this into the realm of addiction and/or mental illness.

The suggestions to read books, or just go camping, while well-intentioned, are very unlikely to help Scatterbrain. When a person has a problem she or he does not entirely want to solve, finding a solution tends to be far less simple than that. If Scatterbrain really does want to make a change in behavior, therapy and/or medication seem like the most promising possibilities.

You don't have to be young to have this problem. I learned to type on a manual typewriter. Now I run a community news website and do freelance writing about places I've never seen. And my laptop has become the top of my lap, a combination dinner tray, TV Guide and security blanket. I know I'm in trouble when I flip channels with one hand and surf with the other to see how many sites have the EXACT SAME STORY!

Yes, the simple truth is that you get good at what you practice. If you practice having a life you will have one. You and I practice avoiding life, and we're getting good at it. We can do it with alcohol, with work or with the Internet. I have done it by cleaning the closets or doing the ironing or any one of the "constructive procrastinations" I do so I don't feel as guilty for avoiding what needs to be done.

Sometimes the procrastination is a legitimate way to let your brain process something that just needs more thought.

Mostly it's just an excuse.

And yes, I am forcing myself to practice something new. I have found a friend to drag my sorry butt to the gym each day and I'm scheduling meetings out of the house -- and I'm paying attention when my very wise cat climbs on my laptop and sits down on my hands, telling me it's time for a break.

And I'll move the laptop into my office and out of the living room -- as soon as "Hardball" is over.