Addicted To Your Phone? You Could Be Suffering From Nomophobia

The phrase "nomophobia" comes from a shortening of "no mobile." A feeling of anxiety washes over a person suffering from nomophobia when they lose contact with their phone.

Almost everyone owns a cell phone these days and people remain so hooked to them that they lose contact with the world around them. This behavior is understandable technology is Hiving over us and slip into our lives in every way.


Addicted To Your Phone? You Could Be Suffering From Nomophobia


But at what point does this incessant phone use and the resulting fear of being out of touch become a real phobia? The world is moving on all fronts, in terms of technology, but also by the challenges that the new technology has to offer threatened.

Has your smartphone become like your limb without which you cannot live? Do you suffer From withdrawal symptoms when you are asked to leave it for a minute? Do you Constantly have to touch and hold it and get panic attacks when you find it missing?



If any question, nods in agreement, then you definitely suffer from nomophobia. Was first identified in 2008, nomophobia (no phone-phobia) is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.

This intense psychological attachment to mobile and and excessive dependence on it is the defining characteristic of this phobia.People who suffer from this, the experience of despair and are not able to concentrate on their work and personal lives.

Signs of nomophobia are easy to detect. Never turning off the phone, obsessively checking missed texts and calls, and bringing the phone everywhere are clear signs. Using phones at inappropriate times and missing opportunities for face-to-face interaction and preferring over the phone contact are indicators as well.


Physical side effects can occur for nomophobia when their phone dies or is otherwise unusable. These symptoms include panic attacks, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, sweating, accelerated heart rate, chest pain, or nausea. Millions of people suffer from nomophobia around the globe. The most common sufferers are in the 18-24 age range, making college students likely candidates.

In a survey, it was found out that, 63% of respondents check their phone for messages or calls once an hour, while 9% said they checked their phone every five minutes. More women worry about losing their phones than men – 70% of the women surveyed compared to 61% of the men.

Some psychologists have suggested nomophobia by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is considered the highest authority on mental health.

For many of us this will be a welcome respite. For others, it will be a source of intense stress and anxiety. So the question now is, when does cell phone obsession become an outright addiction?

Yep. Smartphone addiction. Maybe you're addicted, or perhaps you know someone who is.You probably already know the symptoms –

Symptoms Of Nomophobia :


• Feeling anxious whenever you do not have your phone in your physical possession.

• Constantly checking the phone for new texts, coupled with the compulsion to respond immediately.

• Did you feel that? Your phone just vibrated, and you felt it. Yet looking at the phone, you realize it's a false alarm. Phantom cellphone vibration syndrome is real, and it's a symptom of addiction

• You're not listening. In fact, you have no idea what the person in front of you is talking about. Why? Because you keep checking your Facebook page, tweets and texts.

• Failing in School. Poor grades can often be blamed on using the smartphone in classes. There are apps that block social media, which may help.

Ways it affects your health:


Constantly staring at your phone strains your eyes because of the small fonts and the bright light. This has the potential to develop into computer vision syndrome, a condition that can lead to dry eyes, difficulty in focusing and double vision.

You could develop text neck, which is a condition arising from stress and pressure triggered by texting and browsing constantly on your phone.

It has been found out that a two hour exposure to the light from these devices can suppress melatonin by about 22% making it more difficult to get to sleep.

People who are obsessed with their smartphones are more at risk of severe psycho pathologies which include somatic symptoms, attentional deficits and aggression.
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