Glued to Your Phone? Study Says You May Have This Disorder

By Dana Cruz First Posted: Sep 02, 2020 06:56 AM EDT

Phones have been a part of everyday life now, especially in the age of the internet. But finding yourself feeling anxious because your phone died or when you left your house at home could be a disorder.

Experts call the phone disorder "nomophobia." It is short for "no mobile phone phobia," and it is a rising trend in psychology nowadays, especially among young people. It was coined in 2010 by the UK Post office, according to Psychology Today.

This disorder is not yet recognized as a formal diagnosis, but researchers are examing how common it is among adolescents. One recent study in Portugal is also looking for the concerning link between nomophobia and other psychological disorders.

The study was published in the August-December 2020 edition of Computers in Human Behavior Reports. It used a questionnaire assessing phone use and psychopathological symptoms of 495 adults aged 18 to 24.

So far, researchers found positive correlation between the disorder and certain psychological problems.

This means if someone has a specific mental health condition like depression, they're more likely to also have anxiety from being away from their phone.

Conditions related with nomophobia have their own symptoms from insomnia to digestive problems.

Disorders Associated with Nomophobia

There are nine disorders associated with nomophobia, according to Best Life. Here they are and the percentage of test participants who experienced them.

Obsession-Compulsion - 39.4%
Interpersonal Sensitivity - 39%
Hostility - 38.4%
Psychoticism - 38.2%
Paranoid Ideation - 38.1%
Depression - 37.4%
Phobic Anxiety - 34.7%
Anxiety - 34%
Somatization - 32.2%

What Causes Nomophobia?

Nomophobia is considered a new, modern phobia, said Healthline. This means it likely came from higher reliance on technology and concern over what could happen if that technology isn't accessed all of a sudden.

This is why most existing information on the phobia suggests it is more frequently experienced by teenagers and young adults.

The specific cause for nomophobia is not yet found but experts believe there are several factors are at play.

One of these factors includes the fear of isolation. Getting cut off technology could mean getting less or no contact from people you care about. Some people will tend to feel lonely without it.

Another cause could also be the feat of being unreachable. Being away from loved ones gets some people anxious about missing an important message, and it can be habit that's hard to break.

How Is It Treated?

Therapists recommend different treatments for a person who faces significant distress in daily life.

Some of these therapies can also address the symptoms of nomophobia. Treatments may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or exposure therapy.

CBT can help a person learn to manage negative thoughts and feelings. This can also work for someone who doesn't have their phone with them.

Exposure therapy, on the other hand, helps someone face these fears through gradual exposure to it.

Slowing getting sued to not having your phone around may seem frightening at first, especially if you need to stay in touch with loved ones through it.

But the goal of exposure therapy is to completely avoid using it, unless it's a personal goal.

For severe symptoms, medication may be in order. Be warned that this method will not get to the root cause of the problem. Usually, using medication alone can't help a person cope with nomophobia.