Nomophobia: why does it occur and how to treat it?

One of the youngest phobias is the pathological fear of losing a gadget, completely discharging the battery of a digital device, disconnecting the Internet, losing mobile communications, and the impossibility of communicating through instant messengers. To start treatment, you need to understand the features of the disease and the reasons for its occurrence.

Nomophobia is the fear of being left without a smartphone, tablet, computer, or being away from a digital device. The term appeared in 2008 based on the abbreviation of the English words no mobile phone phobia. Translated, the phrase looks like this: phobia caused by not having a mobile phone.

In the age of information technology, most people feel the need to be in constant contact with relatives and friends, to be able to periodically access the Internet, enjoy music, watch movies, use various games.

An ordinary mobile phone addict has nothing to do, nowhere to put his hands on. A phobia sufferer experiences tremendous psychological discomfort, accompanied by characteristic symptoms. A person is exposed to the most powerful stress when it is necessary to turn off the smartphone at an important event, meeting, in a temple, theater, airport, hospital.

The phone is always nearby. Even while taking a bath, the iPhone should be placed in a conspicuous place nearby.After waking up, a person first sees the screen of the gadget and only then everything else. Before going to bed, the phone screen is the last seen by the nomophobe of the day.

Some people are afraid of getting their smartphone dirty, as the screen may become unresponsive to the touch of their fingers.... Covering the screen with a protective film or special glass is usually a prophylaxis against this fear. Panic fear of getting the phone dirty, losing it, not having a charger on hand in case the mobile device is completely discharged indicates the presence of a clinical picture of the disease.

A person is ready to spend a lot of money on the purchase of the latest model, various accessories for it.... Some people buy another one in case of failure of a mobile device. With two telephones, a person feels completely safe.

The desire to own a computer, tablet, several gadgets leads some people to large financial debts, numerous loans, which cause a lot of problems.

It should be noted that some are afraid of losing the phone because of secret information stored in it or too personal information... Others fear that in the absence of a mobile connection, they will not be able to call an ambulance and other help in case of emergency. Such fears often develop into a phobia. Addicted people do not let go of their mobile phone or endlessly take it out of their purse or pocket.

A person can always check the presence of his own dependence on a smartphone by turning it off for exactly one day. If he just feels uncomfortable, as in a power outage, then this state is not an addiction. Real addiction is characterized by the substitution of a real life gadget, a painful reaction to the lack of mobile communication. In this case, it is not the person who controls the digital device, but it controls the person.

The disease is observed not only in those living in large cities, industrial centers, but also in rural residents of sparsely populated areas. Some people manage to respond to comments on social networks while performing some everyday actions, to make mailings. It is not entirely pleasant to communicate with a person whose nose is constantly buried in a gadget.

Phobias associated with losing your phone are especially dangerous for children and adolescents. An unstable nervous system can lead to serious mental problems.

Phobia of fear of being left without a mobile phone may appear for various reasons.

• The life of a modern person is inextricably linked with a gadget., which contains photographs, favorite books, videos, songs, work documents. Special reminders will tell you the birthdays of relatives and friends, notify you of scheduled appointments on time, and signal you when you need to take a medicine. Trusting a universal mobile device, a person may not keep a lot of unnecessary information in his head, which is why the loss of a smartphone is perceived so painfully.
• Virtual life overshadows reality. Spending a lot of time on social networks, viewing and evaluating photos of friends and even strangers, comments, continuous correspondence, replies to messages from fans and fans turn life without a smartphone, even for one hour, into a tragedy.
• The ability for indecisive and shy people to have many friends and friends on social networks. The gadget helps to create the illusion that they have a wide range of communication. The fear of being alone in the real world contributes to the formation of a phobia.
• Often unresolved personal problems and refusal to find ways to resolve them lead to the desire to live in a virtual world.In addition, there is an opportunity to impersonate a completely different person, to hide behind a pseudonym.
• Desire to achieve popularity, to feel like a star encourages some to blog, upload videos, photos.
• A sense of self-worth appears due to receiving frequent messages, calls. Feelings that were not received in real life are compensated for in a virtual plane by means of a phone, tablet, computer and other digital devices.
• Low self-esteem in the absence of comments on social networks, it provokes a feeling of uselessness and worthlessness, contributes to the formation of fear of falling out of virtual communication.
• Getting any help through a mobile device induces a feeling of calming. The search engine makes it possible to get an answer to any question. By means of the phone, you can buy the necessary thing, pay for utilities and other services. The lack of such insurance is terrifying and contributes to the emergence of a phobia.
• Tough work schedule the need to be always in touch contribute to a painful response to a lack of communication, which ultimately leads to anxiety disorder.
• The possibility of increasing social status if you have a digital device. The high price of a gadget sometimes exceeds a person's salary, so the loss of an expensive device can provoke a phobia.
• Intrusive adware forms the idea of ​​immature people about the impossibility of existing without a mobile phone.
• Teenagers often succumb to herd feelings. They don't want to lag behind fashion. The wrong alignment of values ​​sometimes makes children and adolescents consider the newfangled iPhone a symbol of prosperity. The absence of a smartphone creates a feeling of one's own inferiority.
• Negative experience associated with the lack of mobile communication at a responsible or dangerous moment for a person, it can form a life-long phobia in him.

The following video will tell you more about the causes of nomophobia.

Sometimes a person has a panic attack just from the thought that he will have to remain without a mobile connection for a long time, for example, as a result of a long hike, climbing to the top of a mountain or a trip to the forest for several days or even weeks. When a gadget is lost at the workplace, an employee in search of a lost phone appears excessive fussiness and loss of control over one's behavior, it throws the documentation around and creates total devastation.

Anxiety disorder is characterized by the following physiological symptoms:

• trembling hands;
• chills;
• feeling short of breath, rapid breathing;
• increased sweating;
• cardiopalmus;
• discomfort in the chest area;
• confusion of thoughts;
• dizziness;
• respiratory disorders.

Psychological symptoms:

• growing excitement;
• strong emotional arousal;
• absent-mindedness, lack of concentration;
• overwhelming melancholy;
• a feeling of irreparable loss;
• desire to immediately rush in search of a mobile phone;
• depression;
• poor sleep;
• panic attacks.

There are indirect signs of a phobia:

• advance payment for cellular communications;
• regular check of the smartphone's performance;
• increased anxiety when the battery charge level decreases;
• unreasonable systematic checking of e-mail;
• the need for regular viewing of the news feed;
• addiction to social networks;
• desire to keep abreast of all the innovations of the world cellular technologies;
• loss of interest in other areas of life;
• fear of losing, staining, scratching or breaking the phone.

Fear of being left without a phone drains the nervous system. Anxiety, suspicion of children and adolescents should alert parents and become a reason for contacting a child psychologist.

According to the survey data, it is children and adolescents who suffer most from the fear of a possible lack of a smartphone. They are followed by the 25 to 34 age group. The third place is taken by people of pre-retirement and retirement age 55 and above.

Only a qualified specialist will help get rid of the disease. There are modern effective treatments that combine cognitive-behavioral therapy with medication.

If you find yourself addicted to your phone and the first signs of a phobia appear, you should try to return yourself to the real world. You need to switch to your hobbies, find a suitable hobby, load yourself with work, make new friends, resume watching movies in cinemas, and attending entertainment events.

Helping yourself consists in voluntarily giving up your smartphone. You should gradually wean yourself from telephone addiction. First you need to remove the gadget for half an hour. If you have any difficulties, you can ask relatives to hide the phone. The next day, you can deprive yourself of using your smartphone for an hour or more.

And so increase the duration daily. Subsequently, you need to arrange for yourself a completely unloading day from the phone. Time without a gadget can be used for reading, drawing, sewing and other interesting things... It is advisable to organize a walk in the park or a visit to the museum without a phone. Gymnastics, yoga, aerobics, dancing, swimming reduce mental stress, help deepen breathing and calm the body as a whole.

A person's life should not be focused on one mobile device. Photos can be stored on a flash card, the necessary contacts can be written in a notebook, chat on social networks - no more than two hours a day.

Psychologists recommend the following effective techniques:

• to wake up in the morning on time, it is advisable to buy a real alarm clock, and not use a gadget for this purpose;
• you need to give up the habit of carrying a smartphone with you throughout the apartment;
• it is best to set aside a certain place for the phone in a box or basket;
• no need to take the phone to the bathroom or toilet;
• it would be good to leave the mobile device away from the bed at night, preferably in another room, or turn it off;
• taking out the gadget from your bag or jacket during working or school hours is only necessary if absolutely necessary;
• it is important to train yourself to turn off the sound more often for various notifications;
• once a week you need to visit a place where it is recommended to turn off the gadget;
• it is advisable to install only one game on a smartphone and spend no more than half an hour a day on it;
• it is highly recommended to reduce the number of applications.

In severe cases, you must contact a qualified specialist. The psychotherapist can apply the Reality Approach technique. The patient needs to focus on the behavior without using the gadget.

During the sessions, the specialist contributes to a radical transformation of the character and personality portrait. After a detailed study of the person's inner world and the factors that provoked the onset of anxiety disorder, the specialist works to transform destructive thoughts and eliminate non-functional behaviors. Psychotherapeutic techniques are aimed at getting rid of internal complexes, increasing self-esteem, harmonious interaction in society, and gaining healthy hobbies.

If the fear of losing the phone provokes hysteria, depression and the appearance of obsessive thoughts, a psychotherapist may prescribe medication:

• sedatives - to normalize sleep and reduce stress;
• tranquilizers - to eliminate anxiety, obsessions, strong fear for a smartphone;
• antidepressants - to combat growing depression;
• B vitamins - to strengthen the nervous system.