Are you reading this article from your cell phone? Probably so, mobile devices are very useful in our daily tasks and are so present in our lives that we often become dependent on them. If you consider that you have a cell phone addiction, you may suffer from nomophobia, which is the phobia or fear of not having the cell phone. If you want to learn more about this phobia, be sure to read this new Supercurious article that will tell you everything you need to know.
Do you suffer from the phobia of not having your cell phone?
Before talking about what nomophobia is, let’s see what a phobia is. A phobia, simply put, is a disorder of the anxiety that arises as a response to a stimulus that is interpreted as a threat, even though objectively it is not. So a phobia is a irrational fear facing objects or situations that do not present a real danger, but that the person interprets as such.
We know that many (if not all) we use our cell phone dailyeither for work, school or simply to communicate with our relatives and/or listen to music either watch movies. Taking advantage of this type of technology to carry out our errands is not bad, the problem comes when an addiction to the cell phone develops that can eventually become the phobia of being without it. In fact, the word nomophobia comes from the initials of “no-mobile-phone phobia” and this disorder has been studied since 2001.
Nomophobia is one of the most common phobias, it is estimated that approximately 53% of mobile phone users suffer from nomophobia. If we take into account that in Spain, for example, 96% of the population has a cell phone, it gives us a horrifying balance of people with this anxiety disorder.
People who suffer from this phobia feel anxiety if they do not have coverage, lose the device or run out of balance or battery. According to a survey carried out by CEETA (Center for Specialized Studies in Anxiety Disorders), among mobile phone owners:
- 75% take it to the bathroom
- 30% do not stop using it even if they are in a group meal
- 9% say they use it when they are in church.
On the other hand, according to the same study, women and adolescents are more prone to it. The consequences of nomophobia can be severe and affect the normal life of the sufferer. For all these reasons, it is important to recognize its causes and symptoms in order to be alert and find the most appropriate solution.
1. Symptoms of nomophobia
Most of the symptoms of nomophobia are the same as those of any other anxiety disorder or phobia. Among the physical symptoms are elevation of blood pressure and heart rate, excessive sweating, malaise, nausea and tremors, among others. Apart from these, the symptoms of nomophobia also alter behavior of the affected person. First, the person will have difficulty concentrating or aggressive attitudes for not having the cell phone. To these are added a concern deep, discomfort and fear of isolation.
If when you use the cell phone you feel calm and the mere fact of thinking that your mobile could be turned off, damaged or that you can forget it at home, causes you extreme anxiety and nervousness, you probably suffer from nomophobia.
Experts say that those who suffer from the phobia of not having a cell phone go through a stress situation to a level similar to that suffered by a major event, such as a marriage or going to the dentist (which can also be odontophobia).
A nomophobe is easily recognizable because:
- Disconnected from the real world. He prefers to be on the cell phone rather than comply with obligations.
- He constantly looks at his cell phone to see if he has received any messages.
- You think you hear the doorbell or feel the vibration of your cell phone.
- Feel the need to respond immediately upon receiving a notification.
- does not sleep or lose hours of sleep by being on social networks or responding to messages.
- You don’t want to go anywhere where there is no coverage.
- Do not turn off the cell phone at any time.
- You return by cell phone if when you leave home you notice that you have forgotten.
- He is waiting to locate a plug or a Wi-Fi network that allows him to recharge the battery and be online.
2. Causes of the phobia of not having a cell phone
As with any other phobia, the causes are difficult to determine, since these are individual for each person. They generally refer to traumatic or negative experienceswhether their own or from second parties, which make the person perceive that being without a cell phone is something dangerous and harmful.
On the other hand, it should be noted that we live in a technological world, so getting rid of electronic devices is a real challenge, especially in times of pandemic, in which we have had to adapt more and more to the digital world. Likewise, several experts affirmed that cell phone dependency was due to boredom, loneliness and insecurity.
3. Consequences of nomophobia
One of the consequences of nomophobia is the Social isolation. The person who suffers from this phobia seems to disconnect from the real world and does not interact with othersonly does it by digital means.
Another of the consequences of nomophobia that may not be very obvious is the damage to our eyes and hands. By spending long periods of time looking at the screen and moving your finger over it, it can cause irreversible damage to our physical health, such as impaired vision and muscle spasms.
Added to this are the problems that some awkward positions when using the cell phone and strong Headaches by excessive effort. A sedentary lifestyle is another of the consequences of nomophobia, because by being glued to the cell phone, our physical activity decreases, which can eventually worsen our health and physical condition.
Finally, studies have shown that if we check the cell phone just before going to sleep and even sleep with it in bed, our sleep quality could be affected. This is due to the fact that our brain remains active before sleeping and that the cell phone continues to emit waves while we sleep. The best is turn off cell phone before bed and do some type of relaxing activity to achieve a deeper sleep.
4. How to overcome this phobia?
The first thing that can be done to overcome nomophobia is recognize that you suffer and that you have an addiction, at this time you can work to overcome it. The best thing you can do to overcome the phobia of not having your cell phone is consult with an expert. A health professional will evaluate your individual case and from there you will be able to define which treatment is the best for you.
However, there are certain things that you can do yourself to overcome cell phone addiction. CEETA experts say that the best is the encourage self controltry leaving the cell phone gradually at set hours for use, you can start by not checking it for 15 minutes and then increase the detoxification time. Another tip is mute notificationsin this way concentrating on other tasks will be easier and you will be able to disconnect without problem.
Besides, Turning off your mobile at night is key. Another tip to overcome cell phone addiction is finding a hobby that can distract you from being glued to the cell phone.
So far our approach to what nomophobia is has come, we hope you found it useful and curious to discover what this disorder is about. If you suffer from the fear of being without your cell phone, share it with us in the comments and tell us what trick you have to face your fear. We will be happy to read you đ Also, so that you continue discovering the world’s rarest phobias, be sure to read our article: celebrity phobias, you’ll love it!
Beyond nomophobia, other phobias that may interest you
Now that we have concluded our article on the phobia of injections or snakes, we want to leave you with this selection of phobias. Do you have any of them?
- What is sophophobia, fear of studying
- What is crematophobia, the fear of money
- What is Turophobia, the fear of cheese.
- What is Eisoptrophobia, the fear of mirrors.
- What is arachnophobia, the fear of spiders.
- What is glossophobia, the fear of public speaking.
- What is acrophobia, the fear of heights.
- What is hafephobia, the fear of being touched.
- What is decidophobia, the fear of making decisions.
- What is tanotophobia, the fear of death.
- What is aerophobia, the fear of flying by plane.
- What is ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes.
- What is hemophobia, the fear of blood.
- What is clautrophobia, the fear of enclosed spaces.
- What is coulrophobia, the fear of clowns.