Do you feel odd when you are away from your cellphone and e-mail? Or are you able to unplug and step away? Do you find yourself rolling over at night and checking the phone? Post a comment in this story, comment on WTOP’s Facebook Page or use #WTOPTalkback or #WTOP on Twitter.
WASHINGTON – Nomophobia. You’ve probably heard of it, perhaps suffered from it. “No-mobile-phone phobia” – the fear of being without your cellphone.
Psychologists say people get attached to their phones for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s a security blanket. For others, it relieves the anxiety they are missing something, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Nomophobia is treatable, and yes, believe it or not, you can live a happy life, even if you are not connected to the outside world every waking second of the day.
Psychologist Elizabeth Waterman gets her patients to disconnect from all of their electronics for 10 days. She says her patients are taught distraction techniques. They ask someone how they are doing, run their hands under water or play with something.
Her advice for people are not in need of intense treatment. Turn the phone off and try doing something else for a certain amount of time every day.
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- Cellphone addiction is on the rise (Feb. 2012)
- Fear of losing cellphone on the rise (Feb. 2012)
- The addiction of your cellphone (April 2012)
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