Nomophobia - Today's Biggest Phobia Trend

No Mobile Phone Phobia is the expanded form of this newly devised term, Nomophobia, of the second decade of 21st century. As the term signifies, it is the phobia among people about how they will live if they do not have mobile phone or mobile phone contacts. Strange for some people to believe, but it is true. There are many out there who suffer from this phobia and constantly live in anxiety and stress all the time. This fear of living and being without a mobile phone or smart phone is spread wider than you can think,

Some trends and statistics of Nomophobia

According to the new statistical research in US, about 90% of people own a mobile phone and about 60% of population has a smart phone. Phone addiction is same as any other type of addiction which involves irregulation of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter which controls the brain’s reward center. What is the reward center; It is that part of brain which motivates people to work hard to get rewarded.

Just to compare things in black and white, Nomophobia as experienced by people is same as experiencing jitters and stomach butterflies when you are going to take up your first stage show, going to start a very important knockout race, feeling when you are about to go to a dentist, etc. According to the study conducted by a university on a sample population, adults between age of 19-25 are most addicted closely followed by people in the age group 25-34.

There are many people specially college goers who shower with their mobile phone - quite an attachment. They just like non stop text/tweet instead of actually talking to others directly. These people never switch of their mobile phones.

What are the symptoms of being a Nomophobe?

The typical symptoms of Nomophobe include the following:

Feelings of panic or desperation
Not being able to focus on conversations or work
Constantly checking phones for social media updates or whatsapp notifications
People believe and check if their phone is ringing again and again, although it is not ringing - this is the advanced stage of Nomophobia or other phobia or addictions.
Look at the phone’s screen time and again to check new messages.
These people use mobile phone and and spend lot of time on and always carry a charger with oneself

People are so nervous about unability in using their phone that they avoid no network places or phone banned zones.

There are few proposals from mental health experts to include this phobia in the list of mental illness in the DSM V.

Treatment options of Nomophobia

There are vey little clinically proven and empirical treatment options available for Nomophobia. There is no defined treatment for this phobia so far. Still the proposed options for treatment includes a right combination of psychotherapy and pharmacological care.

Even there are very little scientific evidences, cognitive-behavioral Therapy is an effective treatment for Nomophobia. It includes structured therapeutic sessions with definite objective.

There are quite a few other approaches such as motivational interviewing, reality approach which can be beneficial.

Very Important guidelines for Nomophobics

Do not us the mobile phone while you are driving
Do not accompany your phone with you in Bathroom
Do not use your phone while you are with your friends
Place your phone away from you while sleeping - preferably in another room
Have a no phone at 2-3 times during the day - where you keep the phone aside and do something like exercising, walk, prepare the food, or more simply lying down in solitude etc.

Phobia of different kinds
Gynophobia Glossophobia Genophobia Haphephobia Heliophobia Hemaphobia Hexakosioihexe kontahexaphobia Hippopotomonstro sesquippedaliophobia Hydrophobia Hypnophobia Russophobia Scopophobia Paraskavedek atriaphobia Ichthyophobia Judeophobia Lachanophobia Lygophobia Mysophobia Monophobia Musophobia Necrophobia Neophobia Nyctophobia Ophidiophobia Ornithophobia Osmophobia Pyrophobia	Papaphobia Pathophobia Pediophobia Peladophobia Pentheraphobia Phalacrophobia Phasmophobia Philophobia Phobophobia Photophobia Phonophobia Pogonophobia Polyphobia Selachophobia Sinophobia Taphephobi Technophobia Thanatophobia Theophobia Tocophobia Toxiphobia Triskaidekaphobia Trypanophobia Xanthophobia Xenophobia Zemmiphobia Zoophobia