Signs you are addicted to your phone

Most of the time when we talk about addiction the focus is on issues like drug use, alcoholism or even sex addiction. Thankfully with these major problems, we have access to therapy plans which have in turn helped millions of people overcome these struggles.

But then what happens when the addiction is something a little more acceptable like phone addiction? A lot of us have this silent struggle but because it's not considered to be as harmful as other types of addictions, it's not taken that seriously.

For sure, phone addiction is a real thing and you might even be dealing with it without realizing what is happening. You should recognize the warning signs of phone addiction and five of those are right here on this list:

You can't go anywhere without it

The first sign of phone addiction is that you feel like you have to have it with you everywhere you go. This includes places like the loo where it's not even that necessary to have it.

You might also have the urge to just have it by your side at all times even when you're not using it. You will just always feel like you must have your precious phone next to you 24/7, which is a huge sign.

You have the urge to check every notification

Hearing that notification sound can be very addictive. And actually, some of these app companies have carefully designed how they want notifications to pop up on our screens so that we can open these apps again and again.

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So, if you find that you struggle not to check every notification, including the ones you know aren't that urgent, you might be addicted to your phone.

You obsessively scroll through the same apps

Many of us are guilty of logging out from an app just to log back in a few seconds later. We might even have a number of similar apps which we scroll through compulsively, just to see the same posts all day.

This kind of obsessive scrolling isn't healthy and it's especially common with social media apps. It's another sign of phone addiction that you should be aware of.

Your phone use is affecting your life

Phone addiction can have some very serious consequences. When you're glued to your screen, you can get so distracted that you are late for work or even cause road accidents.

Addiction can also cause you to compromise your physical health which can lead to migraines and posture problems as well, just to name a few. These show that excessive phone use can have some real effects.

You should assess whether you have experienced some of these problems and whether phone addiction is the root cause.

You have experienced withdrawal symptoms before

One way to ensure you prioritise your health is to take breaks. This can come in the form of social media breaks or just periods where you stay away from your phone.

If during these breaks you experience anxiety, mood swings or any other unusual symptoms, those are withdrawals. This is another indicator that you might be using your phone excessively.