Therapy can help if your phone or social media use feels less like a choice and more like a habit that runs you. Phones are part of everyday life, so the aim is not to be rid of yours; it is to feel in control of it. I do not treat phone use as bad in itself.
What this covers
Scrolling that swallows hours, checking your phone without deciding to, and feeling anxious or low when you are away from it or after you have used it. Phone and social media use is not formally classed as an addiction in the main diagnostic manuals; the World Health Organization recognises only gambling disorder and gaming disorder in its group of disorders due to addictive behaviours. That does not make it any less of a problem if it is hurting your life.
Signs it may be becoming a problem
- Hours disappearing, and the sense that you are not choosing it
- Picking up your phone without deciding to
- Trying to cut down and not managing it
- Feeling anxious, low or restless when you are without it
- Using it to avoid stress, boredom or feelings you would rather not feel
- Poor sleep because you cannot put it down
- Less time or attention for the people and things that matter to you
What therapy can offer
- A place to talk about it without being told to just put it down
- Working out what your phone does for you (company, escape, reassurance, something to do) and what else could do some of that work
- Practical strategies for the moments when you reach for it
- Support if anxiety, loneliness or low mood sit underneath it
- Goals you set, at a pace you can manage
Confidentiality
What you tell me stays between us, with a few limited exceptions that I go through with you before we start. How confidentiality works.
If it is someone you love
If someone you love is affected, you can have support of your own, whether or not they get help. Support for families and loved ones.
Short answers to common questions
How much phone use is too much?
I cannot give you a number. The question that matters is whether you feel in control, and whether it is getting in the way of sleep, work, relationships or things you care about.
Is phone addiction real?
It is not formally classed as an addiction in the main diagnostic manuals. That does not make the distress any smaller, and many people find the habit hard to change. If you describe it as addiction, I will use your word.
Do I have to give up my phone?
No. Most people need their phones for work and life. We look at how you use it and what you want to change.
Is it bad to use my phone before bed?
The NHS advises against using devices such as smartphones right before bed, because the blue light makes you more awake. It also suggests relaxing for at least an hour before bed and keeping your bedroom dark and quiet. If sleep problems last for months, the NHS advises seeing your GP.
Does social media affect my mood?
It can, but the picture is complex. The Royal College of Psychiatrists says it remains unclear whether problematic technology use is a cause or a consequence of poor mental health. In UK research on young people it reviews, social media use was linked to online harassment, poor sleep, low self-esteem and poor body image, and those in turn to more depressive symptoms.