Brain and Nomophobia

Nomophobia, the fear of being out of cell-phone contact, may be becoming the new ‘normal’ (meaning commonly occurring and not necessarily healthy or desirable). For some individuals, nomophobia may escalate into an obsession. (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD is believed to involve a dysregulation of the neurotransmitter serotonin.) Differentiating between nomophobia and OCD can be tricky. An article by Carol W. Berman MD ‘One Patient’s story’ published in Scientific American MIND Dr. Carol W. Berman wrote: “For clinicians like me, the true test of whether mental illness is present is the degree to which the individual’s daily life is impaired.” Reported symptoms include: anxiety, respiratory alterations, trembling, perspiration, agitation, disorientation, tachycardia, depression, panic, fear, dependence, rejections, low self-esteem, and loneliness. 

http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2015/0108-iphone-separation-linked-to-physiological-anxiety-poor-cognitive-performance-mu-study-finds/