Thai psychiatrist warns of “nomophobia”

BANGKOK, August 31 (TNA) - A senior Thai psychiatrist has warned people in the present digital world of, probably, developing a new mental symptom called “nomophobia”, which stands for “no mobile phone phobia”. While cautioning the public, especially youngsters, of “nomophobia”, Dr. Panpimol Wipulakorn, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Mental Health, under the Thai Ministry of Public Health, acknowledged on Sunday that Thai people have shared the same fate as worldwide mobile phone users; that is, if they do not have a mobile phone or have one but cannot use it due to the lack of signals or battery power, they appear to be frustrated, anxious and stressed, shake, sweat and feel nausea, which are the symptoms of the new illness. Dr. Panpimol elaborated that nomophobia patients always carry their cell phones, are worried without the device, keep checking out messages and data in them, often use their phones though having no immediate business, suddenly leave their work to check phones when there is a message alert, use mobile phones just before and after bedtime or during their routine activities, such as in their meals, toilets and vehicles, never turn off cell phones and talk more to online friends than those in front of them. The senior Thai psychiatrist warned that such behaviors may affect people's work, study and routines and cause trigger finger, early visual impairment, stiff and painful neck and shoulder muscles, early slipped neck discs, powerless arms, poor body balance and obesity because users mainly sit still. The senior psychiatric doctor, therefore, advised people to use their cell phones only when it is necessary, do other activities, including physical exercises, and set their bedrooms as a no-mobile phone zones. According to the senior psychiatric doctor, most nomophobia patients are teenagers and females, while a recent survey conducted by the Digital Advertising Association found that people used 94.3 million mobile phones in Thailand in 2014, a remarkable surge from 5.4 million in 2013. (TNA)