Your cell phone beeps constantly with incoming text messages. But you could quit anytime, right? Right? "A text can be like a cigarette," says Roy Bailey, an independent clinical psychologist. "It produces a squirt of dopamine, so you text to get another hit." Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure - alcohol and chocolate kick it up, too. Unlike the tobacco industry, the telcos probably don't have to worry about billion-dollar lawsuits. But cases of Short Message Service addiction are being reported in Europe; one Danish junkie was sending more than 200 messages a day. Mark Collins, addiction specialist at the Priory, a London substance abuse clinic, told the British press that he has seen a surge in behavioral addictions, including texting. The symptoms are classic: fixation, altered mood, and even withdrawal. Expect treatment to include cognitive therapy. Help is just a phone call away.
- Alice Fisher
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