No Mobile Phobia:

Nomophobia is literally 'no mobile phobia' - the fear of being without your mobile phone. Approximately 53% of people suffer with this fear, their stress levels rising if they misplace their phone, lose network signal or find the battery dead with no charger to hand. Running out of credit or having your contract cut off are also reasons for a nomophobe to panic.

Since the advent of mobile phones, memorising phone numbers has become unnecessary as all numbers can be stored on the sim card, ready to be called up when you need them. Most people also store extra information on their phones such as appointments, images, videos and the like. This reliance on our mobile phones is what causes the panic if the handset is lost.

Around 13 million Britons questioned stated that the main reason they are so reliant on their mobile phones is keeping in touch with others. The feeling of being cut off from your friends and family is a scary thought in our 24/7 culture. Hence, most people never switch their phones off, choosing to keep it plugged into the charger each night to ensure constant full battery.

So if you suffer from this new affliction, what can you do to avoid the symptoms?

Keep your phone topped up with credit if you are on pay as you go
Keep up with repayments if you're on a contract
Consider buying a spare battery and keeping it charged
Back up your contacts on a SIM card saver
Insure your phone - if it's stolen you'll be able to recoup your loss
Keep a cheaper handset to use in emergencies
Give your most important contacts an alternative number they can reach you on
Set up a call divert or leave an alternative number on your voicemail

Being without their mobile phones is a very real fear for some people. Fortunately, with cheap mobile phones being readily available on all networks, having a spare phone is a reasonable solution. Look online for the best mobile phone deals and save your stress levels.