Today is the day Sioux Falls. The day for you to put down your cell phones while driving - at least for those of you instant messaging behind the wheel.  A texting ban goes into effect today and authorities will no doubt be out in full force these first few weeks. You've been warned!

Does the thought of not being able to text while you drive make you break out in a cold sweat?  That might  be a sign you're addicted to your cell phone, and where do addicts go these days?  That's right - rehab.

Believe it or not, a leading drug and alcohol recovery center in California has founded the first recovery group for people suffering with nomophobia - a term first coined by British researchers during 2008 to classify people who are anxious when they don't have access to mobile technology, like their phones.

Dr. Elizabeth Waterman at Morningside Recovery Center says the facility helps people:

"recognize the signs and symptoms of their over-reliance on mobile technology, explore the psychological roots of their vulnerability to becoming addicted to it and master emotional, cognitive and behavioral techniques to regain their autonomy."

Not only has the term nomophobia gained acceptance since 2008, a more recent study of 1,000 individuals showed that the percentage of people who feared losing their phone had increased from 53 percent to 66 percent. That's a lot of us!

Just remember Sioux Falls: starting today, text or ticket? You decide.

Be safe!

 

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