Mobile de-addiction centre opened in Punjab

Amritsar: A hospital opened a mobile de-addiction centre in Amritsar. The hospital also has the state's first women drug de-addiction centre.

The centre is being run by a team of 7 members, including a psychiatrist, two pharmacists and three councillors--social, occupational and family councillors. The mobile de-addiction centre is treating patients who are addicted to using their smartphones.

Dr Jag Deep Pal Bhatia, a neuropsychiatric says, "It is the most common addiction these days and it develops disastrous behaviours in children, like self-harm. Most of the teenagers now stay isolated all day in order to use their phone. They have stopped interacting in the real world and signs of mental distress can be seen even in young age due to this addiction."

He further said that the idea of opening the centre came into his mind after parents across Punjab started visiting him seeking counselling for their children who are addicted to their mobile phones.

"Children who visit us regularly have seen improvement," he added.

Nidhi, a parent said, "My son uses the phone all day, he forgets to eat and has stopped going outside to play. When I try to take the phone away from him he gets angry at me and starts crying. That is why I have enrolled him in this de-addiction program."

"Parents should also interact more with the children and they should also use their phone less around children because the kids learn from their parents," she added.