Quick takeaway

Social media addiction isn’t yet a formal diagnosis, but compulsive scrolling follows the same pattern as other behavioural addictions: loss of control, carrying on despite the harm, and restlessness when you can’t check your phone. The clearest warning signs are losing hours without meaning to, reaching for your phone to escape difficult feelings, repeated failed attempts to cut down, and your sleep, work or relationships starting to suffer. I’m Peter J Davies of Addiction Care, and I offer confidential one-to-one therapy in Guildford and online.

You pick up your phone to answer one message, and when you next look at the clock forty minutes have gone. You’ve deleted the app, reinstalled it a few days later, and still find yourself scrolling in bed long after you meant to be asleep.

I’m Peter J Davies, and I’ve worked as an addiction specialist in Guildford for more than 20 years. Compulsive scrolling follows patterns I recognise from the behavioural addictions I treat. Here I’ll explain what the evidence says, the signs I look for, and how one-to-one therapy can help you take back your time.

Does social media addiction exist?

Yes, in the way that matters for you, although it isn’t listed as a separate condition. Neither the World Health Organization’s ICD-11 nor the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5-TR includes “social media addiction” as a formal diagnosis. ICD-11 does recognise gaming disorder and gambling disorder, both driven by the same cycle of anticipation, unpredictable reward and relief.

In my 21 years of experience I’ve seen the pattern, whatever label it carries: a behaviour you can’t control, that continues despite the harm, and that you turn to when feelings become uncomfortable. Each like or new video is a small, unpredictable reward, and most feeds have no natural end point, which makes stopping hard.

How much time on social media is too much?

There’s no number that marks the line. Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 report found UK adults now spend an average of four and a half hours online a day, most of it on a smartphone, so heavy use is common. What matters more is what the scrolling does for you and what it costs you.

This isn’t confined to young people. The BBC recently spoke to adults in their sixties who struggle to put their phones down, citing a 2026 YouGov poll showing that more than half of over-55s use social media at least once a week. If you’re a parent or grandparent, you may recognise the habit in yourself as much as in the younger people around you.

Is my phone use a behavioural addiction?

It may be if your use has become compulsive rather than chosen. These are the signs I look for when someone tells me they’re worried about their phone:

• Regularly spending far longer scrolling than you intended
• Checking social media first thing in the morning, last thing at night, or when you wake in the night
• Reaching for your phone when you feel anxious, lonely, bored or low
• Feeling irritable or restless when you can’t check it
• Trying to cut down and slipping back within days
• Playing down how much time you spend online to the people around you
• Neglecting sleep, work, or the people in the room with you
• Feeling worse about yourself after scrolling, and scrolling anyway

One or two of these might describe a habit worth adjusting. Several together, persisting despite your efforts to stop, describe a compulsive pattern similar to the internet and computer game addictions I treat, and it rarely responds to willpower alone.

Steps you can try on your own

Cutting down does help. A 2018 University of Pennsylvania study found that limiting social media to about 30 minutes a day for three weeks led to significant reductions in loneliness and depression. These are practical places to start:

• Turn off notifications for every social media app
• Charge your phone outside the bedroom overnight
• Set daily limits in your phone’s screentime settings, and notice how often you override them
• Remove the app you use most for a fortnight, logging in only from a computer
• Before you open an app, name what you’re looking for: a message, a distraction, or company

If these changes don’t hold, the scrolling is probably doing an emotional job, such as numbing stress or filling loneliness, and that needs attention in its own right.

Finding one-to-one therapy for social media addiction in Guildford

When self-help hasn’t worked, talking to someone who understands compulsive behaviour is the next step.

Support	What it offers	How to access
Addiction Care, Guildford	Confidential one-to-one therapy with a specialist addiction counsellor, face to face in Surrey	Call 01483 533808
Addiction Care Family Programme	Support for partners, parents and adult children worried about a loved one	Call 01483 533808
Your GP	Support for related anxiety, low mood or sleep problems, and NHS referrals	Book an appointment

I run Addiction Care from central Guildford. We begin with a confidential assessment: an honest conversation about how you use your phone, what it gives you, and what it’s taking away. From there we work one-to-one on the feelings underneath the habit and on boundaries you can keep.

If it’s someone else’s scrolling that worries you, my Family Programme can help, and a script for talking to a loved one gives you a way to open the conversation calmly.

Taking the first step

Recognising that scrolling has taken over is the hardest part, and you’ve already started that acknowledgement by reading this far. With the right support, you can use your phone on your own terms again and give that time back to the people and things you care about.

If you would like to talk, either for yourself or for a loved one, please call 01483 533808 or get in touch online to book a confidential assessment so we can talk it through.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to give up social media completely to recover?

Not always. For many people the aim is intentional use with clear boundaries, although some find that leaving one or two platforms entirely works better. We agree the right approach for you in therapy.

Can older adults become addicted to social media?

Yes. Compulsive scrolling can develop at any age, and adults in their fifties and sixties describe the same pull as younger users. The signs and the treatment are the same whatever your age.

Where can I find one-to-one therapy for phone addiction in Surrey?

At Addiction Care I offer face-to-face, one-to-one therapy for social media and phone addiction from consulting rooms in central Guildford (GU1 4PB), covering Surrey and the surrounding area. Call 01483 533808 to arrange a confidential assessment.

Quick Overview

Residential rehab is not the only route to addiction recovery. For many people, one-to-one outpatient therapy with a specialist addiction therapist is an effective, practical, and more accessible alternative. The right option for you depends on a proper assessment of your situation. This post explains what that process looks like, what outpatient therapy can realistically offer, and when residential rehab might still be the more appropriate choice.

Alternatives to residential rehab

If you are reading this, you are probably asking yourself whether you really need to check into a residential rehab for 28 days or more. It is one of the most common questions I am asked, and it is a completely reasonable one. Residential rehab can feel like an enormous step, and for many people it raises very real concerns: the cost, the time away from family or work, and the fear of what it actually involves.
The honest answer is that it depends entirely on your individual circumstances. And the only way to work that out properly is to start with a thorough, honest assessment.

Why an assessment matters

Before any decision about treatment, you need a clear picture of where you are. When you come to see me, we look at how much and how often you are using your addiction, and how much of your thinking and daily life it is occupying. We also look honestly at the consequences: how it is affecting your health, your relationships, your work, and your sense of self.

One of the things I have noticed over 21 years of working with clients is that when you are deep inside an addiction, it can be genuinely difficult to see the harm it is causing. Saying it out loud to another person, in a safe and confidential space, often makes it real in a way that private reflection cannot. That is not a weakness; it is simply how our minds work.
The assessment is a crucial step in understanding what you are dealing with so we can work out the most appropriate path forward for you.

What one-to-one therapy can offer

For a great many people, one-to-one outpatient therapy is a highly effective alternative to residential rehab. It works particularly well if you are what is sometimes described as functioning within your addiction: you are managing your day-to-day life and responsibilities, unaware that things are eroding. That erosion rarely stops on its own and acknowledging it is both challenging and important.

Working together on a weekly basis, we build a clear picture of your addiction and its triggers. We work towards accountability, sobriety, and practical steps you can take in your own life. You keep your daily routine, your privacy, and your independence, while having structured, professional support.

I also offer a 24/7 text support line, free of charge, for every client I work with. If you feel a craving coming on at any time of day or night, you can text me and I will do my very best to respond within the hour. This is not a therapy session; it is simply someone being there when you need to be heard, and it can make a real difference in avoiding a relapse. This support continues even after our formal sessions have ended, as a lifetime commitment.

When residential rehab may still be the right choice

One-to-one therapy is not the right answer for everyone at every time. If relapses are happening frequently and consistently, or if the severity of the addiction means that a more structured and immersive environment is needed, residential rehab may be the more appropriate route, at least initially.

In those cases, I can help you find the right facility. I have professional relationships with several well-established rehabs, and I can point you towards options that are reputable and fairly priced. While I cannot guarantee that a residential programme will work for you, I can say that the ones I refer clients to are serious, professional services.

And if you do go into residential care, we can continue working together when you return, picking up the threads and supporting your ongoing recovery.

The one thing that has to come from you

Whatever path you take, residential or outpatient, the single most important factor in recovery is your own motivation to change. Recovery cannot be imposed from the outside. It does not work if someone else is demanding it of you, however well-intentioned they are. If you are reading this and questioning your options, that questioning itself matters. It is a starting point. What happens from here is a conversation between us. 
Begin your conversation by calling me on 01483 533808 or getting in touch online.

About Peter Davies and Addiction Care

I am Peter Davies, the founder of Addiction Care, based in the centre of Guildford, Surrey. I hold a Diploma in Addiction Therapy and am an Advanced Accredited Member of Addiction Professionals (AP APM), as well as holding the National Counsellor Accreditation Certificate (NCAC). Addiction Care treats all addictions, including alcohol, recreational drugs, gambling, sex, pornography, food, co-dependency, internet and social media, gaming, spending, relationships, and work addiction.

Quick overview of Addiction Care services:

• 1-2-1 Therapy – Face to Face
• 1-2-1 Therapy – Online Zoom 
• All addictions treated with total confidentiality
• Family Programme available
• 24 / 7 support helpline
• 21 years specialist addiction experience

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know whether I need residential rehab or one-to-one therapy?

The most reliable way to answer this is through a proper assessment with an addiction specialist. A good assessment looks at how severe and frequent your addiction is, how it is affecting your life, and what level of support is most appropriate. In many cases, one-to-one outpatient therapy is sufficient, particularly if you are still functioning day to day. At Addiction Care, we’ll help you make that determination without pressure or judgement.

What types of addiction does Addiction Care treat?

Addiction Care treats all forms of addiction, including alcohol, recreational drugs, gambling, sex, pornography, food-related disorders, co-dependency, internet use, social media, gaming, spending, relationship addiction, and work addiction. If you are unsure whether your situation qualifies, it is worth getting in touch. The scope of addictive behaviour is broader than many people realise.

What happens if I relapse during therapy?

Relapse does not mean that therapy has failed. If relapses are occasional, we use them as information, exploring the triggers and adjusting the approach. If they become frequent and severe, we would discuss whether additional support, including a residential programme, might be the right next step. The 24/7 text support line is specifically designed to help you in those moments of vulnerability before a relapse takes hold.