Latest malady of the tech-obsessed: "no-mobile-phobia"

In a British survey released last week by mobile phone tech company SecureEnvoy, two thirds of 1,000 people polled said they feared being phoneless, up from 53 per cent four years ago.

Those aged 18-24 suffered the most (77 per cent) followed by those aged 25-34 (68 per cent).

Women were nine per cent more likely to be what is now dubbed nomophobic (as in "no-mobile-phobia"). Researchers guess that this may be due to the fact men often carry a second cell phone.

Signs of nomophobia include trembling, sweating, and nausea when a mobile phone is out of reach, according to AllAboutCounseling.com.

Also, if you obsessively check for your phone or worry about whether or not it is in a safe place, you may also have a problem.

If you suffer from nomophobia, aim for phobia treatments such as trying to go without your mobile for a time, avoiding negative thoughts, and trying breathing techniques or yoga.

If you fear a sense of disconnection more than anything, the site advises, it may be time to seek professional help.

Doctors and chiropractors are also claiming too much time spent bent over mobile devices is causing a rise in a range of symptoms such as neck strain, headaches, and pain in the shoulders, and sometimes in the arms and hands - a syndrome coined "text neck."