Social media addiction is not currently a recognized condition that a mental health professional can diagnose.
However, people who struggle to self-love or feel accepted somewhere other than through social media can find treatments to alleviate their addiction.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
CBT is a broad classification of mental health therapy most commonly used to treat substance abuse, anxiety and cognitive disorders, such as ADD or OCD. With this treatment, people struggling with social media addiction can learn to connect their thoughts and feelings to their actions through increased awareness of how these elements can affect their recovery.
Dialectical behavior therapy
DBT treats severe mental illnesses caused by various forms of addiction. Doctors commonly use it to treat patients with suicidal thoughts or borderline personality disorder. The foundation of this treatment is to teach patients to feel more confident and learn to cope in stressful situations without turning back to their addiction, making it a potentially effective option to treat the root of social media addiction.
Group counseling sessions
Group counseling is often part of a comprehensive treatment plan to help people with different types of addiction provide support and encouragement to one another throughout recovery. Members can learn from one another and benefit from diminished feelings of isolation.
Motivational interviewing
MI is a form of therapy used to help the patient overcome a lack of motivation in sticking to their commitment to battle an addiction. It challenges uncertainties and helps patients maintain ambition.
Because social media has become an addiction like many others, people who struggle with it will likely respond well to many types of addiction therapies.