I was addicted to my phone for years. Now I only check it on Mondays, and my life is completely different.

Detailed summary

Tom McHenry was hopelessly addicted to his iPhone, often "doom scrolling" until 4am. He kicked the habit through 12-step programs and getting healthy.

This story is based on an interview with Tom McHenry, 36, a mental health worker from Southeast Michigan. It has been edited for length and clarity. I started playing Game Boy when I was 6. I loved it. It was awesome. Then, in my teenage years, I graduated to computers and played games like World of Warcraft. Smartphones became mainstream in my 20s, and I immediately jumped on them. I was an electrical engineer at the time, and I would sneak to the bathroom to play video games. Things progressed to me having my work screen open and, in the corner, Facebook or YouTube. I kept up appearances, but my attention was always on games and social media.

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