Cold sweats. Shortness of breath. Inability to concentrate. You’ve got withdrawal symptoms, and you’ve got them bad. There’s only one thing that can help, and that’s a long, hard hit of the blue stuff: sweet, nourishing Facebook. That’s right, researchers have determined that it’s possible to be legitimately addicted to the social network. Here’s how to find out if you’ve got the itch.

The Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale has been put together by leading psychologists who study addiction. It’s based on six basic criteria, and each one is scored on the following scale: (1) Very rarely, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, and (5) Very often. To test yourself, simply read through the following list, ascribing that five point scale to each statement:

• You spend a lot of time thinking about Facebook or plan use of Facebook.
• You feel an urge to use Facebook more and more.
• You use Facebook in order to forget about personal problems.
• You have tried to cut down on the use of Facebook without success.
• You become restless or troubled if you are prohibited from using Facebook.
• You use Facebook so much that it has had a negative impact on your job/studies.

If you score “often” or “always” on at least four of the six items, in the eyes of world-leading psychologists you are addicted to Facebook. Don’t worry: admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovery. [Psychological Reports via Science Daily]

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