Doctor explains dangers of TikTok withdrawal symptoms

When TikTok briefly went dark for 12 hours in the US due to the federal ban, we saw just how much Americans missed endlessly scrolling on the social media platform.

Now doctors have expressed concern about how another potential TikTok ban in the future could cause users to experience "withdrawal symptoms”.

On January 18, 170M US TikTok users couldn't post or watch videos on the app after the federal ban - but it quickly returned (though it is still not available to download in US app stores) when incoming President Trump provided assurances to TikTok's service providers.

Since returning to office, Trump signed an executive order to delay the enforcement of the law by 75 days, which requires the sale or banning of the platform in the US.

Therefore, the platform could still potentially be banned if a deal is not reached within this time, causing anxiety among Americans, particularly with the 7M small businesses who use it and how the app's algorithm means users can build a platform and information can go viral.

Doctors have warned about users having 'withdrawal symptoms' if there is another TikTok ban in the future.iStockphoto by Getty Images

That being said, these are also reasons why the app is so addictive.

Speaking to The New York Post, Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke - who specialises in addiction medicine - shared how another possible TikTok ban in the future could result in users having "withdrawal symptoms".

“The universal symptoms of withdrawal from any addictive substance are extreme anxiety, irritability, insomnia, depression and cravings – and people who are addicted to TikTok, if they stop using it abruptly, may experience any or all of these symptoms,” she explained.

Other symptoms of withdrawal include sudden mood swings, panic attacks, and feeling an extreme sense of negativity.

Additionally, Dr. Victoria Dunkley, child psychiatrist said how users may feel tired due to the lack of dopamine they typically get from scrolling on their For You Page.

“TikTok is really a stimulation addiction, so to not have that constant dopamine input people get from scrolling, they may feel listless, like they don’t know what to do with themselves, and they could physically feel tired, like they’re crashing from that lack of stimulation input," she noted.

How long do these withdrawal symptoms typically last?

According to Dunkley, TikTok users would feel these withdrawal symptoms for up to two weeks since this is the amount of time it takes for the dopamine receptors in the brain to "re-sensitise."

So given that the recent ban was only 12 hours, we didn't really get to see just how much American TikTok users would have gone through withdrawal from the app - though many influencers were in tears during what they thought was their final TikTok videos.

Elsewhere, Donald Trump backs Elon Musk as potential TikTok buyer after US ban.

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