Rathika Thivakan, who works for St Andrew’s Healthcare’s Private Therapy service, said she believes that social media – a tool which was created to unite people together – has done the exact opposite.

The Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) said: “For something that was marketed to bring us all together, it’s remarkable what social media has done to our communities. It even has the word ‘social’ in its name, but it making us increasingly more antisocial.

“Mobiles and social media platforms have been specifically designed to be addictive, there is even research which suggests that event the notifications they're built around trigger a dopamine release in our brains. Most of us are on social media and will admit to relentless scrolling, but there is a price to pay.

“Nowadays I’m seeing more and more people who are struggling with self-harm, low self-esteem and body dysmorphia, all of which can be extremely damaging. If you are using your mobile for hours at a time, scrolling endlessly on social media, it’s going to eat away at you.”

Rathika is speaking out on the subject to mark the Time to Talk day (Thursday, February 6) , which encourages people to be more open about mental health, how they feel, and to talk about it.

Rathika said she embraces this day as she wants people to put down their mobiles and start having more real conversations with each other.

She said: “Rather than resorting to social media as a short-term relief from our problems, we should be consciously making an effort to engage in activities that are going to improve, or even solve our problems in the long run.

“I really think it’s time people start to manage their mobile time for their sake of their mental health. Social media and overuse of gadgets are taking away normal human interaction that they would have had with their loved ones, friends and family. In addition, we all need space to sit still and take time to reflect. You need to switch off and give your brain a break.

“I often say to people, don’t fall into the ‘happiness trap’. This where social media serves up constant images of perfect people, living their best lives. But it’s not real. It’s an unfair comparison and you may be sitting at home, scrolling, not having taken a shower, watching someone else portray what they are depicting is a perfect life. And yet, we still indulge, we still comment and like these images, even though consuming such filtered content will only lead comparing ourselves and feeling despair as we focus on perfect, unrealistic versions of others.”

To mark Time to Talk Day and to encourage the people of Northampton to get talking, St Andrew’s Healthcare is offering 10% off a taster CBT session with Rathika if booked before the end of February. To find out more, or to book a session, email therapyclinics@stah.org or call 01604 616050 quoting ‘Talking@STAH’.

Rathika added: “CBT can help with boosting low esteem and breaking unhelpful habits, which might include overuse of mobile phones and social media. I can help you see that resorting to your mobile so much is just an illusion, you’re using it to procrastinate, rather than being pro-active and taking time for yourself.”