Hello,
I’ve had the same issue. I will share what I tried that worked to help me, and hopefully it will give you some pointers for dealing with this problem !…
First, my psychiatrist explained to me that being totally hooked on my phone (on Instagram or fan fiction, in my case) was my way as an ASHDer to cope with my wandering attention : it helped me focus on ONE thing (even if I scrolled, or went back and forth between stories : still, my eyes and mind were on my phone), instead of having to deal with my gazilliion thoughts on my own.
So, I started trying to find some things on my phone that engaged me without being as addictive (because let’s be honest : being on your phone when you’re tired is very convenient !).That way I feel less glued to social media : there are other things to do on my phone, so I don’t feel so « out of control » when going on it, and feel able to unhook much more easily.
To give you some examples of apps I use this way : I’d say it should be something you like, something a bit challenging or fun like some quizzes. I use my chess app to go solve some 2 or 3 problems ; my Duolingo app, to work on my ltalian (which I learn only because it pleases me, without pressure that would ruin the dopamine flow 😊) ; an app named Impulse which provides some little gamified training (supposed to help me with my ADHD challenges : focusing my eyes, etc.) ; a bunch of apps that give me a text a day (I love literature so I DO like it 😁) and offer daily challenges (filling the blank in a quote, guessing the author) that make my dopamine-starved brain smile !
I hope this helps a bit…
Have a nice day !

I have some issues with scrolling through Instagram. I've tried to manage this habit and create some rules, set time blockers — not working.

I've found that it's easier for me to either stop using Instagram entirely or to come back and after few days be completely uncontrolled again. I struggle to find a balance. However, I'm not ready to give up on social media yet. What has your experience been with managing similar habits?

NUMO ADHDNUMO
ADHD

Addiction management