is video game addiction real?
i'm 27 years old. almost exactly 8 years ago i was sitting alone in an apartment with piles of trash, unwashed clothes, and dirty dishes around my computer chair. i was skipping class in lieu of playing world of warcraft, neglecting my personal hygiene, smoking ounces of weed a month, and suicidal. i broke down and joined the army. spent three and a half years on active duty, one year in afghanistan, etc.
i just got my official, full discharge from the army last week and realized that i have gotten literally nowhere. i am in EXACTLY the same position i was in before i joined the army, minus the weed. i have gotten literally nowhere and nothing has changed and i don't know what the fuck i am doing.
i was actually on-track for a semester but -- big fucking surprise -- the minute wow: legion dropped i let EVERYTHING in my life slide. the only people i talk to are online, the only real life companionship i get is from my cat.
i want to stop but for some reason the prospect of quitting and letting down the people i play with is almost unconscionable. how the fuck do i stop?
Mental addiction to anything is real. The best way for you to stop is to just quit and find something else to dedicate your time and energy to. MMOs are life destroyers if you let them rule you like that
I would still keep in touch with the people you play with. One of my biggest regrets is cutting myself away from MMOs because I saw them as a bad influence. But that time you spent online, you meet alot of genuine like minded people. Its been a solid 6 years since I last played MMOs but the people I played with felt more genuine and kind than most people I see in real life.
Just limit yourself to less time each day on MMOs. I would honestly limit the game aspect and spend more time on WoW talking to those people you are friends with whenever you are on. Start by limiting yourself i.e.maximum 2 hours a day.
Replace your computer with a Chromebook. You can't play WoW on that and can probably do all the school work you need to (unless you need technical software like MatLab, in which case use Linux).
>>17636818
By stopping. You go "hey, my life is kind of shit and video games aren't making them better because I'm living in filth so I can make people on the internet happy."
>>17636818
Blue board, desu.
>>17636818
It's real. I suffer. I didn't join the military or anything. But, the first time I got a vacation from working life while living on my own, I spent about 60+ hours playing nothing but one single video game. And then I went to bed, and woke up just to do that same thing all over again, and to be honest it was the best thing I've experienced in my life.
After being away for so long, as far as actually being able to play no distractions or anything.. To actually sit there, and just play.. Oh my god.
I crave it. I'm anticipating my next vacation, so that I can just sit at home and play video games.
I don't let it interfere with my life, though. Only any ounce of free time I get, I try to make sure I spend it playing video games.
Occasionally I'll stay up past midnight on a work night, but usually it's lights out. And sometimes in the morning I'll try and squeeze in that extra 5 minutes before leaving for work, but usually again I'm on top of it.
My girlfriend feels neglected, and that part of it all sucks. I give her loads of attention whenever she games, though because I like her to experience what I do. So, I tuck her in nice and cozy, fix her food, and rub her tummy. She still doesn't understand my addiction to it, and it's kind of hard to live with that, to be honest. Constantly being talked down to because of my obsession with my hobby, but I deal with it.
If I had to choose video games or her, I think she knows the fate.
>>17636875
To put it into perspective, before I started working I was your typical piss in a 2 litre, corner overflowing with trash, nothing but pizza, soda, and milk all day long playing WoW, it was BC and WotLK back then, though.
>>17636865
sorry, deleted file.
>>17636842
what do i do with my old computer? i already have a shitty little thinkpad running linux. should i just throw the fucking thing out?
>>17636831
part of me recoils really strongly from that statement -- but i think it's the part of me that's fucking addicted to escapism.
>>17636836
i think losing my single social outlet is going to be the most difficult part of this, but i don't think i can do half measures. it feels like it needs to be a drastic change and i think going cold turkey is the only way to handle it.