Do I have an addiction or am I just goalless/lazy? >played

>>18711802

My take on it is that video games are the new form of alcoholism/drug addiction. They're are not the root of the problem but merely a symptom.
You say video games ruined your life but you did that yourself. There are plenty of people playing video games that don't let them overtake their whole lives. Just like there are people able to have a beer and walk out of the bar. You used video games to escape whatever issues you had in your life now life is catching up to you. Pretty soon games themselves will lose their appeal or you'll be forced by circumstance to work and provide for yourself. The sooner you look for a job the better. I suggest asking friends or family for help in that regard if you can't get one yourself.
And yes video games ARE a waste of time. But so is a lot of other shit in life. I bet your psychologist waste their time too, just in different ways. The main difference is that they have some balance in their life whilst you do not.

I've been in a bad place for a week or so. Re-evaluating my entire life/career path. Right now I'm doing nothing so it's put me in a depressed state. I don't know if I have full blown depression since I've only had it for a few days and it recedes and comes back.

I've found that videogames are not the problem. The problem is that I'm indulging myself too much in these things not as a hobby, or something to do in my 'off time', but something I do just by instinct. I don't think you should 'eliminate' playing videogames from your life, but definitely cut back on it. Make it something you do to relax after actually accomplishing something. I find that when I actually worked and was separated from games or the internet or what have you all day long and only get ~4 hours to indulge myself, I'm actually happier that way. It feels like I 'earned' the right to relax and kick back, rather than being behind the computer all day, going to sleep, and being behind the computer all day tomorrow.