Ask a recovered Game-Addict anything.

Hi all. How are you doing?

How did you do it? What game?

I get clear on how great it is to be out of the gaming world - exercise, do hobbies, some work, etc - but whenever I feel good and well again I find myself going on a binge. It always starts with "hey I'm doing pretty well. I think I'll just watch this one Let's Play. Then I'll stop and do work." But that last part never happens

I started gaming when I was five years old, life was pretty stressful at the time and games were instantly an attractive means of escaping from how I felt. Gaming was a constant part of my childhood and quickly became the center of my life. I found myself playing on a daily and eventually nightly basis to the point that waking up at ten, going to sleep at 3am (aka collapsing from exhaustion) and then waking up to play again seemed normal to me.

For a game addict the issue is not self control. It is impossible to control the compulsion to use which permeates the daily life of an addict. We simply cannot stop the anxiety and craving without some sort of help. In my experience the most effective method is to join a program of recovery and follow the 12 steps. I am a part of a group from cgaa.prophpbb.com, we meet every night from 10 - 11pm EST and also sometimes have mid-day meetings at 1:30pm EST. There are a load of people there who have recovered from this disease and no longer feel the compulsion to game. They would be happy to talk to you about your experience and relate their own with you.

In fact, it's what helps us stay recovered.

Okay, I've signed up for the sites. Hopefully see you on them sometime