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Video Game Addiction & Internet Addiction Forum

The TechAddiction.ca support forum. Meet, support, and learn from other gamers or internet users who are struggling with an online or gaming addiction. For even more information, visit the main site at www.techaddiction.ca
 
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 Im new and need help please

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Richochey




Posts : 1
Join date : 2012-09-01

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PostSubject: Im new and need help please   Im new and need help please Icon_minitimeSat Sep 01, 2012 4:38 pm

hey all

im new to this site, as over the last day or two iv admitted to myself that im a video game addict
now my aim is to cut games out of my life but i dont know where to start

ill start off with telling my story so you guys can get a better understanding

as a kid i use to play video games but never was an addict because back then online gaming wasnt around
so i would play single player games like mario, mortal kombat etc where once the game is beat thats it, no addiction

when i was about halfway through secondary school i had a friend introduce me to online gaming, with games like runescape, CoD and saints row
this is where my gaming addiction started but tbh back then it was never really a problem for me so it wasnt a major addiction. I went onto playing tons of online games and they became a big part of my life

when i got into college i was introduces to the big daddy of video games, WoW, and this was where my addiction became bad, my hygiene went down hill, my college grades dropped and i stopped doing as much sports, but still back then i didnt see a problem with it

once i finished college, from no where i found myself with no free time on my hands to even play games as i started a new sport which took up alot of my time and always left me shattered on the night times, so i didnt feel the need to wanna play games

a year had past, to a day when i met a girl and found myself in a new relationship with her, we hit a really big rough patch in our relationship near the start which resulted in me suffering from mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression

all my sports and exercise had stopped and i was home bound for a while and i turned to games for help

this is where it got bad, i started playing online games again and found myself addicted once again

now i find myself in a cycle, i will find a new game, get addicted to it and start loosing out on sleep, making me feel crap which would result in my anxiety increasing, then i will start getting bored of the game, my anxiety would get better, until i found another game and so on

this is what made me realise that i have a gaming addiction, and to stop my anxiety i need to stop playin games

i just need a point in the right direction as i dont know where to start
do i quit games cold turkey and if so what do i do if im getting withdrawal symptoms
or do i start cutting down the hours that i play?

any advice would be much appreciated
cheers
Richy
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sheeshmode




Posts : 4
Join date : 2014-12-15

Im new and need help please Empty
PostSubject: Re: Im new and need help please   Im new and need help please Icon_minitimeMon Dec 15, 2014 8:39 pm

Hi Richochey, I totally relate with your experience. The cycle of repeated abuse, loss of sleep, lack of nutrition and hydration. Exhaustion, angry, fear, depression, and through it all the overwhelming anxiety that accompanies the craving to game more.

I started gaming when I was five years old during a stressful period of of marital indecision by my mom. the event in and of itself is not so spectacular save that at time I was extremely sensitive. Actually I still am but I digress. While my mom was overwhelmed with finances, an abusive spouse, and her own demons, I found gaming was an effective escape. It was fun, engaging, and made time fly. Those of us who have gamed in an addictive manner will understand that isn't a figurative statement.

almost two decades later I was still in active addiction and now more miserable and afraid than I was when I first started gaming at five years old. I felt like a victim and I acted like a victim because up to that point I simply did not know how to change. Realistically there wasn't a suitable alternative: no one had heard of recovery groups for game addicts, and few people even associated my behavior with addiction. Anyways, I was totally against the idea.

It was not until I finally decided I was sick and tired of being sick and tired that I started seeking help. Part of that involved going to an institution largely run by individuals who were in recovery or else knowledgeable of the 12 steps. The other part involved actually joining a 12-step fellowship run and attended by game addicts like me. The feeling of belonging that I was greeted with in those rooms blew me away, it was - and continues to be - exactly what I was looking for.

If you want to change, live a better more fulfilling, and happy life, there is a means of accomplishing that. There are addicts like you with stories similar to yours who have recovered and continue to work with other addicts to this day. We even have meetings on Mumble and Stepchat. If you would like to take a look, attend a meeting, and listen to people who have some sort of clue beyond "just stop gaming lol" send me a PM. I wish you the best.
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