Video Game Addiction Support Group

I've played video games since I was 12 years old, to extreme's most people would be shocked at, 13 hours a day or more on many occasions and regularly. I've blown off good jobs, appointments, high grades on university courses, lost interest in good relationships, the works. If you have a friend in your life playing all day and denying video game addiction exists, that was probably me at one time.

I don't think its enough to say your addicted to video games, I think the whole subject needs to be looked at slightly differently. If your like me you've made video games a hugely substantial part of your daily life, not a half an hour chemical high that you have to finance for the other 24.

Its an ongoing continual reinforcement of the addictions positive qualities and as your experiences outside of video games are so limited, you get very little negative feedback from the experience or friends who otherwise might talk some sense into you.

Here is what i've tried:

Selling every PC game I own, i've done this at least 4 times now, its never been enough.

Tony Robbins, again for 30 days I felt great but after the program, the years of this behavior come back naturally.

Not using the computer for a week, then two etc. I remember when I was younger and we had family holidays, the best time to do this is after a period away from the computer already, on holiday when you've had positive enjoyment from some other activity. Its easier not to play when your feeling good from something else!

I really am good at what I do, do anything long enough and you get good and it feels great but its cost me physically in my eyesight, pain in my wrists, a small social circle and long periods of unemployment, you name it. I guess what i'm saying is, if your young right now and have a lot of potential, picture a slightly overweight guy, bad wrists, bad eyesight, poor social skills and thats where you'll be in 10 years if you play all day every day.

I'm making one final attempt to sort things out, i've gone back into business and once again ditched all my computer games and heck even taken up some exercise :). When I first went back into business I had to actual reason myself it was for the goal of one day being able to play all day without financial concern or anything else getting in the way, sad but true.

I do genuinely enjoy myself so much, its instant and constant gratification when your competitively very good in an fps or rts, I get very physical tense at the thought of never having that kind of thrill in my life again. I have a really good friend whom is always telling me I need to get my act together, he's right of course but one thing he said has always stuck in my mind:

'You don't do anything unless its instantly gratifying do you.'
You know what I've never heard anything so true said about me.

Well i'll stop this little speech here, just to finally say good luck to anyone else on this forum and in the world who reads this.
Posted on 12/02/07, 11:12 am