Video Game Addiction Support Group

I recommend sending a general announcement to all of your friends and let them know that you feel as if though you are missing out on life and have decided to jump back in. Let them know that their friendships are very valuable to you and give them your email address or if your comfortable, phone number or personal home address. Then, you can maintain your contacts and still live your life.

If you are afraid that you are going to substitute, find something GOOD to substitute with. Something productive that will help you or others. Like, exercise or maybe yard work for the elderly or something. That way, you can get your "fix" and not be hurting yourself/

I admire your desire to stop and I appreciate your opening my eyes to the friendships that are made. I never realized what exactly my hubby saw in his game for years and years and now....it makes a little more sense. Good luck to you.

I am addicted to computer games, among other things. I have learned a lot in counseling. One of the key things is that most addicts have more than one addiction. I fought a porn addiction for years and couldn't completely rid myself of it until I understood how it related to my other addictions.

I am part of an online gaming community that is more than 12 years old. I am one of the founders. I can no longer play games online with these friends. I still post in the message boards, but it's not the same. I understand how you feel.

The best advice I can give you is to stop. Find healthier activities that provide the same stimuli (I use racquetball, movies with my wife, and cooking at the moment and am looking for other things to try).

Above all, get help. A good counselor is worth his or her weight in gold.

Good luck.

Anything (outside of your paying job) that you do for 10-16 hours/day is probably a sign you are addicted to whatever it is. With the games, I know, you feel like these are really great friends (and some are!). But 200--of that number, maybe half will really be there for you if you tell them you have a real problem of any sort. Of that 100, hopefully 10-20 will stay with you if you tell them that you have to cut back how much you play.

My advice in your situation isn't what everyone else has said at first. You first need to cut back your hours in game. It's like cutting back on cigarettes or drinks. Cold turkey just doesn't work for everyone.

Tell your in-game friends that you need their support to cut back, but really do want to maintain the friendships--and you will quickly find out who you can really count on. They will be the ones who support you and want to stay in touch out of game.

Really analyze your patterns of play. Is it the social contact you need, the big friends list? Is it the sense of accomplishment for quests? Is it the millions (plural) you can say you "have" in game--virtual money, if you get my drift? Figure out what it is you "need", and then find a way to cope with these needs. Counseling will almost certainly be needed--definitely at first if you've never gone before.

I'd say it's better to video game than gamble, but best of all to not be hooked on either. Your life will actually get better once you can say byebye to all addictions, and you need to learn how to do that. So at least start by really cutting back, and finding out who of these 200 people are your real friends, while looking for a counselor. Then go from there, and start to heal.

Good luck. :-) We're all pulling for you.

tomtravel1, I agree that you need to be careful of falling into different addictions or problems. Video game addiction is usually a sign of underlying problems, where the video game fills a hole, such as being a way to escape, fill a social hole, etc. Unless you deal with these underlying problems, you run the risk of trying to find other ways to satisfy them. As for myself, I used video games mainly as a form of escape. While trying to stop playing them, for a while I became addicted to numeric puzzles, especially Killer Sudoko (I have a very mathematical mind). However, with counseling, I am now getting better. As mentioned by other people, a good counselor is worth their weight in gold. Good luck in your recovery.

I'm the same way I'm always on pogo. I keep telling myself I'll only be on for an hour 8 hours later I'm still playing.I have even went as far as to call off work just to play