I need some suggestions on what to do

[LikeAFire]

Hi my name is LikeAFire and I'm addicted to video games! I do not deny this at all.

I'm a 22 year old return missionary. Not married, living at home, working full time, and going to university.

I don't know where to start, there is so much,-- pretty complicated subject / situation.

Basically, after my whole life's experience with video games, (imo) I've narrowed down a solution that will help me limit my time spent playing in a virtual world, and I've seen others post for other addicts' addictions, and that is to fill in the playing time with other "more worthwhile" activities.

What suggestions do the forumers have? You input is greatly appreciated, and I'm sure as I apply them I'll improve on my current and future family / friend relationships. I come in hopeful confidence and anticipation of each advising post.

Many thanks,

LikeAFire

Edited October 13, 2010 by LikeAFire

[Wingnut]

http://www.lds.net/forums/advice-board/25488-gaming-addiction-support-group.html

[Guest]

I have one suggestion. Throw out your video games. All of them. No, don't just hide them in the closet. Throw them all out. All at once. If the video game is in your computer... uninstall all of them. If it is a website, block it, if you can't do it, throw out your computer. You can always use the one in the library.

Then go play basketball at church or something. Join a gym, train for a marathon, or go spend 4 hours a day talking to your mother.

Yep! That's what I would do.

Okay, so it is a drastic post. I wasn't sure how bad your "addiction" is. But, the first step is to plan out what your end-goal is. If it is to completely gain back control of your life, then you might have to go the drastic route. If you're not really "addicted" to it, you're just doing it because you're bored, then an end-goal of "not more than 2 hours a day, 3 times a week" or something like that is easy to establish. Set a schedule and stick to it. This works over-all - scheduling your school time, recreation time, family time, church time, etc. etc.

Then find a hobby that is a more worthwhile thing to do and stick to it - like what I mentioned above.

Hope this helps.

[LikeAFire]

@wingnut: Thanks for posting that link there. I've actually read that thread completely already, but it'll be nice to have it easily within reach if there are updates (I'm sure there will be since its stickied).

@anatess: Rofl, lol xD (I even have the gamer lingo). Drastic or not, you made me smile. Definitely helps, thanks again for the input.

Imo I don't think it's too scary of an addiction. I just spend a lot of time doing it. (Maybe that's what "addicted" means?). I'll spend my 1 hour lunch break playing in a few games; while at work (inbetween projects of course) I'll usually be on that game's particular forums, chatting and thinking up strategies and such; at home after homework, until 11ish, I'll be playing the game trying out the strategy I was thinking. Basically, all my spare time is going towards the computer.

I'm willing to do just about anything to limit my computer time. Back @anatess, I liked the suggestions. I can see you got the gist of what I was trying to ask for.

For my curiosities sake, any recoverers out there? What do you guys/girls do now instead of a bunch of gaming?

Edited October 13, 2010 by LikeAFire

[Guest]

@wingnut: Thanks for posting that link there. I've actually read that thread completely already, but it'll be nice to have it easily within reach if there are updates (I'm sure there will be since its stickied).

@anatess: Rofl, lol xD (I even have the gamer lingo). Drastic or not, you made me smile. Definitely helps, thanks again for the input.

Imo I don't think it's too scary of an addiction. I just spend a lot of time doing it. (Maybe that's what "addicted" means?). I'll spend my 1 hour lunch break playing in a few games; while at work (inbetween projects of course) I'll usually be on that game's particular forums, chatting and thinking up strategies and such; at home after homework, until 11ish, I'll be playing the game trying out the strategy I was thinking. Basically, all my spare time is going towards the computer.

I'm willing to do just about anything to limit my computer time. Back @anatess, I liked the suggestions. I can see you got the gist of what I was trying to ask for.

For my curiosities sake, any recoverers out there? What do you guys/girls do now instead of a bunch of gaming?

My husband used to play Madden. A lot. I don't mind him spending time for himself but it was getting to a point where he would sleep at 4AM playing Madden and then go to work at 7AM. He would come home exhausted and so he would sit and "wind down" by playing more Madden. I tell him to stop killing himself and he couldn't seem to do it. It got really bad after a while (yes, it got to be an addiction). So, over a year passes and nothing changed. I told him if he doesn't stop, I'm going to throw away Madden. He didn't stop, so I threw it away. Yep. He went to work, came home with it gone. I got BASHED in this forum for doing it (lots of people here thought it was the most disrespectful thing ever). But, I will tell you right now - it was that or have Madden for the rest of our married lives. Yes, we fought like the dickens which included lots of yelling. But, my throwing away Madden forced him to face the problem and listen to what I am saying.

Anyway, he started playing flag football with some people at his work. We watched movies more (we are avid movie goers) and he finally got the sprinkler system in the yard all fixed up plus all the stuff he did for the garage. Then we had kids. So that pretty much took over all of our spare time.

[Tarnished]

I second Anatess's suggestion of finding something else to do. For a long time my husband and I were addicted to WoW, we played all the time. Then we started working on getting our house ready to sell. Suddenly we had more important things to do and we had to get them done. It has been over a year since we last played and it has been pretty good for us. We just keep ourselves busy with other things. Hobbies are a great idea, keeping the house clean is another. Find something that is more important than the gaming that you have to do, and when that is done find another. Fill your day with things that keep you busy, and make sure some of them are hobbies that allow you to escape from your workday and allow you to destress. Very often video games are used as a way to get downtime from work, so find something else to get that downtime with.

Exercise is another great idea, if you make a goal with your exercise then use it as your hobby then not only are you improving your physical fitness but you are making something else more important than the game.

[Bini]

Donate your console and games. Then find a new activity :] If you're not into sports, you could check out the classifieds and see if there's a class you could take. I've wanted to learn Spanish for sometime.. You could do something like that and pick up another language or join a nature walk/hiking group. I know there's a few around my area. I'm sure there's similar activities around yours.

[spamlds]

Check with your bishop, there may be an Addiction Recovery Class in your stake. Many stakes have them now. They deal with addiction in general, whether that be alcohol, pornography, gaming, or other obsessive behaviors. Our stake has one and the former bishop who runs it says that it works wonders for the people who attend it. It's a basic 12-step program. The key to overcoming addictions is admitting you have a problem and not trying to do conquer it by yourself.

[rameumptom]

I agree with the idea of tossing the video games. If you play online games, then downsize your computer to something that does not handle the games well (or at all). A complete separation from the gaming community will, over 6 months, have you feeling liberated from it all.

[Roseslipper]

Addiction is addiction...some people are easily addicted to things...

[Dr T]

I'll take your gaming system and all the games off you hands and I wont even charge you anything for doing that for you sir.

[Guest xforeverxmetalx]

You could set aside a time of the day, a few hours at a time or maybe more spread out depending on your schedule, and during that time, ban yourself from playing. And make a list of things to do while you're not playing. Start with what you're putting off. Then focus on building your talents; think of things you're good at or would like to be good at or learn how to do, and work on them. Then gradually increase the time you ban yourself from playing until you're spending an acceptable amount of time with it.