I'm Addicted to World of Warcraft... what should i do?

[Velyndina]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNRWvabBRDc

Sigh...

[Spellsword]

As someone who has quit smoking it annoys me you say you are only 'trying'. Why don't you just not buy anymore ciggerettes and say no when offered one, stop being weak.

Agree'd. I quit smoking cold turkey like a boss after 6 years of 1-2 packs a day. There is no such thing as "trying to quit smoking" you either quit or you don't.

[I No I FeaR I]

Agree'd. I quit smoking cold turkey like a boss after 6 years of 1-2 packs a day. There is no such thing as "trying to quit smoking" you either quit or you don't.

Agreed x2

OP, you should just start smoking crack since you have an addictive personality

[Aethilus]

Phase out WoW. If you play say 20 hours a week now, set up parental controls so you can only play 16 hours a week for the next month or so, 12 hours a week after that month, then cut to 8 hours and probably leave it there for a few months. As you play less you'll desire to play less then that desire will fade and you'll find that you don't even hit the 8 hour limit.

Just guessing, I'm fairly sure I've never been addicted to anything. I don't drink/smoke etc., I quit wow like every 3 months at most because I can't find the motivation to play anymore, only come back when my friends convince me too (usually around patches). They may be addicted, I know 2 people who haven't unsubscribed once since classic, and have played actively for the full duration.

[nezgral]

I was addicted to WoW for years until cata came out. That just about broke my addiction, i went from playing 100+ hours a week to now about 5-10 on farm content [still raiding i was playing about 20 hours a week during progression]. Now that game is complete garbage [and that's just my personal opinion], I don't feel the need to even log on for anything not even afk'ing to show off my gear titles and mounts.

[Hylore]

Finding better interest usually counteracts the addiction. You won't be able to quit if you find yourself with boredom. So, I suggest finding a hobby (preferably physical)
that can easily be done personally. Although, finding a group activity is always better since you'll have a motivational drive.

Activity List
Sports
Dancing
Singing
Collecting
Social Interaction
Less Commitment Based Gaming

[tkd]

I second the setting up of parental controls!

[mcnally86]

Troll your guild mates. Troll the server, troll LFR. Then when your temp ban wears off no one likes you anymore. I find that when I log on I get nothing but hate spam. I get angry and feel shame. Now I associate wow with shame and sad times. Aversion therapy is one thing but your going to find you need something to fill the gap. If you find it can't be your school work, try being a laborer. Either you find you like it or you go back and hit the books with a passion so as to not end up working in a nightmarish boggy lumber mill again. Worked for me.

[schippie]

As a person who is trying to stop smoking, it actually annoys me when people say they are addicted. Did you fail your degree because of wow, or did you sit in playing wow because you werent really interested in your degree?

Stoping with smoking isnt hard. Just dont buy it anymore and you will run out of it.

The argument you say now is extremely poor to say the least. I know a lot of people who smoked like crazy and then one day just completely stopped from one day to the next. And other people who smoke just as much somehow cant stop.

Its simply depends on the person if they have enough will power to simply say no.

OT: Best is either set up parential controll or just uninstall /unsubscribe and never look at it again.

[Zulandia]

TBQH if you can find yourself prioritizing WoW over school work even if you quit you'll just find something else to care about more than work. You need to focus less on quitting and more on actually controlling your impulses.

[Asics]

Uninstall and cancel your account.

Better yet go a step further. Get a job as a housekeeper at a hotel, a fry cook or any other menial job then imagine doing that with WoW/new MMO post-WoW to look forward to every night from now until forever. It will put into perspective how much is at stake when you throw away opportunity to advance in our degree-driven world.

[neccowafer]

The fact is that in life there will always be something more fun than whatever you should be doing. Quitting WoW is not going to fix the underlying problem: you do not have the self control to stop doing something you find fun even if something else is extremely important.

If it's not WoW, it'll be something else. Little things, not doing your homework because you are playing WoW, playing another game, watching TV, any other activity, it doesn't matter which, will add up to bad results, as you have no doubt discovered. Just because for you it's a game, it's not any different than someone who watches sitcoms all night instead of doing their housework/schoolwork, or someone who goes out partying all day every day and ignores personal responsibilities.

You need to be able to have fun in your life, obviously, so quitting "fun" isn't going to help you. Well, it may help in the short term, but what kind of life would that be? Never having fun isn't the answer. It'll fail, like it fails when people decide to go on a diet where they will NEVER eat food that they like. That will only make you give up.

You need structure in your life, even in the parts that have nothing to do with WoW or school. Try to wake up the same time every day and go to sleep at the same time every day. That's the framework for your life. If you used to stay up too late playing WoW, designate a time when you will go to sleep and stop playing at least one hour before that, otherwise you will be too overstimulated to sleep.

After that, dedicate a space of time every day to studying. Make a schedule and stick to it. Don't get discouraged, most people CAN'T stick to it the first try. The difference between success and failure is whether you will keep trying after a few "failures." You don't have to plan out everything, just try little things at first, for example "I am going to study and do my homework from 4 to 6pm every weekday." Designate a time of day separate from this that isn't for studying or chores, but that you will NOT play WoW during, that is otherwise free time. It could be a day of the week (i.e. no WoW on Saturday) or it could be a timespan (i.e. No WoW before noon). Make sure that you reconnect with any friends and family that you might have lost track of when you were too busy playing video games.

Now, don't feel obligated to be super best friends with EVERYONE you liked before, some people probably weren't that good of friends anyways and that helped you forget about them.

You need to be able to enjoy a hobby without it getting out of control. Fun things exist and are going to be surrounding you, all the time. You need to be okay with that and still be able to function.


As some others have said, re-evaluate your choice of a degree. Is it something you just aren't cut out for? Do you struggle with the work and WoW is your way of making yourself feel better instead of hitting your head against something you just don't want to do and that does not fit your personal skills at all? Many people who don't do well in school are afraid to try because they suspect they will fail. If this is the case for you, maybe WoW is giving you a sense of accomplishment you never got from school.

If you are bad at school in general, consider learning a trade of some sort or getting into a vocational program.

If you are normally good at school and the decline only happened once you choose your particular degree program, look at your motivation for picking your exact path. Is it only because being a -whatever- makes a lot of money, or do you really like it? I'm going into medicine and I'm actually really interested in all the science, so being at school doesn't seem like a chore to me, it's fun in a way. I can imagine if I had just been like "Oh lawyers make a lot, I'm going to be one of those" I'd be bored out of my mind and have no motivation to do the assignments.

[Adon]

Purchase Hughesnet Sattelite and ditch your broadband provider, that will definitely curb your obsession.

---------- Post added 2012-02-28 at 04:54 AM ----------

If you are failing your classes because of a game, I'm pretty sure you are also failing to do other stuff like a normal, functional human being. Start off by taking a shower and getting a haircut. Start talking to your friends again. Get some exercise. Eat home cooked food.

You are going to have to stop playing WoW completely, that means no fan sites and no logging in. After you get your life back, then you can come back and start fresh with insight on how letting a video game effect your real life can mess things up for you.

Like Neccowafer said, make sure your field of study is something that interests you. I'm on my 3rd year of Computer Information Systems / Web Development (double major). I love what I'm doing, and I even do a lot of extra work and practicing on my own outside of classes. If you are still undecided or taking Gen Ed stuff, I feel sorry for you.

Time to get your act together. Maybe you should visit your folks and have daddy whip that ass.

[zvezper]

get a gf and kick it with her everyday

[ThatInternet]

Move back in with your parents, they'll pay for rent and food and maybe even do your laundry. That way you can keep getting those dailies done.

[Deleted]

you arent addicted not physcially anyhow, watch a heroic addict after a day or two of cold turkey and you'll see why.

your issue is habituation, much like some people get with marijuana, i wont start falling apart if i dont have it, but nothing feels right without it.

lol HEROIN*

[Dedweight]

Put Parental Controls on it... Even if its you who control the account its a way of making sure you dont play to much.
If this causes you to get serious problems with anger I think you should get help for it. There are ways to help with addictions,
all you need is the will to admit your problem.

This would probably be the most direct way to deal with it. Setup parental controls on the account, if you have a room mate have them set the password and limit your self to an hour or two a day(if you raid set it to allow you on during those hours/days).

[Deleted]

The fact is that in life there will always be something more fun than whatever you should be doing. Quitting WoW is not going to fix the underlying problem: you do not have the self control to stop doing something you find fun even if something else is extremely important.

this is my problem and op'es ill guess, a problem with the delayment of gratification.

[Deleted]

This is what you should do:
1. Don´t lissten to the nubs sitting around mmo telling u to get friends and stop being such a no lifer.
2. Does you school matter at al yet? in sweden atleast u can just sit around for about 10 years until what u do actually have a serious impact on the rest of your life
3. Parental control... It is actually quite a good way because it will dissconnect u from the game after a special amount of played time.
4. Start playing an instrument or sport or w/e it´s fun its good for your body (sports) and good for your brain (music) and u meet new ppl.
5. self disciplin is important u have to tell yourself that u have played enough! dunno how to train this though...
6. follow all above and you might find yourself in a better situation : D

Just remember quitting is not an option if you enjoy the game just take everything in moderation, even world of warcraft!

[Irons Maidens]

Set parental controls and use gibberish for the password.