Gaming Addiction

[Deleted]

Hey it’s 4am in the UK and I’m here lying in bed on my phone considering certain choices I’ve made over time and how (if at all) they have affected me.

I’d say for the most part their have been occasions in the past (during teenage years) where I have been fully addicted to games like WoW, Diablo 2, counter strike 1.6 and some other goodies. Some of the ways I’ve recognised this would be from skipping school half way through the day or avoiding going out with friends on the weekend (in later years).

I’m 27 now and have a pretty good handle on things. I’ve sold my gaming pc recently but have been feeling the itch with new announcements for BfA. I know ultimately after the first few months of awesome game play I will get bored and take a break; alas my brain still resists knowing how juicy that initial burst of chemical goodness is which keeps the itch there (in the form of pleasure hormones).

Part of me tries to justify it by saying to my self “no choice you make in life really matters” which I suppose is technically true. With that said I do feel guilt in thinking “what if I miss some golden moments with friends and family”... which is just as valid.

Either way I find self analysis pretty interesting and quite healthy to criticise choices — one of the articles I was reading online explains some of the mechanics game developers use to hook you which I thought was a good read which you can find here - http://www.techaddiction.ca/why_are_...addictive.html

I’d be interested to hear other people’s stories of their impressions and possible experiences of addicting games.

[Deletedaccount1]

I have also been addicted to games in the past. The three you mentioned in particular when I was younger.

I am of the opinion that games have generally been declining in quality for a while now though so I haven't really been "hooked" to a game for the better part of a decade. WoW is a shell of its former self, Diablo 3 is fun but not nearly as good of a time sink as Diablo 2, Dota 2 has held my interest for a while but losing is so demoralizing and drawn out that playing more than a few games at once is difficult.

Also games like Hearthstone and PUBG seem to be the shape of things of things to come and I have no interest in either of those types of games. Fortnite is kind of fun with friends though. Also these games, like mobas, are infinitely more fun with friends.

TLDR: I cbf to get addicted to games nowadays because almost no games are worth the time investment

[Celista]

#2 and 7 are important, but in regards to #7 having any sort of reward system at all (intermittent or otherwise) can lead to addiction. It makes total sense when you think about real life. In video games, you know what is expected of you in order to achieve a certain objective and receive a reward. Sometimes the reward may come after days/weeks/months, but generally speaking the rewards are well-defined and putting in a certain amount of time/effort in MMOs tends to result in receiving a reward.

The real world is shitty, however, and expectations for rewards are often ill matched with outcomes. A college degree might not guarantee a stable career and income. Putting time and effort into your marriage might not lead to increase marital satisfaction. Rewards in the real world might come after years rather than days or months, or it might not come at all.

Not saying that video games are better than the real world, but you definitely can get a sense of meaning and accomplishment out of them when everything else in life seems a little fucked up.

[therealstegblob]

POST

This is about it. Video games are escapism and something that takes no real involved or demanded effort (outside of non-leisure versions of gaming, such as competitive gaming) that rewards you with a defined, clearly obtainable reward. Real life is a series of trials with no assured outcome.

[kamuimac]

Hey it’s 4am in the UK and I’m here lying in bed on my phone considering certain choices I’ve made over time and how (if at all) they have affected me.

I’d say for the most part their have been occasions in the past (during teenage years) where I have been fully addicted to games like WoW, Diablo 2, counter strike 1.6 and some other goodies. Some of the ways I’ve recognised this would be from skipping school half way through the day or avoiding going out with friends on the weekend (in later years).

I’m 27 now and have a pretty good handle on things. I’ve sold my gaming pc recently but have been feeling the itch with new announcements for BfA. I know ultimately after the first few months of awesome game play I will get bored and take a break; alas my brain still resists knowing how juicy that initial burst of chemical goodness is which keeps the itch there (in the form of pleasure hormones).

Part of me tries to justify it by saying to my self “no choice you make in life really matters” which I suppose is technically true. With that said I do feel guilt in thinking “what if I miss some golden moments with friends and family”... which is just as valid.

Either way I find self analysis pretty interesting and quite healthy to criticise choices — one of the articles I was reading online explains some of the mechanics game developers use to hook you which I thought was a good read which you can find here - http://www.techaddiction.ca/why_are_...addictive.html

I’d be interested to hear other people’s stories of their impressions and possible experiences of addicting games.

ill tell my opinion - based on my own experiences of people i met in wow in past

most of people who become addicted to games ie wow are people who want to escape from real world for whatever reason they have - whether its illness , or failure irl , not having real life friends and milion other reasons

games offer that because they offer dopamine bursts - but games dont solve real problems that those people have - only mask symptoms for some time.

its like with people who find out they have cancer but first go to shamans and alternative medicine instead straight take chemo - its a way of escapin the horrible truth

and in case of gaming in 99,9 % time its the truth that they are "loosers" irl.

the thing is - people dont realise that in reality more then 95 % of humanity end up as "loosers" - not everybody have brain , skills , determination to be succesfull irl - and a lot of people once they realise that they will never be trully succesfull just give up and escapes into sex, alcohol, games , partying etc etc .

[Celista]

and in case of gaming in 99,9 % time its the truth that they are loosers irl.

I think it's kindof harsh to call gaming addicts losers. Life is rough, people cope the best they can. Gaming isn't the healthiest coping mechanism but then again there are far worse ones, including drug and alcohol addiction, gambling disorders, etc. That being said, all addictions can destroy someone's life.

I agree about the chemical rush, it has been debated until recently if psychological addictions should be considered addictions at all but the neuroscience research with addictive gamblers indicates that the reward centers of the brain light up similarly to people with substance addictions (specifically, cocaine addiction for this particular research study).

[kamuimac]

I think it's kindof harsh to call gaming addicts losers. Life is rough, people cope the best they can. Gaming isn't the healthiest coping mechanism but then again there are far worse ones, including drug and alcohol addiction, gambling disorders, etc.

I agree about the chemical rush, it has been debated until recently if psychological addictions should be considered addictions at all but the neuroscience research with addictive gamblers indicates that the reward centers of the brain light up similarly to people with substance addictions (specifically, cocaine addiction for this particular research study).

i realise that - thats why i was editing it a bit while you were writing answear - my point is that most of society never succeds irl - problem is neither parents nor school teach this to kids/teenagers - that the probability of their life succes is very very slim

[Deleted]

No such thing as gaming addiction. Its a myth. The more the hypothesis of gaming addiction is studied the more evidence that its a made up thing is made. Currently there is no such thing as gaming addiction in the Diagnoscic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSM) which is the golden standard for mental disorder and illness diagonostics. So every time you hear about gaming addiction thats either a charlatan trying to get you to treat yourself/your kids for a non existing condition to get money or a weak willed layman looking for something to pass the blame on for not handling their time behind computer well. Get a grip, stop making up excuses. The rest of us gamers dont apreciate disorders being made up about out hobby and pushing the false stigma onto the hobby.

There is no such thing as gaming addiction. There's a giant lobby to make gaming one due to potential giant market of people this might make paying for a superfluous treatment, usually against their will because its going to be stupid parents sending their children to charlatan pretend psychologists. Its basically trying to make up a disease and facilitate child torture for profit. Fortunately even under pressure from scummy individuals lobbying for a new profit market the scientific research continues to cement the claim that gaming addiction is not a real thing.

Be aware of the mainstream media here that go allong with this firstly because theres no real journalists anymore and they are morons who cant even verify the base claim of apiece they are writing about, secondly because its in the interest of the old media, papers and tv to attack alternative internet media that take away eyes from them and put those eyes on amateur made videos on youtube and in front of a game. And thirdly because tv loves a fear mongering "your children are under threat" story. Those alway increase their viewership because people give a shit about their children. Its exploitative and scummy to the highest degree.

[Waldor666]

Hey it’s 4am in the UK and I’m here lying in bed on my phone considering certain choices I’ve made over time and how (if at all) they have affected me.

I’d say for the most part their have been occasions in the past (during teenage years) where I have been fully addicted to games like WoW, Diablo 2, counter strike 1.6 and some other goodies. Some of the ways I’ve recognised this would be from skipping school half way through the day or avoiding going out with friends on the weekend (in later years).

I’m 27 now and have a pretty good handle on things. I’ve sold my gaming pc recently but have been feeling the itch with new announcements for BfA. I know ultimately after the first few months of awesome game play I will get bored and take a break; alas my brain still resists knowing how juicy that initial burst of chemical goodness is which keeps the itch there (in the form of pleasure hormones).

Part of me tries to justify it by saying to my self “no choice you make in life really matters” which I suppose is technically true. With that said I do feel guilt in thinking “what if I miss some golden moments with friends and family”... which is just as valid.

Either way I find self analysis pretty interesting and quite healthy to criticise choices — one of the articles I was reading online explains some of the mechanics game developers use to hook you which I thought was a good read which you can find here - http://www.techaddiction.ca/why_are_...addictive.html

I’d be interested to hear other people’s stories of their impressions and possible experiences of addicting games.

I live in Newcastle too. HMU if you want to get adDICted together

[Celista]

No such thing as gaming addiction. Its a myth. The more the hypothesis of gaming addiction is studied the more evidence that its a made up thing is made. Currently there is no such thing as gaming addiction in the Diagnoscic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSM) which is the golden standard for mental disorder and illness diagonostics. So every time you hear about gaming addiction thats either a charlatan trying to get you to treat yourself/your kids for a non existing condition to get money or a weak willed layman looking for something to pass the blame on for not handling their time behind computer well. Get a grip, stop making up excuses. The rest of us gamers dont apreciate disorders being made up about out hobby and pushing the false stigma onto the hobby.

There is no such thing as gaming addiction. There's a giant lobby to make gaming one due to potential giant market of people this might make paying for a superfluous treatment, usually against their will because its going to be stupid parents sending their children to charlatan pretend psychologists. Its basically trying to make up a disease and facilitate child torture for profit. Fortunately even under pressure from scummy individuals lobbying for a new profit market the scientific research continues to cement the claim that gaming addiction is not a real thing.

That is true, but it is under consideration for inclusion in future iterations of the DSM, depending on the the outcomes of future research studies. Other countries consider it a legitimate disorder (I think Japan is one of them).

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...order-in-dsm-5

[Independent voter]

1
The most addictive video games have no pre-defined ends. This is one of the central features of a MMORPG, but it is also becoming true for many other genres as well. The most addictive video games have no ultimate goal or point at which a player can say "I'm finished. I have completed every quest - there is nothing new to discover". As such, there is never the experience of "Game Over" - a point which signifies the natural end to a game.


2
Addictive video games feed a need of making social connections. While video games used to be solitary activities, today's games encourage, and in many ways, require that players interact socially with each other - which feeds the universal human need for interpersonal connections. Interestingly, these connections can come at the expense of real-world relationships.


3
Video games are more addictive when in-game rewards are based on a leveling system. When starting a new video game a player's character begins with very basic attributes with regard to experience, strength, intelligence, courage, powers, etc. Initially, it takes very little play (perhaps minutes) to reach the next level and gain new skills - this is immediately rewarding and reinforces continued play. However, each successive level begins to take more play time to reach - eventually taking weeks or months to level-up. By this time however, the gamer has gradually adapted and accepted the greater effort required to reach the next level. Imagine if the very first levels (e.g., from Level 1 to Level 2) took 1 month rather than several minutes - how many players would find this rewarding enough to continue?


4
The more addictive video games often encourage play and collaboration with gamers worldwide. This is true of online multiplayer video games in general. The fact that two users on opposite sides of the world can interact and join together in a common quest adds to the excitement and exploratory nature of modern games.


5
Addictive video games often have some form of in-game currency. The same goals and emotions which drive people to pursue wealth in the real world are also present in video games. As one amasses more virtual wealth (by spending more time playing and completing tasks), the virtual wealth translates into greater power, control, respect, influence, status, and purchasing power - which are obviously very seductive pursuits.


6
It is easier to view video games as harmless online activities. Whereas there is far greater awareness of the dangers of alcohol abuse or gambling addiction, online gaming is generally seen as harmless hobby. Is it less harmful than alcohol addiction? Absolutely. Can most people play without becoming addicted? Sure. However, because of this it is also more difficult for players to recognize when they have a problem.


7
One important factor that makes video games addictive is that rewards often are set on variable schedules. It has been consistently demonstrated in psychological research that variable ratio (reinforced after an average number of attempts) or variable interval schedules (reinforced after an average time period has elapsed) produces a steady rate of responding and which is far more difficult to extinguish (e.g., slot machines use variable ratio schedules to encourage maximum play time). In an addictive video game, a player may be rewarded on average for every five (for example) tasks completed. Sometimes it will take only one try while other times it may take 15 - the player never really knows how long it will take before the big reward comes - but he knows that if he plays long enough it will come eventually. This type of reward schedule encourages longer periods of play even in the absence of rewards. For a more detailed analysis of the ways people respond to different patterns of in-game rewards, see the article Behavioral Game Design.


8
Addictive video games often require team play to advance. A player starting a new game will initially be able accomplish goals by him/herself. However, before long significant advancement in the game requires that he/she join a group and accomplish goals together. The player will come to feel a connection to the team and responsible for advancing their gaming goals. Therefore, the player will want to advance his character even more so that he can make a greater contribution to the team. In fact, if he does not keep up with his team he may not even be able to join in on certain quests or travel to parts of the world requiring a more advanced character. Finally, since many tasks can only be accomplished in a group, the player will be want to be online whenever his teammates are playing (which translates into more total hours online). The team component is clearly a very important factor in why certain video games are addictive.


9
The virtual world of addictive video games continues to evolve even if the player is not online. Therefore, if you are not playing and active in the developments of the world, you are potentially left behind when you rejoin. To avoid "missing" something you must play as much as possible.


10
Companies regularly release upgrades or expansion packs. Even if players start to get bored of the online worlds their characters inhabit, video game expansion packs can always add new areas for exploration, new abilities to try, new tasks to complete, and new characters to develop.


11
Top video game players or teams can earn real world rewards (e.g., tournaments for cash prizes). This can be extremely motivating and can encourage massive amounts of time to hone and develop skills (the equivalent of an athlete training for the Olympics).


12
Addictive video games do not reward short and unscheduled periods of play. Games that are very addictive require long-term commitments (months or years) of regular gaming sessions lasting at least an hour or more. MMOs, real time strategy games, and many first person shooters appeal to the hard core gamer who invests a significant portion of his free time to the experience. Due to the great investment (e.g., months developing a character) it becomes very hard to "throw away" all the work and uninstall the game.


13
Addictive video games may allow the player to immerse him/herself in a fully realized virtual world. You can create your own character with attributes you wish you had in real life. You form relationships, develop a career, and accomplish things that would be impossible (or require far more effort) in the real world. Video games may offer an escape from the reality of the physical world and into a digital universe where players can assume any identity they desire.


14
Some video games require monthly fees. In order to play gamers must pay $15 - $20 per month even after the game has been purchased. Of course, the fact that there is a regular monthly charge encourages users to play more so that they "get their money's worth".


15
Video games can generate strong emotions in players. Because the world and the online experience is mostly user generated, gamers can experience wars, betrayal, friendship, romance, marriages, funerals, etc. The variety and intensity of emotions experienced online can be similar to emotions experienced in the real world.



OMG! They're describing WoW!

[Deleted]

yes but that is nothing, everything is "under consideration for inclusion in future DSM" if the scientific studies prove it in the future. Thats how DSM works. So its a mute statement put there so that people can do exactly what you just did - yes but. Setting the tone that its not a settled thing when it is as far as science can be sure about anything the chance the studies will suddenly reverse is inconcievably small. Almost as small as reversing the theory of gravity etc... but the lobby wants SOMETHING, ANYTHING to point to and still fearmonger to the crowd that there is a thing and they eventually will treat it ( oh and btw if you want to torture your kid now i have a special anti gamimg addiction program now for only 99:95/month) if you catch my drift...

No wonder these type of clinnics are popping up in recently industriallized, less developped countries or/and countries with lower standards of scientific scrutny and lower standards of medicine. Its China for fucks sake, a country where totalitarian overreach of power and lies are the norm for every citizen what else do you have to know...

[Zeta333]

Hey it’s 4am in the UK and I’m here lying in bed on my phone considering certain choices I’ve made over time and how (if at all) they have affected me.

I’d say for the most part their have been occasions in the past (during teenage years) where I have been fully addicted to games like WoW, Diablo 2, counter strike 1.6 and some other goodies. Some of the ways I’ve recognised this would be from skipping school half way through the day or avoiding going out with friends on the weekend (in later years).

I’m 27 now and have a pretty good handle on things. I’ve sold my gaming pc recently but have been feeling the itch with new announcements for BfA. I know ultimately after the first few months of awesome game play I will get bored and take a break; alas my brain still resists knowing how juicy that initial burst of chemical goodness is which keeps the itch there (in the form of pleasure hormones).

Part of me tries to justify it by saying to my self “no choice you make in life really matters” which I suppose is technically true. With that said I do feel guilt in thinking “what if I miss some golden moments with friends and family”... which is just as valid.

Either way I find self analysis pretty interesting and quite healthy to criticise choices — one of the articles I was reading online explains some of the mechanics game developers use to hook you which I thought was a good read which you can find here - http://www.techaddiction.ca/why_are_...addictive.html

I’d be interested to hear other people’s stories of their impressions and possible experiences of addicting games.

gaming makes you who you are, dont run from it becuase others dont think its normal. I learned jack fucking shit in highschool. Iv made more friends through gaming than real life. If its what you enjoy and you can still work and support yourself fully then go balls deep. Dont let someone else tell you your wrong for who you are.

[crakerjack]

If you don't trust yourself, then don't get back into gaming. If you know you're capable of finding the thin line and balancing it, then go for it.

[GreenJesus]

My problem is that if I try not to open a game, I waste way more time watching twitch/youtube trying to avoid it. Twitch/youtube is easy to get distracted because all I have to do is open the tab and can close it real quick whereas a game I feel like I have to be immersed and ready to sit down and play without doing anything else.

[Celista]

I used to be addicted to wow in tbc/wrath, skipping school to play and playing all weekend when my parents allowed it, eventually I moved out of that stage of life and got a job out of high school while still playing occasionally. About 6 months of working later I became depressed, moved in with a wealthy friend that bought a place and quit my job, he moved on but said I could stay as long as I wanted which is where I currently am 9 years later, jobless. I play about an hour of games a week on my computer, quit wow long ago because nothing really interests me anymore. I own an 8 year old computer, a double bed, and a dresser with 1 shirt and 1 pair of pants that I wear everyday. The highlight of my day is getting a facebook message from someone. I wish I knew what caused everything, maybe it was wow, maybe it was just myself, either way we all have to live with the cards we are dealt.

.*hug* change can and will come when you are ready. Blaming yourself won't help though. Look at the lessons you've learned, and try to leave the past behind you as you move forward. Yes, it's easier said than done.

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yes but that is nothing, everything is "under consideration for inclusion in future DSM" if the scientific studies prove it in the future. Thats how DSM works. So its a mute statement put there so that people can do exactly what you just did - yes but. Setting the tone that its not a settled thing when it is as far as science can be sure about anything the chance the studies will suddenly reverse is inconcievably small. Almost as small as reversing the theory of gravity etc... but the lobby wants SOMETHING, ANYTHING to point to and still fearmonger to the crowd that there is a thing and they eventually will treat it ( oh and btw if you want to torture your kid now i have a special anti gamimg addiction program now for only 99:95/month) if you catch my drift...

No wonder these type of clinnics are popping up in recently industriallized, less developped countries or/and countries with lower standards of scientific scrutny and lower standards of medicine. Its China for fucks sake, a country where totalitarian overreach of power and lies are the norm for every citizen what else do you have to know...

I think we're going to find evidence that psychological addictions have the same impact on the brain's reward systems as chemical addictions...like I said in an earlier post, neuroscience research already indicates that gambling addicts' brains react similarly to that of an individual with a drug addiction. In my opinion, we can get addicted to anything that makes those reward centers light up....for some people it's drugs, others food or sex or gaming or (insert whatever here).

[Deleted]

I used to be addicted to wow in tbc/wrath, skipping school to play and playing all weekend when my parents allowed it, eventually I moved out of that stage of life and got a job out of high school while still playing occasionally. About 6 months of working later I became depressed, moved in with a wealthy friend that bought a place and quit my job, he moved on but said I could stay as long as I wanted which is where I currently am 9 years later, jobless. I play about an hour of games a week on my computer, quit wow long ago because nothing really interests me anymore. I own an 8 year old computer, a double bed, and a dresser with 1 shirt and 1 pair of pants that I wear everyday. The highlight of my day is getting a facebook message from someone. I wish I knew what caused everything, maybe it was wow, maybe it was just myself, either way we all have to live with the cards we are dealt.

No you were'nt. I skipped school to play starcraft with my school buddy. Thats not gaming addiction, there is no such thing...
As to Your personal situation. Try making some money through internet. Make tshirts and set up a shop. Write a short book about anything and publish in on apple store Advertise your creation a couple of times on relevant subredits or forums them here and there a couple of times. Youl get a few sold. Spend that money on new attire get a job, doesnt have to be a fancy one and aways keep some money in the back pocket. Go to a psychiatrist because you might be depressed. Good luck to You, You can do it. You got plenty of time. Ah and value yourself, everyone deserves some leasure, books are not expensive. Facing the problems youd like to improve on is extremely difficult at times. Precisely becasue you dont want to look at your own situation. Start with tidying your environment up, and continue from there. Take controll of your surroundings and then yourself. And screw facebook, its a window with false advertisements of how other people have the perfect life. No they dont, everyones life a disaster to an extent they jsut dont show it on facebook. Facebook is not real, doesnt show reality. Talk to Your friends, dont judge the world through your facebook wall, almost everyone has it worse than he shows...

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.*hug* change can and will come when you are ready. Blaming yourself won't help though. Look at the lessons you've learned, and try to leave the past behind you as you move forward. Yes, it's easier said than done.

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I think we're going to find evidence that psychological addictions have the same impact on the brain's reward systems as chemical addictions...like I said in an earlier post, neuroscience research already indicates that gambling addicts' brains react similarly to that of an individual with a drug addiction. In my opinion, we can get addicted to anything that makes those reward centers light up....for some people it's drugs, others food or sex or gaming or (insert whatever here).

addictive personality does not gaming addiction make. you are confusing a pre existing condition with may cause inhibition and control loss towards anything fun and interesting with gaming addiction as a mental disorder. Those studies dont prove gaming addiction is a thing. only that people with addictive personalities may have less selfcontroll than people with less addictive personalities. the medium is irrelevant. These studies were taken in concideration prior and gaming addiction was still rejected as a mental disorder. If scientists find some kind of a brakethrough ill spin on a fucking dime and change my mind but to claim there is such a thing now, in spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary is foolishness.

Remember that outlier studies will exist always and media will focus on them first because they are aberrant and therefor interesting (and ofcourse fit their fear narrative) That doesnt mean we should treat those seriously when the bulk of data suggests oposite findings.

I also dont concider gaming the addictive element of gambling, rather randomisation of the result. A gambler will piss his drawers in escitation on the very thaught of throwing a dice and seeing if he can predict the result. Thats not really a game. thats a random number generator. So it doesnt matter if you have a roulette whell or a deck of cards and play poker, the method of delivery of the randomisation is gameplay or lack there of and its irrelevant to a gambler, when its all that matters to a gamer and the random number generator is not that important. (if you only got loot token per raid for your choice of loot item, no randomisation wow would still be an intact game, even if you removed loot or gave a preset upgrades to players it would still be a game people play to defeat bosses and move forward, it wouldnt be atractive to a strict gambler. A gamer doesnt realy care that much about dice throwing mechanic or one armed bandits or roulette, he might like poker because your win is dependant on how you play the cards, he wants to play the game and win it not get lucky on a roll.

Rolls can be a nice superfluous thing but they are not what keeps a gamer gaming. A gambler wouldnt want to play a game with no randomisation of rewards like a call of duty or unreal. Theres no gambling in it.

[Torrasque]

The "chemical goodness" that you mention is the brain's natural release of dopamine. And just like any other natural dopamine addiction, you can ween it with control and redistribution of what provides it. Take up a useful, productive, or earning hobby that you can take achievement levels of status in. Start something, like a business, career, relationship, partnership, or friendship. Attirbute gaming to other forms of gaming that you find to be more suiting to your "ideal" of what you consider "not a waste of time," be that something like Chess, Othello, Solitaire, D&D, actual physical sports, whatever fits that narrative for you.

Long story short, go out and do things that you feel wouldn't be a waste of your time. The issue is your initiative followed by your agency.

[Celista]

No you were'nt. I skipped school to play starcraft with my school buddy. Thats not gaming addiction, there is no such thing...
As to Your personal situation. Try making some money through internet. Make tshirts and set up a shop. Write a short book about anything and publish in on apple store Advertise your creation a couple of times on relevant subredits or forums them here and there a couple of times. Youl get a few sold. Spend that money on new attire get a job, doesnt have to be a fancy one and aways keep some money in the back pocket. Go to a psychiatrist because you might be depressed. Good luck to You, You can do it. You got plenty of time. Ah and value yourself, everyone deserves some leasure, books are not expensive. Facing the problems youd like to improve on is extremely difficult at times. Precisely becasue you dont want to look at your own situation. Start with tidying your environment up, and continue from there. Take controll of your surroundings and then yourself. And screw facebook, its a window with false advertisements of how other people have the perfect life. No they dont, everyones life a disaster to an extent they jsut dont show it on facebook. Facebook is not real, doesnt show reality. Talk to Your friends, dont judge the world through your facebook wall, almost everyone has it worse than he shows...

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addictive personality does not gaming addiction make. you are confusing a pre existing condition with may cause inhibition and control loss towards anything fun and interesting with gaming addiction as a mental disorder. Those studies dont prove gaming addiction is a thing. only that people with addictive personalities may have less selfcontroll than people with less addictive personalities. the medium is irrelevant.

I don't think you understand what an addiction is and how psychologists define it. I think you should look into it more and maybe have less preconceived notions about what you do and do not think is an addiction. The research is new for psychological addiction research and it is definitely worth reading.

Also, just because you might not have had an addiction doesn't mean someone else might not have one. You're basically taking about the difference between a person going into a bar and having a few too many drinks versus someone who is an addict, whose life revolves around alcohol. There are genetic influences in relationship to addiction, along with things like unhealthy coping mechanisms.

I have a feeling that internet/gaming disorder will make it into a future version of the dsm-5 but we shall see.

[A dot Ham]

Hey it’s 4am in the UK and I’m here lying in bed on my phone considering certain choices I’ve made over time and how (if at all) they have affected me.

I’d say for the most part their have been occasions in the past (during teenage years) where I have been fully addicted to games like WoW, Diablo 2, counter strike 1.6 and some other goodies. Some of the ways I’ve recognised this would be from skipping school half way through the day or avoiding going out with friends on the weekend (in later years).

I’m 27 now and have a pretty good handle on things. I’ve sold my gaming pc recently but have been feeling the itch with new announcements for BfA. I know ultimately after the first few months of awesome game play I will get bored and take a break; alas my brain still resists knowing how juicy that initial burst of chemical goodness is which keeps the itch there (in the form of pleasure hormones).

Part of me tries to justify it by saying to my self “no choice you make in life really matters” which I suppose is technically true. With that said I do feel guilt in thinking “what if I miss some golden moments with friends and family”... which is just as valid.

Either way I find self analysis pretty interesting and quite healthy to criticise choices — one of the articles I was reading online explains some of the mechanics game developers use to hook you which I thought was a good read which you can find here - http://www.techaddiction.ca/why_are_...addictive.html

I’d be interested to hear other people’s stories of their impressions and possible experiences of addicting games.

You haven't really kicked the habit... by hanging out here on MMO-C you're essentially stalking your ex girlfriend. That's hardly a case for someone who is actively trying to stay away.

Its also worth noting that "video game addiction" is not recognized by any reputable authority on medicine. There are plenty of things that trigger "pleasure hormones", shopping, playing with a puppy, masturbating, watching TV, food, exercise.

You are not chemically addicted to your own hormones. Nowhere near to the point where you are going to experience withdrawals the way a real addict would/will.

You have a habit that needs to be broken, you just need the will power to break said habit. That's it. I don't know what quack thought that video game addiction was anywhere close to that of a real addiction, but its almost insulting. There are people out there with real problems... you simply lack self control and self discipline.

Quit being such a drama queen, and say goodbye to the game for good. You said you sold your PC. Great first step! Now close your MMO-C account, and never look back.