gaming - passion or addiction?

[Zorgen]

It certainley used to be an addiction for me. When I was going to school all I ever wanted to do was game, I would skip school to go home and game, I would cancel plans with friends and family, I even quit my part time job because it was getting in the way of my gaming.

Recently, in the past two or three years, since I've been working full time, I've become a much more casual gamer. I work all day, and go to the gym after work about 3 days a week, I try to see my girlfriend the other two days. My weekends I'm usually out doing groceries, shopping, running errands, and also either at the gym or with my girlfriend.

I do find time for gaming on a mostly daily basis. Some days I'm too tired when I get home and I just watch some TV, other days I play about 1-3 hours, either WoW or some other game, recently I've been playing the new Hitman.

All this to say, it's a passion, which is why I'll always enjoy gaming, but it doesn't come before the more important things in life, so it's not an addiction.

[Seirith]

If you do gaming at the cost of your social life, family, friends, work, and your own health, then it's an addiction plain and simple.

What if you do not want a social life? I am a very social person, I can talk to people in class or at work, on the street or at the store yet my only friends are my husband and parents. I had friends in HS but after graduation we all parted ways and went to college all over the world. I also had friends in college but again after graduation we parted ways, not on bad terms or anything but life took us on different paths. I dislike what many people get together to do which is drink and party, go to bars or clubs etc. I am much happier at home with my husband playing a game, watching tv or going to the park. I am not addicted to gaming or TV yet when my coworkers or classmates ask if I want to "go out" I always say no.

[MrHappy]

why not hobby?

[Poppasan]

It can be an addiction but for me it's not. I work out 5 hours a week, I eat healthy, I have stable social connections and I play games on my off-time. Really, like everything in life, all in moderation.

[Destruktion]

Anybody who has ever played EverQuest knows that gaming can and does cross into territory beyond 'hobby' and 'passion.'

[Army Dreamer]

Just a game.

[Korgoth]

As long as you keep up with work/school/sleep/eating/family/ and don't go broke, its just a passion. When you are broke alone and giving out handjobs for some net cafe time, then you are addicted.

[Lilija]

If it helps,

I'm not a very social person
I don't have friends
I don't know anything or anyone
I grew up lonely and only thing there for me were games


So yeah my life is fucked. But the thing is, people are quick to think that gaming ruined my life. No one stops to think, hey, there are many other things going on here. I wish I had friends I could go out with and a gf, who doesn't.

I am not social though and that's just how I grew up. Changing something you grew up as/with is NOT easy. Just like asking my family gaming is normal now days they don't believe it. If I'm told to go out and socialise it's not gonna be done just like that.

At this point, addiction or not i don't care. When ever I'm playing I feel at ease and all the stress flows away and well, gaming is pretty much all I have.

This is what I was talking about. Having problems in life and having gaming to ease the stress isn't an addiction. A game cannot make a person unsocialize - this comes from something much deeper.

I've been thru very harsh time few years ago and there was a point when WoW was the only reason I even got up from bed. I did unsocalize with the outside world but to be honest it was always kinda forced for me as I have felt better alone long before I even had a PC. It happened that I had a depression episode caused by something completly unrealed to gaming. In fact gaming kinda saved me there because it was my window and eventually I've even found people to talk with who encouraged me to seak profession help. Yes, WoW saved my life.

That experience also tought me listening to my own needs. There is no proper model to be happy. You don't have to be social or have tons of people around you if you don't feel comfortable with it. You don't have to follow main stream dreams if it doesn't feel right.

All the best wishes to you. Hope you find YOUR best way to live your life

[Maxilian]

Well i think it MAY be an addiction, it depends on how you control yourself..., my parents (my dad) though i was addicted to games when i was a child, but now he say i'm addicted with the computer (well he keep saying i'm addicted to game but now he only say that when i'm on vacation... because well you know... i can't be out all the day with my friends)

[Lilija]

What if you do not want a social life? I am a very social person, I can talk to people in class or at work, on the street or at the store yet my only friends are my husband and parents. I had friends in HS but after graduation we all parted ways and went to college all over the world. I also had friends in college but again after graduation we parted ways, not on bad terms or anything but life took us on different paths. I dislike what many people get together to do which is drink and party, go to bars or clubs etc. I am much happier at home with my husband playing a game, watching tv or going to the park. I am not addicted to gaming or TV yet when my coworkers or classmates ask if I want to "go out" I always say no.

Exactly this.

I wonder why noone says that people are addicted to going to bars and parties but will put an addiction label on gaming. In fact even if I drink with friends I prefer to do it at home because after alkohol I get sleepy pretty fast and enjoy the comfort of being able to go to sleep at any given moment without having to travel.

[Keny]

Both , Plus a Low social life helps people stay on their chairs :O

[yurano]

If family/friends are performing an intervention, its probably an addiction.

[Lilija]

If family/friends are performing an intervention, its probably an addiction.

I can assure you it's most likely not as friends and family can have bad perspective. What is or isn't an addiction can't be decided by friends and family.

[Depravitty]

T.V entertainment or addiction. Reading entertaining or addiction?

People that don't enjoy the same things as you will always try to judge you for it, they spend their time watching T.v or doing whatever they find enjoyable, and you spend it playing games.

[Sorrior]

Off and on addiction. My others are anime and human contact...Yes i go through classic withdrawal symptoms and crave a social "fix" when i don't get enough.


I have an addictive personality so much so i've gotten used to it LOL.

[MovieMom]

I find it so fascinating that so many different ideas are shared here. We really all have different experiences, and none of them are wrong, they are just unique to each of you.

I came to this site looking for answers for my son...but it seems no one knows for sure. so I'll just share. He is 16 and it seems to be addicted. the withdrawal symptoms are anger, violence, inability to concentrate on anything else and an never ending begging to have his game back. he is very passionate about the game, COD is his major favorite. He feels empowered and happy when he is gaming with friends. He feels like he is getting somewhere, and he wants to play professionally, but none of his friends like the same games, so he is depressed about this.

His grades are bad, but before gaming, he was a A B student...now he had 2 D's on his report, and C's. He can't balance...he is unable to put the schoolwork first. He says he can't concentrate on the work until he's played a game, and the game never ends. His father is beside himself. I have mixed emotions about it. He loves it, it brings him such pleasure and joy, but at the same time, it's affecting his school work. We have been trying to find a solution for 2 years now...he has big plans to enter the Air force Academy in Colorado, but if he can't shake this thing, he is doomed. His GPA must be high. He had an idea that he can be like SeaNanners...he dreams of having millions of people watching his games on youtube. He is super smart, funny and an awesome kid, but I just can't get through to him. So, it's both a passion and an addiction from where I am sitting. If we take the game away, he goes into a violent rage and threatens suicide...but he has no mental illness. If we give the game back, he can't stay off of it. Recently he agreed to attending a meditation course, that might help him discover things deep inside himself...that is this coming weekend...I am hoping it helps him find balance.

It leads me to wonder if he really doesn't want to join the AFA, perhaps this is his way of getting out of it, but when asked, he is not sure. Perhaps he is just a confused kid in a world that doesn't understand gaming. If I let him do it his way, and the gaming world doesn't accept him, what then? I wish I knew how to deal with it. for now, I am accepting his passion, but trying to remind him of the importance of his grades...His Dad continues to take the game away, and we have choas in the house...it's a crappy way to live, but it is what it is, until we all come to agreement.

infracted - thread necro

[Crissi]

3 year old thread

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