Some suggestions?

Alright. So, regardless of whether you agree with me about the existence of "video game addiction," I think I suffer from it as an addiction. I'm not looking for an argument, but rather suggestions. I have found that the unreasonable amount of time I spend gaming severely impacts my quality of life. Let me perfectly clear, I do not blame video games! In fact I love video games! I think it has more to do with an addictive personality. But I'm rambling at this point.

This is what I need from the community:

I've spent so long using gaming as my sole means of relaxation. What other ways do you guys relax, beyond the obvious answers of reading or watching T.V. Essentially, what are your hobbies? What defines you? Right now I have a professional identity, but my personal identity has come to be defined by my gaming. I need to find myself, and could use some ideas.

Anything is up for game. So yeah...if this post made any sense. Some suggestions on what I can do as alternative to gaming would be much appreciated!

First of all, shoot the Xbox! Or at least put it away out of sight. You'll have a much harder time kicking the habit if it's sitting right there tempting you with sidelong glances. You could even sell it and apply the proceeds to your soon-to-be-determined Exciting New Endeavor.

Just off hand, I would suggest that your best bet might be some sort of active activity, something that does not involve melting your retinas with hyperactive pixels or wearing out the seat of your britches on a couch. Are there any sports you have enjoyed in the past? Something individual like running or cycling seems most appropriate for someone with social anxiety, but team sports could work too, if you're up for it. Contra dancing is a blast, but it does up the social, so maybe, maybe not. How about something less strenuous, like yoga or just going for a walk?

I've recently redeveloped an interest in woodswalking—because hiking sounds too rigorous, and rigorous, at this point, would literally kill me—something I enjoyed a great deal in my younger days. Camera, binoculars, notebook, staff, trees, birds, bears, and stuff. Fresh air. Nature. Haven't made it out the door yet, but at least it's an idea, and nobody ever got anywhere without one of those. Maybe you could try that, too.

Ultimately, it's up to you to figure out what you like or may like to do. Try looking at sites like Meetup.com for a few more ideas. You don't necessarily have to join a group to engage in the activity. A lot of what I've seen there could be done just as well or better on an individual basis. Good luck! :thumbup:

Those are some awesome suggestions! Unfortunately, it's my computer that's the temptation, not the consoles. As I need my computer is necessary for work, the temptation is always there, potentially. I've removed all games from my computer, and I've deleted all my "progress" at gaming sites as to deter me from returning to them.

I'll see if I can find some tennis partners I think. Thanks for the suggestions!

I would suggest a 'work first, leisure later' sort of rule, where the bigger portion of your day is spent working on yourself or anything else that's productive for your own life and others'. Hobbies, volunteer work, helping around the house, grocery shopping, interacting with your parents and other loved ones, etc. As dinner time approaches, you feel more confident and self-accepting, and you can then use gaming as a reward for the good deeds you did throughout the day.

Sacrament said:

I would suggest a 'work first, leisure later' sort of rule, where the bigger portion of your day is spent working on yourself or anything else that's productive for your own life and others'. Hobbies, volunteer work, helping around the house, grocery shopping, interacting with your parents and other loved ones, etc. As dinner time approaches, you feel more confident and self-accepting, and you can then use gaming as a reward for the good deeds you did throughout the day.

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This is how I used to feel, but it's not just a matter of getting in the way of work. Gaming has been getting in the way of the general things I need for survival, including, but not limited to eating and sleeping. It would be one thing if it were only getting in the way of work, but my addiction to it has lowered my overall quality of life. It sounds so unbelievably stupid, and a year ago, I would have to fight the urge to mock someone else claiming what I'm claiming, but it's true. I need to give them up entirely. Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm past the point where I can play them in moderation.

zharl said:

Alright. So, regardless of whether you agree with me about the existence of "video game addiction," I think I suffer from it as an addiction. I'm not looking for an argument, but rather suggestions. I have found that the unreasonable amount of time I spend gaming severely impacts my quality of life. Let me perfectly clear, I do not blame video games! In fact I love video games! I think it has more to do with an addictive personality. But I'm rambling at this point.

This is what I need from the community:

I've spent so long using gaming as my sole means of relaxation. What other ways do you guys relax, beyond the obvious answers of reading or watching T.V. Essentially, what are your hobbies? What defines you? Right now I have a professional identity, but my personal identity has come to be defined by my gaming. I need to find myself, and could use some ideas.

Anything is up for game. So yeah...if this post made any sense. Some suggestions on what I can do as alternative to gaming would be much appreciated!

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My hobbies? Gardening. Cooking. Photography. Writing gaming material. Gardening and cooking tie in together really well, as it happens.

Aquariums. That's another hobby that is fulfilling. Really anything involving living things and growth, especially entire living systems. I don't have the time to keep aquariums anymore myself but the lily pond counts for something I think. It does have fish and frogs in it after all.

I love gaming myself, but while you do so you should always bear in mind this statement:

"Do the math: How much of your time is spent consuming things other people made (TV, music, video games, websites) versus making your own? Only one of those adds to your value as a human being."

It's from a most excellent article from cracked, found here.

I don't think a good hobby needs to add to your value to other people, but I think it's important to try to produce rather than simply consuming. If a man adds nothing to the universe and only consumes, then what is he? What will the sum of his life be once he's dead?

zharl said:

This is how I used to feel, but it's not just a matter of getting in the way of work. Gaming has been getting in the way of the general things I need for survival, including, but not limited to eating and sleeping. It would be one thing if it were only getting in the way of work, but my addiction to it has lowered my overall quality of life. It sounds so unbelievably stupid, and a year ago, I would have to fight the urge to mock someone else claiming what I'm claiming, but it's true. I need to give them up entirely. Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm past the point where I can play them in moderation.

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^ I agree that the "in moderation" does not work for many people with an addiction. From my own experience, it is kind of like a form of psychological torture.
I myself am currently trying to learn all I can about photography to distract my mind.
While it is not working yet, I am determined to keep with it. Whatever new hobby you choose, don't give up if you have times of regression, many people suffer this and I believe the key is to not give up trying different processes or ideas to fight your addiction. Good luck. :thumbup:

Blogging, writing, running, photography, botany, birdwatching, beachcombing, bushwalking, sleeping. I am active on the internet with photo and writing sites. E zines, forums, photo sharing.

I don't see anything wrong with gaming - so long as its not consuming ALL your spare time. Mentally and physically it's just not good for you.
Those that say 'gaming is evil!!!' usually are of the older generations and basically are closed minded. Sort of like when rock n roll was considered the devils music... But gaming today has evolved into great story telling where you can be the central character who gets to make the decisions.

I love my games (looking forward to fallout 4!) but I make sure I mix things up.
Some things I like to do are;

Exercising
weight training
Hiking
Fishing
Riding bikes
Playing the drums
Travelling
Watching movies.

I make sure I mix things up so that when I get back to gaming, I enjoy it more

zharl said:

This is how I used to feel, but it's not just a matter of getting in the way of work. Gaming has been getting in the way of the general things I need for survival, including, but not limited to eating and sleeping. It would be one thing if it were only getting in the way of work, but my addiction to it has lowered my overall quality of life. It sounds so unbelievably stupid, and a year ago, I would have to fight the urge to mock someone else claiming what I'm claiming, but it's true. I need to give them up entirely. Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm past the point where I can play them in moderation.

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I would imagine that this is also why recovering heroin addicts don't reward themselves with a little heroin after a day of not doing heroin. I guess that for some people that's not as obvious as it seems. :idontknow:

I've found exercise can do a lot to both take your mind off of these things, work off the frustration/restlessness that goes hand in hand with quitting an addiction, and make you feel like you've accomplished something. Don't worry about getting six pack abs or whatever, just do whatever you can and try to keep doing better, and also make sure you have the eye of the tiger (the most important thing).

With something like watching TV/a movie, where you just sit and are passively entertained/bored, it's way too easy for your mind to wander... and reading requires concentration you won't necessarily have because you're going to feel restless.

PugofCrydee said:

I don't see anything wrong with gaming - so long as its not consuming ALL your spare time. Mentally and physically it's just not good for you.
Those that say 'gaming is evil!!!' usually are of the older generations and basically are closed minded. Sort of like when rock n roll was considered the devils music... But gaming today has evolved into great story telling where you can be the central character who gets to make the decisions.

I love my games (looking forward to fallout 4!) but I make sure I mix things up.
Some things I like to do are;

Exercising
weight training
Hiking
Fishing
Riding bikes
Playing the drums
Travelling
Watching movies.

I make sure I mix things up so that when I get back to gaming, I enjoy it more

Click to expand...

As I said at the beginning, I enjoy video games quite a bit, but the fact of the matter is that they were consuming all of my spare time and then some. I agree with your description of games as a new and exciting medium of storytelling and it is really difficult to give them up as a result. I do not think games are evil, far from it. I don't think games are good or evil. The problem lies in the human playing the games in this case--in other words, me.

It has to do with my brain chemistry. I don't think I can trust myself to regulate, and I'm not even considering regulation as an option. I need to give them up, at least right now. Maybe in the future, if I find that I can use video games responsibly, I'll return to them, but I certainly cannot do that now. And that most definitely is not in the near future.

I think a slow reduction leading towards giving a habit is the way to go. I don't think going cold turkey will work for most addictions. Perhaps your addiction is similar to a gambling addiction, like poker machines. There could be some on line advice on how to kick such addictions.

Kiwong said:

I think a slow reduction leading towards giving a habit is the way to go. I don't think going cold turkey will work for most addictions. Perhaps your addiction is similar to a gambling addiction, like poker machines. There could be some on line advice on how to kick such addictions.

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Well, so far things are working alright...

I'm worried about regressing, but so far cold-turkey seems to have been the way to go. I've had much more time to get my work done, and I'm actually sleeping. Those are some pretty big perks.

zharl said:

Well, so far things are working alright...

I'm worried about regressing, but so far cold-turkey seems to have been the way to go. I've had much more time to get my work done, and I'm actually sleeping. Those are some pretty big perks.

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Good luck with. I am addicted to caffeine, cold turkey didn't work for me. Longest I lasted was 3 months.

Kiwong said:

Good luck with. I am addicted to caffeine, cold turkey didn't work for me. Longest I lasted was 3 months.

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That's good to know. If it doesn't work--it feels like it is--I'll definitely return to the drawing board and try a more gradual approach.

zharl said:

As I said at the beginning, I enjoy video games quite a bit, but the fact of the matter is that they were consuming all of my spare time and then some. I agree with your description of games as a new and exciting medium of storytelling and it is really difficult to give them up as a result. I do not think games are evil, far from it. I don't think games are good or evil. The problem lies in the human playing the games in this case--in other words, me.

It has to do with my brain chemistry. I don't think I can trust myself to regulate, and I'm not even considering regulation as an option. I need to give them up, at least right now. Maybe in the future, if I find that I can use video games responsibly, I'll return to them, but I certainly cannot do that now. And that most definitely is not in the near future.

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The best thing is you can step back and look at yourself and acknowledge 'hey, I think I have a problem here'. That in itself is a major step to beating an addiction.
I agree it has to do with brain chemistry, it also has to do with a persons individual psyche. Eg; you may subconsciously feel there is something lacking from your life and try to fill that something with things that make you feel better. Thats generally where a lot of addictions start, no matter what the addiction is - gaming, chocolate, drugs, cigarettes, alcohol just to name a few..

There was an interesting study some years ago where there were two lots of rats in separate enclosures. One lot was given a clean, fun healthy and stimulating environment and were fed a good diet. The other lot a boring environment, unhealthy food, little stimulation. Both were given full access to a water feeder with heroin in it.

The rats in the bad enclosure all fed from the heroin drip and became addicted. The rats in the better environment all tried the heroin but stopped tasting from it. The good enclosure had its stimulating environment changed and the rats started to feed from the heroin. The rats where allowed to feed for some weeks until they became fully addicted.

Then their environment was changed back to a healthy, stimulating one and all of the rats soon stopped feeding from the drug. They became healthy rats again.

The study was reversed in the poor enclosure and the addicted rats all stopped feeding from the drug and had completely stopped within a short period of time once they were in a healthy, positive and stimulating environment. They all fed and became addicted again once their poor environment was reintroduced.

This was an interesting study I think

PugofCrydee said:

The best thing is you can step back and look at yourself and acknowledge 'hey, I think I have a problem here'. That in itself is a major step to beating an addiction.
I agree it has to do with brain chemistry, it also has to do with a persons individual psyche. Eg; you may subconsciously feel there is something lacking from your life and try to fill that something with things that make you feel better. Thats generally where a lot of addictions start, no matter what the addiction is - gaming, chocolate, drugs, cigarettes, alcohol just to name a few..

There was an interesting study some years ago where there were two lots of rats in separate enclosures. One lot was given a clean, fun healthy and stimulating environment and were fed a good diet. The other lot a boring environment, unhealthy food, little stimulation. Both were given full access to a water feeder with heroin in it.

The rats in the bad enclosure all fed from the heroin drip and became addicted. The rats in the better environment all tried the heroin but stopped tasting from it. The good enclosure had its stimulating environment changed and the rats started to feed from the heroin. The rats where allowed to feed for some weeks until they became fully addicted.

Then their environment was changed back to a healthy, stimulating one and all of the rats soon stopped feeding from the drug. They became healthy rats again.

The study was reversed in the poor enclosure and the addicted rats all stopped feeding from the drug and had completely stopped within a short period of time once they were in a healthy, positive and stimulating environment. They all fed and became addicted again once their poor environment was reintroduced.

This was an interesting study I think

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Yup! Pretty famous study. I've heard it a lot in my psych classes.

PugofCrydee said:

There was an interesting study some years ago where there were two lots of rats in separate enclosures.

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I'm not a psychiatrist or anything but maybe the rats who lived in a poor quality environment were forced to worry about their survival, which caused them to focus more on their short-term needs than their long-term ones.

I've always thought that addiction was mostly about short-term impulses overriding one's ability to focus on the long-term.

I quit smoking cold turkey by focusing on what would probably happen to me in ten years if I kept going (I honestly thought I would be dead, or at least very very sick)... and every time I was tempted to have one I told myself that if I gave into temptation I would have wasted all of the time up to that point. It's one thing to waste a few days, but when you're facing months or years of progress, it becomes unthinkable. When I started running/exercising, there was simply no way in hell I could ever go back to having a smoker's energy level ever again.

It was also after that when I started investing long-term and realized that instead of panic-selling when you lose thousands of dollars in a day, it's a better idea to calm down and buy more so when the price goes back up you'll have made a profit. Of course, it's easy to tell yourself that this is obvious but when you actually SEE that kind of loss and everyone is talking about a major crash, a recession, a depression, etc.... it's a lot harder to resist the temptation to get out of the markets completely. But of course, if you stay the course and use your head, you'll come out on top while others lose everything. Anyone who bought safe blue chip stocks in 2009 is probably doing very well for themselves at the moment.

In fact, I often wonder if training your mind to focus on long-term goals is the key to improving your overall quality of life.

How do you exist in a non-addictive inducing healthy stimulating environment when the human world we live in is predominantly dystopian?

I currently have no life, haha. I find myself constantly procrastinating and doing my homework at the last minute. That's a bad habit for university student. Anyways, I used to exercise a lot, but I stop doing that since there are a lot of people at my university gym and it makes me feel anxious. I spend most of my time on my iphone now a days mostly playing games.