BF2S Forums Addiction to Computer Gaming

Hey man, I used to be pretty addicted to gaming as well. I can't say I was quite as addicted as you were but nonetheless. I'd get home on Friday (parents didn't let me play games on weekdays), load up BF2, play till 10 or 11, go to bed, then repeat Saturday and Sunday.

I did this from maybe Freshman year to the start of my Junior year (high school). It somewhat affected me academically, and it certainly affected me physically. I became weak, slightly fat, didn't have a lot of friends, all because I wanted the points. I think I can say I was addicted... mentally. I don't think games can cause an actual physical addiction.

I had so-so social skills... I had a few friends but I lost connection with some of them. I sucked at interacting with girls, mainly ones I was infatuated with.

But a month or two ago, I decided enough was enough. I was sick of being weak, sick of having not much social interaction, sick of not having those ladies skills that everyone else seems to be fuckin born with.

So I joined a gym, and decided... to just be myself. And I think I can say it's been working. I ended up making friends with these two guys who are /b/tards, became better friends with a few folks, and I'm getting to know some other people as well. I decided to take off my mask if you will and let myself out. There are still times when I put on that mask, when I still think "Oh, they'll just think what I say is stupid." But I figure... if they think I'm stupid so what?! I'm gonna be out of this place and in college in 1.5 years and probably never see them again!

Going to the gym has also helped, a lot. Not only do I tend to feel more energetic, but I also feel more confident. I walk with a straighter pose, I'm getting stronger and bigger, and it just feels great to finish a workout and feel like you've done something.

I still game, not quite so much though. I DO still sit on the computer way more than I should. I STILL don't go out that often with friends (a lot of the friends I've made aren't social butterflies either, go figure... like attracts like). But I feel better about myself, and I feel that I can achieve my goals. Be it getting into a decent college, joining the military, getting girls or friends.

You need to set little things for yourself, to "earn your keep." Like I said, joining a gym might be nice. When you play games you won't feel like you're just sitting there all the time.

Ask yourself, do you WANT to make it in life? Do you WANT to have a secure job and be able to move out? Do you WANT to be able to play games? Do you WANT to get closer to friends? If you want to, you can do it. Wake up each morning and tell yourself, "I am going to TAFE and I'm going to study my ass off. Then I'll do some exercise, and play some games if I've got the time." If you are MOTIVATED to get somewhere, you will get it. You seem like a very bright person, and it would be a shame for a smart mind to go to waste. GET that degree, play your games, chill with your friends. You will make it.

d4rkph03n1x wrote:

The reason that girls are so low on this list is because I don’t think that I could commit to a relationship, and I don’t feel like I’m able to face a girl. By that I mean I don’t want to have to converse and flatter and bullshit like I see my mates do. I know I could, it’s just I couldn’t be fucked for some reason.

It's a good idea not to rush with girls; they can make you, but also break you and you'll be thrown into your addiction again very easily.

a simple way to fix your problem: get off the computer altogether (minus important stuff like email). seriously, do it you'll save yourself money and time. you can buy a car without a computer, people have been doing it for decades.

d4rkph03n1x wrote:

Wall of text

That post has inspired me to spill my guts. Ive just eaten tea, so forgive me if theres some mangled peas amongst it.

Jokes aside, in all honestly, thats quite similar to me actually, except:
a) Im older
b) Didnt go down the road of foster care/getting kicked out
c) Never done drugs

Firstly, Ive always been shy and find it hard to talk to people who arent friends. Ive never had a problem making friends, but Ive found it hard to make that first step. I got bullied twice at school, but I got both instances sorted out, and wasnt afraid to do so. Im quite judgemental on first appearances (chav/goth, etc), accents (Brummie scum ) and all the rest of it. And girls? Well, even harder. Real petty shit really, but there you go.
Ever since I was young, computers have played a role in my life. I can remember my dad buying an Amstrad and us setting up Prince of Persia and our first PC coming with Doom2 on 8 floppy disks. Although I barely touched them as I had a good social life with friends around my area and at school. Even when I got a PS, I was fine. I think what did it, was playing C&C round a friends house on the PC. I loved that game so much, I went out and bought Red Alert. I remember having to clear 50Mb of hard-disk space to play it.
Although me and another friend played it pretty much every weekend, saturday and sunday, for a whole year, I barely touched it, or a PC/console during the week. Well, except coursework and chatting on MSN.
What happened after that, is that all the kids who lived in my street, who Id grown up with on the same street for 5-10 years, all moved away within the space of 3 years. 10 families, 13 friends. Some stayed local(ish), others went to different areas of the country. Which meant, for the first time in my life, I had to rely more on friends from school. Which I did rather well, but getting a lift to my best mate who lives 10 miles away never seemed popular with my parents, despite getting on with him fine.

I actually found that when I finished school and 6th form, I had like 13 weeks til September. The previous summer, we all went down the wreck (20min walk) and played footie all day, every day. For some reason, this years summer, I didnt want to do anything, but my next door neighbour (who introduced me to C&C) had just got broadband and SOF2. So we played that a hell of a lot over the summer online, inbetween interviews for jobs, which I eventually got. As a CAD technician of all things. We played that game a hell of a lot, me more than him because I always want to be the best, so I put a lot more time in as it takes me longer to pick up things like that.

Anyway, I remember one night, a few of the lads and me went downtown, we were sat in a pub when some kid came up to me and threatened to kick the shit into me because I was "staring at his (male) cousin". Firstly, I wasnt. Secondly, im not gay. Thirdly, I was not even facing in that direction. Because I live in a smallish town (~10000), I knew him and who his cousin was. Thing was, I knew he was the kind of person who beat people for no reason other than a quick thought running through his mind. Bar that, I enjoyed the evening. The more Ive thought about it since then, the more I believe its had a knock-on effect to my life and confidence in going out, because even with my friends around, I felt seriously threatened. I think that has been a deciding factor in the way Ive led my life to date, from that evening.

Anyway, I got bored of SOF2 after a while, and with my best mate moving to New Zealand for a year, I was pretty much screwed. But I stayed with SOF2 for the clan, as they were a great bunch of people from all over the world. With 100 members, the forums were just as active as these believe it or not. Anyway, not long after my mate returned from NZ, my mum passed away, and although I could talk about it with (family) friends, Ive never been able to with anybody else. Including my best friends, and worst of all, they only asked once, which shook me up as I was wanting to talk about it, but its such a depressing subject that I didnt want to break down the tone of the evening. I am past that grieving stage now, it was 2.5years ago, although I dont think you can ever get over such a big loss - especially as Ive always been closer to mum than my dad (opposite for my brother). But my gaming addiction took a turn for the worse at that point, as it was the only place I could go to bury myself in something and think about nothing else, but using that AK-74 and nades on mp_col1.
Because I was bored of SOF2, I got into CSS not long after its official release. Played that for a year, got bored of it and planned on giving up gaming for good, both for my own sanity and because being a CAD technician, well, you can guess. Unfortunatly, from that POV, I found BF2 in Feb '06 thanks to a clanmate who had been bugging me about getting it since its release. And, since then, Ive been unable to give it up: still play BF2 to this day, and occasionally other games too.

Despite all the gaming, and it is on the decrease, I have a much better social life now and focus moreso on me and being social, but its not what it should be for someone whos nearly 23. I have turned down nights out on numerous occasions for a night in playing BF2, the latter of which being the BF2 Stats match, which Ive vowed to be the last time.
Im getting there, and whereas I used to be quite shy at work to the point where Id worry about moving around the office, I now stand about, have a joke and speak up over people to have a laugh with someone on the desk whos sat 10m away. Thats mostly thanks to the people there, which has boosted my confidence, especially after my loss. Certainly as of late, Im enjoying myself more so than I have since I left school 5 years ago this summer.
But I feel as if Ive definitly lost a lot due to gaming, both socially and physically, even mentally. Although in some respects, its made my mental mind better. Ive always been able to stop playing a game for some rest, or a break.

No matter what people say, its an addiction just like drugs, smoking, alcohol, or anything else: its just that its not (properly) recognised. Although I think it will soon, especially with the state of the WoW community. I know former clanmates who play that game for 10-18 hours a day - and thats after theyve finished school or work, or on the weekend. I know im far from being the worst, but im definitly worse than the average.
Personally, I think its also a lot to do with the clans and the communities, such as here, that keep it going. Because if it wasnt for BF2s, my old SOF2/CSS clan: #SFS#, I highly doubt Id still be gaming, or at least, on a much less regular basis. Id be just like those people who, after 3 years of BF2, are only at 2ndLt and know nothing of BF2s/BF2stats, etc etc.

Basically, its a shit social life (for numerous reasons), bullying, access to a PC and a game...and it goes from there. Unfortunatly, its up to the individual as to how dedicated they become, how involved they get and whether they can recognise what it is they are doing. Being a CAD technician, due to all the gaming, I am now seriously concerned about things such as RSI developing later on in life. And its my own fault. Its not that I havent had enough warnings, its just that I havent found anything else to replicate the enjoyment I get out of gaming, and being able to interact with people from all over the world. People like RDMC and Behemoth from BF2s, and lots of others from my past clan are just funny as fuck, crazy people and I have a great laugh with them, and own people hard. And its that part that I dont want to give up.

Last edited by Snake (2008-03-25 13:23:43)

I have no idea how you could get addicted to Runescape...  now Crysis is a different story....

d4rkph03n1x

Get a job in construction. Doing stuff with your hands (no, not in the privacy of your room) is much more satisfying then getting that next virtual level, and stay away from the internet cafes. I usually go to one like what...once a year? And then only if old college buddies are meeting up. They drain money like a madman.

Last edited by unnamednewbie13 (2008-03-26 03:25:20)

I think that everyone here has been addicited to games at one point in their life?

For me, it started when we got our first computer ever, some crappy 386 and I was introduced to a littel game named Civilization. I literally played that game 8 hours a day. Then came Duke3d (I cannot remember how much time I spent on it), then Simcity, Tribes, Diablo2, SWG (I hate MMO's now due to this game) and BF2. I graduated high school in 2000 and have spent nearly a decade addicted. I moved in with my mom and had a nearly minimal wage job I worked, then came home and played D2, for 4 years straight.

I finally got sick and tired of my life. Of seeing everything pass me by and not having the ability to get what I wanted (girls, hot hot girls). Though I was fat when I graduated HS, I had lost weight due to working so much, so I decided to finally hit the gym and get some sort of a physique. I became more social and met more girls. I eventually met my wife, got married and we had a baby. He's now 11 months old and makes me the proudest dad in the world. I wouldn't change any of it for anything.

One step I found that works... sell your computer and get a crappy laptop for just surfing the net. Problem solved.

Turquoise wrote:

I have no idea how you could get addicted to Runescape...  now Crysis is a different story....

Doh!

That's my current addiction... they should not have included a great editor with it (the Sandbox 2 editor), and then released a SDK as well. I can't stop modding or changing it. Everything I don't like - I change. I've been editing the single player campaign seemingly endlessly - I can't stop!!! I see something that looks like shit and "I must... I...," o' crap anal retentive OCD kicking in now - "I must change that." (Anybody who knows me - knows details bother me - exceedingly!)

You guys all seem to realise its ruining your lives, its an addiction. As they say - realisation is the first step.

You need to stop dead with the games - the sooner you do it the sooner you'll realise how easy it is to do.
No - I'll just play 20 mins before I go to sleep - we know where this goes.
You guys need to save and study NOW.
If you need a break get out and do a sport, or just walk around, develop some social skills however painful it is.

I went through it all, when you're tired, depressed, bored of studying its easy to go for that endorphin fix you get from games.
You get into an addicted/depressive/hopeless/whats the point of working cycle with no apparent exit.
Sub-Battle, Wolfenstein, Hellcats Over the Pacific on a Mac LC 4/80 I remember them well.

Just stop the cycle, wipe the games, break the discs, erase your players.
You won't have lost anything, trust me.
When you've finished your studies, got a job - whatever, there will be a game out 10x better than you're playing now -  and you'll be able to afford it and a decent PC.

Two degrees, four Senior Engineer jobs later I can tell you its worthwhile to knuckle down early, painful though it was, and I left it late enough
Now I play 1-2 hrs a week, if that. And BF2 is way better than Doom 1.0

Endorphins are released for a lot of reasons, not just consumption of chocolate.
The thrill of speed, competing, winning - its all there.
How exactly does gaming give you pleasure? Why do we do it? It all boils down to brain chemistry.

Maybe someone who knows more about this can fill out the discussion.
(BTW I am prepared to volunteer for the chocolate trial)

Dilbert_X wrote:

Endorphins are released for a lot of reasons, not just consumption of chocolate.
The thrill of speed, competing, winning - its all there.
How exactly does gaming give you pleasure? Why do we do it? It all boils down to brain chemistry.

Maybe someone who knows more about this can fill out the discussion.
(BTW I am prepared to volunteer for the chocolate trial)

doing something you enjoy releases serotonin

Maybe you should try out different activities you can do within your desktop, for example Photoshop. Well, I have the same problem, I still have this gaming in my blood, I can't avoid it for some reason. But I try to replace it with GFX, which is working pretty good at the moment. I'm not thinking about playing any games for the next few months or even years, but BF3 may change it

You're not the only one having problems with girls, maybe I will never get used to them, although I can be sure that I'm not gay. You know, some people for example me, are just to shy to actually talk to a girl when she's making a sign during class or parties. There's nothing to worry about, that's your nature and there's nothing wrong about it. But the earth is big, you'll eventually find a partner who is able to understand you, it's just a matter of time.

If you like to play games, then just do it. We all live once, not twice, it's better to enjoy being alive rather than living a life which you're not the owner of your behaviours. Get a job, have your fun and let it be. Life isn't that complicated imo, people just make it up.

But in the end, it's your choice. I'm only 17, maybe not old enough to say these things to an older guy, but maybe you can filter some good or useful aspects out of my crappy English text (sorry not my mother language) and use it for your own good.

I hope I helped,