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Just Checking in, Day 9) I feel maybe a little better, but no overall difference in mood. In large part i believe to the increased workload of school. I should be back on top of it in a week or so. concurrently quitting porn hasn't actually been that hard so far. Video game urges started in strong the last couple days. Thankfully being busy helped avoid them, but I teetered pretty close to playing a few times. #justmadeit

Day 5) I uninstalled steam yesterday, and I also unistalled warframe. I left diablo III on the xbox one, becuase it isn't a big draw for me as I only play it on occasion and only with my girlfriend. I'm gonna start the 90 day detox and complete the survey now!

Day 2) Slight relapse, then realized what I was doing and stopped. I realized that the candle doesnt burn from both ends, and when I have things to accomplish I'm only taking away from the time i could spend with my friends and doing other activities that i enjoy that are actually productive.

Thanks Cam, I appreciate the encouraging response. It is hard to share that kind of stuff. Day 1 in the books, ate dinner, posted on gamequitters and yourbrainrebalanced, and gonna shower and go to bed.

I relapsed in a big way guys. I'm kind of embarrassed. I played a lot of rocket league, did really well at the game, and then felt bad because I realized that 1) That skill was useless and I wasn't even playing my friends and 2) I relapsed into gaming. I got kind of embarrassed and felt bad because I was doing well. I definitely felt strong urges to watch porn while I was playing the games, some of which I couldn't resist. I came out of it every time with my brain in a haze, like it was fried through. I know that regardless of my future with games, I need to detox. My relationship with them is very bad right now, and they seem to be tied in with pornography for me. I want to start again, and I hope to post more regularly, about 3 times a week. I am going to be really busy, now working 40 hours a week and taking 8 credits of classwork, as well as 3 1.5 hour workouts a week. Its a good time for me to reboot i think, because honestly I wont be home much and I'm the most tempted when I'm home alone. I feel ashamed of gaming when my girlfriend gets home. I could go on forever, but here's to a second try. I wan't the urge to end, and to be the person I know I can be.

1/10/2016 Day 15) Its amazing how much time is available in the day when I dont play games. It seems like I can get so much more done, and it really feels good and also helps me feel more connected with the people around me after being unplugged for a day. I have been off the forum for a 8 days, but partially because I havent been using electronics as much. Its new, I'm still getting used to it, but I think its better.

1/2/2016, Day 7) I realize now a part of playing games or mindless browsing for me has to do with my back pain. I use it as a distraction to self medicate when it is bothering me, looking to be "pulled out" of my body. I used this self awareness just now to stop gaming and go stretch instead, so I can get on with what I want to accomplish for the day. Keeping this online journal has kept me accountable and focused so far, so even though I've been slipping up I have been learning a lot about my habit.

That is so much the truth. Those three things take the most of my time and enjoyment out of my life. They all feed into each other. Without them, I will have time to get all I want done in a day, keep up with my friends and sleep well.

Hycniejsy, I appreciate you following my journal, getting any feedback is great support. I think I may mention porn in this journal in the future briefly because for me the addiction is related to the artificial stimulation of gaming and mindless browsing. I will keep the main focus on gaming. Day 3) Today was a good day. I was spending time with a good friend as I am home more unexpectedly as the airlines sort out their craziness. We went to the gym, had a talk about his life and how things are going (he is still struggling to find his way career wise, living at home), ate lunch and went to a shopping outlet and had good talks on the way. I enjoyed the time a lot. I realized after the fact that i enjoyed this days experiences much more than gaming, or even than co operative gaming when it becomes excessive. We built a snowman yesterday with his sister, which actually was a ton of fun. That experience will stick with me much more than any game of rocket league or raid in WoW ever could. Getting over an illness, I wanted to go to bed and get some extra sleep, but i spent some time watching useless youtube videos... unfortuantely this is part of the process, but I want to recognize it here that I am not happy about it, nor did i derive much pleasure from it. To a better tomorrow. Letting that part of me die is going to be difficult.

Mindless browsing goes hand in hand with gaming for me. I look for mastery in gaming, but i look for stimulation through it as well, which is what i get through browsing and porn as well. I definitely am with you. Day 3) Played video game with friend Co-op. Got the urge to play after he left, played 2 5 minute matches, then quit. I realized I was sacrificing valuable sleep time. You can't burn the candle at both ends...its the same candle. Games are a waste of time, especially by myself. It takes away from my being able to enjoy my limited time home with my friends and family.

Day 1) Thank you for your reply. I definitely need to make a conscious shift away from placing personal value on my gaming ability. I also know a big co-factor in my success will be stopping internet browsing for no reason. I know it is a go to replacement behavior, and I find it even less enjoyable than gaming but I do it out of habit. I'm gonna log off and spend time with my family today, stick to my guns from the start!

I'm doing well, home on vacation for now! Thanks for the replies!

Hello all! Let me say two things to start: 1) Cam I love what you are doing here, and you struck a chord with me in your TEDx talk. Your sincerity and attentiveness to this community you have built here is impressive. 2) Aforementioned community, you guys are awesome. Seeing this forum and reading a few things here and there has helped me have the courage to actually follow through with starting a journal, because it seems genuinely welcoming and helpful. As an upfront summary, I have these bad habits: Eating just to eat, Youtube/facebook mindless browsing, Video Games, Porn and I want to replace them with these rewarding habits: Sleep, organizing social events, crossfit, cooking and planning all meals for the week, keeping up with friends I may touch on the other topics a bit to talk about any interplay between the bad habits being erased, but I will focus on the gaming and mindless browsing here. I know that games have had a negative impact on my life, and they are, along with heaving prior porn use, a huge reason why i was shy and introverted as a high school student even while being the basketball MVP and 1st team all conference and valedictorian. It is part of the reason I didn't attend a school to play basketball, which I will always regret. It was a behavior that started out social, and fun. When I was 12 or so I played only with friends, and we interacted throughout the play time. But as we got older and more experienced with games, we practiced on our own, we had our on systems and only interacted online. We stopped having fun and started using it as a measuring stick for our self worth. How good at PVP in WoW you were was as important as how strong you were... if not more. It sickens me to think how much better i could have been without them in my life as a high school student. They plagued me throughout college as well. I had many distractions, but i remember being uncomfortable freshman year and playing Warcraft III frozen throne custom games night after night. If i had to screw around I could have at least gone out at partied for pete's sake! Games and Netflix, show watching, all controlled my schedule, caused me to miss far to many classes, and hindered my physical development which I am actually really passionate about. I now live with my girfriend in Dallas, and I am trying to get into PT school. By all accounts, my life isn't off track. But I know that I have only scratched the surface. I know that gaming by myself makes me unhappy, and I know that I need to change. I achieve my ideal physique, connect with friends old and new, and reach out and explore life in Dallas, and get enough sleep! I think I can do it! You guys here have shown me you are active and involved, and I appreciate any comments on my journal as I starting it. The hardest part about this is letting go of and getting rid of a part of me. Its a bad part, to be sure, but Its a part nonetheless. That's why the support is so important. Thanks for reading!

Ok, thanks for your advice. If i can keep in under control, I will allow it in my life, because co operative games for me can be a social event on occasion. I know that games are getting a hold of me when two things happen. 1) I take too much personal pride in my performance, and feel I need to prove myself through it. 2) When I play games even though it isnt fun.

Hello all. I have been doing better with cutting back on my gaming, but I have a real question about co op gaming. Do you all think occasional couch co op like madden with my buddy, or diablo III with my girlfriend, or co op rocket league with friends are ok on occasion? I personally feel very different when I'm playing games with people, in person, interacting with them, being near them. It is a whole different experience from solo or online gaming. What are ya'll's opinions on the matter?

Thanks Jaylajkosz, those are good videos for sure. I gotta say, just getting so many responses makes me think I might be able to actually do this and improve my life.

Wow first of all, thank you all for responding to my post and for the support. I am pleasantly surprised at the thoughtfulness of your responses. Koretho, wookeishark88, and AlexTheGrape i appreciate your posts. I know about yourbrainonporn.com, and I like the website. I am handling some issues there that I may post about here later. I'm glad to hear that the drive fades, because it is honestly so difficult to start when the next day all i can think about is watching another trailer for fallout 4, or thinking of buying the witcher, or getting my computer fixed to play rocket league... It is a major boost to get your responses. Thanks for welcoming me into the community!

Thanks Cam. I've been wanting to quit for a while now, and I want to get involved in helping grow the community if I can. I think there are a lot of people who want help, or who will want it in the future.

Hello Game Quitter Community! I am a 24 year old male from Wisconsin, USA. I currently live in Dallas, TX with my girlfriend of 3 1/2 years. I just want to get this post on the forums, so I may not get the whole story out in just one post. I started gaming with one of my best childhood friends when he had a N64. I didn't even play most of the time, I would go over and watch him play. But it was social, and I liked it. We went on to play all sorts of games together, and another friend of mine joined in. We played basketball games, football games, halo, call of duty, warcraft II, III, and World of Warcraft. We were all also very active athletes, and great in school. I feel like gaming and staying up late really affected my sport of basketball, and even so I finish my career as team MVP, 1st team all conference, and scored 26 points in a game against the eventual state champs. Ever since then I feel I have been trying to recreate the social bond games gave me, unsuccessfully. Without boring everyone, it will suffice to say that games have become progressively more and more hurtful to my psyche. I wish I hadn't gamed at all. I will play games and keep playing even though I hate the game and its boring and I get extreme anxiety while playing. If i ever manage to stop, I will mindlessly browse youtube for hours on end, or even worse look at porn. I am addicted to screens, and its already taken so much from me. I know it affected my mood and self worth in high school, and I wanted to finish what i was doing to get back to gaming. What i really love is competing, and playing sports. I have applied to 2 physical therapy schools and am finish my 3rd application up. My life isnt in shambles, but I feel like I'm missing out on so much. I really want to stop, but it is extremely difficult when the TV, computer, and phone are all so easy to access. My girlfriend loves to play skyrim in her free time, and watch netflix. I get caught up even watching her game or watching hours of netflix. Anyways, I'm here to try. I welcome boredom. I have so much i want to do, and things i want to try. This isn't a matter of lack of alternatives, but breaking my addictive behavior patterns. Thank you