Catherine17

Hey! 150 days without the games is quite the number, you should know that if you went through this once, you would be able to go through it again. Try to see it as a reminder that video games are addictive but you can beat the addiction

@Brian, @Cam Adair Thank you for the greeting! @Ph0enix, thanks) I was learning how to drive at that time and it took a lot of energy and concentration, so I made this my commitment. When I faced a lot of problems and decided to take a break from driving, I relapsed almost instantly.

Day 1/90 Today was a really busy day. Now I realise that I didn't even think about video games, because I was concentrated on other things. I feel exhausted but it was worth it. A couple of days ago I decided to take 'a dumb action' and make a change in my life. I heard my fellow student complaining about her language studies. After the class I approached her and offered my help. And now I am tutor and today we had the first class! This was a new experience for me and I really hope I am suitable for the job. I know the subject quite well, but learning is one thing and teaching is another. I had doubts, of course, but then I asked myself: "How could you gain the experience without doing something?" I started reading a new book (Madame Bovary by Flaubert). This semester we study French, German and Scandinavian literature (and I also applied for the course in modernist novels), so there will be a lot of reading. However, when I got home from university I wasted too much time on social media instead of working on my term paper:(( I had some thoughts on the social media to share but now I am way too sleepy for that. Perhaps tomorrow.

Hey! My name is Catherine and as many of you I've been addicted to video games for many years. I started to play games when I was 5 and it took me 15 years to decide that I'm going to quit.Better late than never, right? At first it was just an innocent hobby, a topic for me to discuss with my friends. Then it turned slowly into a passion and became an important part of my identity. I have played practically everything in terms of game genres. Fortunately, online games weren't my thing, they are way more addictive. Of course, games are designed to attract players and make them stay but for me it was all about people. It was all about one person, to be more precise. I entered the university and started to consider the opportunity to quit gaming (I didn't call it an addiction back then, I just wanted to have more time for myself and my future projects). I've met a girl who was a passionate gamer just like me.In fact she was even more passionate, she kept talking about it, sending me screenshots and letsplays. She lived in another country and we talked on social media. And she was online 24/7. Imagine the disaster. I am just not used to communicate that much but I didn't want to hurt her feelings and be rude. That sounds really silly and sometimes I think I am to blame for whatever trouble my brain got into. When I was tired of talking to her I switched on video games and vice versa. It is hard for me to be multi-tasking, so I couldn't concentrate on my studies while spending time listening to her. The university simply didn't fit in that scheme. I know that it was my choice to continue that relationship, but she was a nice person and I really wanted to have a close friend. But one day I decided to stop being nice (and stupid) and ended this toxic mess of a relationship. Though I still think whether we could be friends without gaming. It was harder to get to normal life than I've expected. It's easy to pick up an addictive habit but it's difficult to get rid of one. Last year I tried to go through a detox, but failed twice - the first time at 23rd day and the second at 56th day. Games cause dopamine rush and make us crave for more. In a way we are lucky not to have more. The technologies are not that advanced yet to substitute reality and each day we have only 24 hours. Last month I went on a binge and spent all my days playing. Suddenly I realised that it stopped being fun. It became almost painful and turned into 'a must'. Every day felt the same, every day felt the game. I needed it while I understood that I wasn't satisfied with any gaming experience I could go through. If addicts deceive their brains by giving them this artificial reality, then my own brain is tired of being deceived that way. I want to get back on track, reclaim my identity. I am fond of reading and writing, but I haven't done this recently. I also love studying languages and translating. I hope to concentrate on my studies and self-development instead of wasting my time while surfing the internet or playing games. I hope I could do that. Best wishes to everyone!)