I do not believe I am a video game addict, but I have been in the past and certain games are addicting. I searched for how to quit gaming and saw GameQuitters channel and website and watched Cam Adair's videos. I am doing this more for experimentation to see what my life would be like without gaming, so far I have only had 3 cravings and I am 72 days in. After this I plan on reflecting of those days and see what I can change with my relationship to gaming. Cam said that cravings are worst at the beginning, but I am feeling like my cravings have increased (over the past 3 days). Over the past 3 days I have experience a constant crave, almost, I noticed being outside and exercising greatly reduced my cravings to basically none, so I might do that If I want to endure 18 more days.
I have done some research and I've basically concluded that gaming is a waste of time if you are not having fun, even then its debatable, since it is an illusion. I was hoping that working on my website and podcast I would become passionate and entertained by it, but I have not. I feel my "higher purpose" is to work on my website and podcast, which might explain why I want to go back to gaming. Another reflection so far is that without games, time seems to slow down, not to a grinding halt, but it is noticeably slower. I noticed that I do not stay up as late or sleep later either, which was never a great problem, but I would much rather go to sleep and wake the same time and get 8-9 hours of sleep instead of 6-7 hours and have various sleeping and awaking times.
Another reason is that I have family vacation the day after my 90 days and I do want to go and have plans to but, all I have for gaming is a laptop that can run civ 5 on lowest settings. I am afraid I might go into a binge and do nothing but game all vacation, but I do not believe I will because during family vacation I am usually the person who finds things for the family to do, because I would get bored sitting in the hotel room all day long with nothing but a laptop and smartphone to play games on. The vacation is only 5 days and It's a 7 hour and 30 minute drive there, so I want to game because I enjoy gaming on road trips. I could watch videos on my phone, but the screen is small and the audio is bad, and I can't download the video to my hard drive, which I do for every video. I also like sightseeing, but the roads from Florida to South Carolina are boring unless you are on the coast, in my opinion.
Two games also come out, Greedfall and Borderlands 2, Greedfall I do not have much interest in so I can easily wait, but it looks like a good game. Borderlands 2 is something I am certainly interested in, my friends will probably want me to play it, which is why I have set myself as invisible on discord and steam.
I have OCD (clinically diagnosed) so I do feel an urge to complete a game, likely because of the urge to complete something and finish what I have started and the sunken cost fallacy has made me game more than I wish. I still think frequently about all the games I'm going to complete when I end the detox. I have done some research on delayed gratification and how successful people delay gratification. I am also using this experiment to build up my discipline, which I can use in others areas in my life and to keep doing the good habits I am doing. I do not indulge outside of gaming basically at all. I have a strict and healthy diet and no alcohol or drugs.
I still wonder why 90 days. Is it because it sounds nice and it is 3 (30 day) months and 1/4 a year, I wonder. I have heard this as a magical number for detox from gaming and porn, but why? I haven't found studies to suggestion why, I seems to be a made up number. I would greatly appreciate if someone could link to some info and studies on this.