CornishGameHen

Quit Gaming Day 12 no urge to game Sleep went to bed at 3:00 a.m. yesterday, sick with flu 8 hours sleep, non-interrupted Exercise nada today, very fatigued, flu Reading newspaper - 15 minutes 15 minutes sewing manual 30 minutes The Shipping News Computer use 1 hour documentary Youtube 25 minutes sewing tutorials Youtube Hobbies 2 hours sewing - finished skirt cooked two meals for the week watered plants baked dessert - chocolate chip cookies and ginger snaps Social Activities resting day from social stuff Other Tasks vacuumed house washed dishes laundry washed and folded set up what to wear for work this week and next, matched clothing items and hung them in closet Positive Thoughts I'm grateful for the wisdom to let go the things that I cannot change

Hello my friend, Check your maibox! I sent you a message. ?

You seem like a mindful person, @awalkingcane. ? You're in tune with what your body and mind need. Seems like a nice chill-out resting day.

Quit Gaming Day 10/30 no urge to game Sleep 8.5 hours, went to bed 11:00 p.m., woke up 7:30 a.m. Exercise started 30 minute interval training at gym in the afternoon Reading finished reading five more journal articles for workplace presentation, 1.5 hours Computer use spent most of the day completing power point presentation Hobbies no time, busy with work at home Social Activities went to brother and his wife's home for dinner Positive Thoughts I am grateful for God, my friends from work, and my amazing family.

Hm. I never thought about it that way; feeling alike versus thinking alike. I don't mind people analysing their own lives that way, but it's really off-putting when it's thrown at me. It's really intense. Anyway, different strokes for different folks! Yeah I hesitate giving people advice when people don't ask for it. I see that many people just want to vent on the forums. Advice can be viewed as being told what to do. I'm also going to move my introspective writings to my private journal, along with descriptions of my social experiences.

Congratulations on one-month free of gaming! ? Glad to see another person on here who looks to the Lord for help! I can definitely relate that prayer helps me get through life's hurdles. I also attend a church, and despite it being a new place of worship, the people there have been so friendly and kind. A month ago, I went to a prayer group and it was really touching to read the prayer requests. Good on you for reducing your screen time too! And I'm wishing the best for goal to build community. That's a great way to network with other people.

Good to hear from you!! ? (((virtual hugs))) Your energy reminds me so much of my sister! I love it!!! I bet if we met in person we'd get along just fine. ? Yeah I'm doing pretty well! Life is becoming balanced again, and I'm socializing a bit more. I think I'm content with the level it's at for now. After my 30 days is up, I won't be posting anymore on this forum. So far it's been an eye-opening journey and I"m learning more about myself as I go forward. I'm glad you like reading my journal, though! I hear you about the experience on another forum. Sorry it wasn't very supportive to you. It's like, "Yeah, I know I have an addiction, Einstein. Thanks for being super empathetic." It just makes you feel like an outsider from the group.

((hugs)) Thank you so much, @Cam Adair.

Me too, @BrassWolf. I honestly don't think I fit the addict role either. I just don't have the symptoms of withdrawal. In fact, playing video games longer than two hours created some physical problems which is one of the reasons I pulled back. I had back pains and was irritable probably because of the back pain and migraines. Certain sensory stimuli affect me badly. If I were a young child playing video games, I think I'd be in that small percentage of children who would experience seizures. Anyhow, yeah I took some time off gaming to realign my life, and get back into the socializing again, plus a few hobbies. ? Anyhow, I hope you're doing well! Send me a private message if you like about your gaming moderation. I'm curious how you manage it!

@BooksandTrees I just think that you're over-analyzing. I don't have to agree with what you say. I guess I don't have a habit of responding to someone's journal with a list of questions about self-analysis. It comes across as being very intense and a lot to read. My main emphasis was asking if people related to the feelings I had. Anyway, you've been fairly supportive. And I thank you for that. If you choose to block me, that's fine. It's probably best if my disagreement causes you emotional hurt.

Look @BooksandTrees, I appreciate your response, but I don't have 'hatred' feelings. It's irritability. Please don't make a mountain into a mole hill. Thank you. And I think you're reading too much into it too.

When you have a public journal, you open yourself up to responses that you're not accustomed to. The reality is that it's the internet. It's basically a free-for-all. The really weird thing I've observed is the psycho-analyzing that pops up. I know people mean well, and are trying to help, but it often comes across as being too intense. At least that's my perspective. I'm not holding that against anyone. I think the best thing I can do is to ignore it, or respond with a polite 'thank you'. I'll never figure out why people tend to do this. Most of the time people just want others to relate. ?

@Demogoblin2 I totally hear and understand what you mean, Demogoblin2. I remember reading another person's post that reading the forums can be emotionally frustrating sometimes, because so many people are experiencing ups and downs with gaming addiction. Also, it's a lot of work to sit down and write what we're thinking or feeling. Then on top of that, it can turn into a novel. Some people do best by speaking to a counselor for support, rather than reading a forum or writing a journal. Totally okay. ? If moderation and scheduling works for you, then that's a great thing. ?

I was smiling from ear to ear whilst reading this, @awalkingcane. You did all the hard work, and it apparently paid off! It's good to feel proud of yourself! Well done!

Good to read the previous post, @BooksandTrees. I wish you a great journey forwards. ? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Signature: Hello, I am a casual gamer who still enjoys video games. I do not have an addiction, but I did have to stop playing video games to reassess my life. I'm happily creating a somewhat balanced lifestyle which will still include gaming on occasion. But this time I'm focusing on my social needs outside of the realm of computer technology. I hope this does not discourage people who are addicted. We are all here to improve our own well-being, to challenge ourselves, and to live a life that we desire to have. I am doing a 30-day withdrawal from video games and am keeping a journal on GQ too. Much peace to you all, and blessings! Love Cornish. ?

I had a nice time with my two coworkers last night. We went across the border to do some shopping at a craft store, had dinner at a restaurant, and headed over to a nearby casino. This is the type of group I don't mind hanging out with. It's a small gathering, unlike a large group wherein I'd feel completely zoned out due to too much going on at once. It's like being at work; there is a busyness or a buzzing atmosphere that doesn't seem to stop. Whereas if I'm with a smaller group of people, two to three at the max, it just feels more intimate and relaxed. The car ride was a good opportunity to talk about other things besides work. We were all just excited to 'get away' for a while from the daily grind. They shared a few things with me about their lives which struck me as a surprise. You don't really know people until they confide in you about personal troubles. I sat and listened, didn't give too much advice. I think that's all they really needed, was somebody that would listen and not barge in on their venting. I totally understood and nodded when needed. So after the car ride, we got out and went to a craft and home decoration store. It was cool. Never been there before. We didn't spend too much time there, probably about twenty minutes to get some basic Halloween and Christmas decorations. I love craft stores. They give me so much inspiration. I didn't spend much at all. I bought a yard of fabric for a Christmas gift project, and...yup, another ball of fingering yarn to make a shawl! In total, it came to about sixteen dollars. This year, I've really curtailed my shopping and only buy things that I would really need. Especially in craft stores; it's so easy to go wild with spending. So, sixteen dollars spent wasn't gonna break the bank! After the brief shopping break, we went to a restaurant, and chatted some more as we ate our food. Good times. ? Then we jetted off to the local casino. No offense to those who frequent casinos, but I could not stand it. This part of the night wasn't too pleasant for me, in regards to sensory input. Dang, there was so much second-hand smoke. Everything reeked of smoke. I swear, my throat was so dry and my voice became raspy. I was gagging for air, and had to step outside every so often despite it being cold and rainy. The music was loud, and it was packed. I decided to be a good sport and play a few slot machines. It was a constant battle to find any source of tolerance to the smoky air, the noise inside, a dry throat, and dry eyes. I felt like a walking dried-up cigarette butt. Fast forward to SIX hours later! My coworkers were still gambling somewhere in the casino, and I had just lost a chunk of $70 that I dared to put into those damn machines! Never again. Heck, $70 could have paid for my gas, plus a carton of milk, eggs, cheese, and meat. Dang! This was not fun at all. I approached my coworkers one at a time, as they were on different slot machines. But I swear, they had this dazed look in their eyes. Man, slot machines are like video-games on steroids! This is one addiction I NEVER want to have. You're freakin' throwing your money away!! So, after freakin' six hours in that place, we finally left. I came home with $130 from a small win, and my coworkers left with nada. I didn't bother asking them how much money they spent, but I'm pretty sure it was enough to create another wrinkle on their foreheads. They certainly didn't look happy, and the long car ride home was rather quiet. After all, it was like 3:55 A.M. in the MORNING, by the time we left the dang place! Never again. I will never go to a casino. It's the pit of HELL. So, they dropped me home, and I thanked them for the invite. I said, "Hey maybe next time we can all go see a movie?". They both nodded and laughed. The long-time gambler said, "Hon, I coulda seen twenty movies with what I spent in the casino, so yeah sure!". And that was that! ? Anyway, I'm looking forward to finishing my sewing project today, and knitting as I watch a movie, or listen to an audio-book. I totally need my solitary down-time after yesterday's social gathering. Thank God for the weekend!!!!! Blessings to you all, and keep up the good fight. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Signature: Hello, I am a casual gamer who still enjoys video games. I do not have an addiction, but I did have to stop playing video games to reassess my life. I'm happily creating a somewhat balanced lifestyle which will still include gaming on occasion. But this time I'm focusing on my social needs outside of the realm of computer technology. I hope this does not discourage people who are addicted. We are all here to improve our own well-being, to challenge ourselves, and to live a life that we desire to have. I am doing a 30-day withdrawal from video games and am keeping a journal on GQ too. Much peace to you all, and blessings! ?

Quit Gaming Day 8 no urge to game still miss my online gaming friends, however Sleep went to sleep at 12:30 a.m. woke up at 7:30 a.m. 7 hours sleep Exercise nada Reading reviewed journal articles related to my work, have to do a presentation next week read for about 20 minutes Computer use worked from home this morning to complete a project that I'll be presenting at work next week 1 hour researching journal articles online, used my association's journal database Hobbies no time Social Activities Will be going to a casino tonight with two coworkers, I'll post later about the event. Other Activities Positive Thoughts I'm grateful for sleep. Random Thoughts I wish I had more time to write, but I've got to get going. Today I had to visit a client in the community for follow-up, so I was able to jet back home and do some charting. I always feel frazzled on Fridays because I'm in and out of the office, driving to clients' homes, and then back at the office in the afternoon. I'm looking forward to socializing with my coworkers tonight. I'm not a gambler at all, and they wanted to go to a casino. I'm wincing right now just imagining how much money they'll throw into those machines. One of my coworkers has been gambling for many years, whereas the other coworker and I are pretty 'green' at it. That's not an activity that I'd like to pursue in my future. I'm going because I get along with them at work, and we haven't hung out at all outside of the workplace environment. Maybe next time, I'll invite them over for dinner to watch a movie, or something. Anyway, I gotta go! I'll post more about tonight's events tomorrow. Blessings to you all in your road to success!

@Adminiculum I haven't met anyone who hasn't compared their lives with someone else's. I think it's a human thing to do. One thing that helped me was to write down my accomplishments. It may help boost your self-esteem and also self-confidence. . When you start realizing that you are moving forward in achieving goals, you focus less on comparing yourself with other people.

Yup, it's okay to ignore the negative posts if it makes you feel frustrated! Or take a break from this forum for a while. Lots of people are fluctuating between highs and lows of recovery from addiction. So, it's natural that people will write about negative thoughts. It's therapeutic. I'm sorry you feel overwhelmed at times. But you seem to know yourself well, and can step away from it.

@BooksandTrees. I admire that you are out there dating, to be honest. Whether you choose the online method or meeting women in a natural environment. I haven't been on a date in seven years. The last date I had, well, it was rather weird. All he did was talk about his truck! lol. My last two boyfriends I met in a natural environment; school. My workplace is 90% female, and either I'm not attracted to my male coworkers, or they are already in a relationship. Pickings are pretty slim! lol So, I'm contemplating about what to do to improve my chances at finding a life partner. First things first, though. I pretty much had to pull myself out of my home-body shell, and get accustomed to socializing again. That's the main foundation. I hope to continue down this path, and eventually start dating again.

You're right. If you look at the bigger picture, you achieved something that night. Got outside the apartment. Check. Went to a social atmosphere. Check. Socialized, engaged in an interesting conversation. Check. Despite a few negative thoughts, you endured them and continued to socialize. Check. And most importantly, you did not game. That's a success, in my humble opinion, and another step gained moving forwards. ?

@awalkingcane..Ah..I didn't know the girl was already sitting with her group of friends. That does throw a wrench into the social dynamic.

@awalkingcane I must apologize. I didn't mean to sound so harsh. I think I just felt so disappointed for you. Rejection is hard to take for anyone, even people who don't cope with social anxiety. I didn't mean to sound insensitive. ? Can you imagine, though, if we didn't try at least once, to reach out to somebody, we'd die with regret. That is for sure. I never forgot the rejection I felt when I admitted I had feelings for someone, but that person didn't reciprocate. It hurts. The cliche is that 'life goes on'. I don't regret what I did because if I didn't do that, I'd never know. In a way, it was a relief too. I could learn to let it go, and move on. Don't let those opportunities pass you by. P.S. McD's fries rock. Addictive and somewhat greasy, but whatever. And it's great that you stepped outside your apartment to socialize. ? I agree with what Cam said about getting out of our comfort zone. I understand your thought patterns too. I also battle social anxiety. Take care.

@awalkingcane. That's poignant. ? Dude, why didn't you make conversation with the gal beside you? Look, 50/50 chance that you'll strike up a good conversation with somebody who's attractive. If you don't attempt anything, you will never know the outcome. And to be honest, you seem to have a really good 'wit'. That's attractive. Please don't let those opportunities pass you by. If you see that girl again, offer to buy her a drink, introduce yourself, and ask, "So, how has your day been?". Gosh, I wish guys would do this more often. Just go up and talk to us girls, like normal people.

@BooksandTrees, Much appreciated. I'll write more later. Sleep awaits.