Dannigan

Hello! Glad you're taking a couple of days to rest. Sorry about the recent events. But it sounds like you know how to take care of your body when it needs recuperation. That's something I'd like to work on myself as I tend to put too much on my plate sometimes.

Cheers, @dwalk77. :) Sounds like a nice relaxing time. Day 75...wow , keep it going strong.

Don't worry about other people's journals. I totally think you have a RICH social life...lol. That's awesome. You're always out and about, meeting new people, playing sports, (heck even going to Mass just once), and putting yourself out there. Whenever I read your journals, I feel like I'm THERE, witnessing events. Anyway, take care of yourself, get plenty of rest and such. I hope you continue journaling beyond 90 days. You life is pretty interesting.

Hey there @dannylee3782 Writing in a journal is tremendous help. You'll look back on previous entries and see how much you've grown, and you might even pick up clues as to why you might relapse, or see not-so-obvious triggers in your writing that you hadn't noticed before. It's very enlightening. As well, the feedback from others can be invaluable. You take what you need and discard the rest. Most folks here respond with very good intentions and they want to help by reaching out. That's what makes this community thrive and become strong in the long-run. That's my vision, anyhow. Good to see your commitment shine through here in your writing too. That encourages me as well. So, thank you.

Yeeeup. This sh!t is for realz. Scary af is right. And it's something I never want to experience again in relation to addiction.

Good work on the art! And over time, you'll see your sketches evolve and change. I remember reading old Garfield comics and it was remarkable how different the drawings were from the beginning to the later stages of the comic series. Another that comes to mind is Mickey Mouse. Being in that state of 'flow' is essential, I think, to creativity. It seems like there's an ease to drawing when you're in that 'flow'. I'm curious, did you feel like there was no concept of time when you were drawing? I'm looking forward to seeing more sketches!

Glad you're back! Would be cool to read about your experience with the 90 Day detox. : ) ~Dani

Don't be too hard on yourself. Yes, it's Easter Spring break. Just pick up and start again tomorrow. The good thing is that you spent the day doing other things too. : )

Haha nice to see the phrase "keystone" habit inserted in your explanation. I am reading The Power of Habit a second time now, and I remember that terminology. : ) Keep it up, you're on track. : )

Wow, you can do this! Glad to hear you're making good progress.

Welcome back, @TheCrystalLake, good to have you here I hope that journaling will be a good way for you to stick with some long-term goals. I think I relapsed because I did not keep up with journal writing or checking back with the website. This forum, its members, and journal writing has been profoundly helpful so far. It appears that you're already looking forward to a bright future. : ) I love that. It's inspirational to me. Like you, I am also single, never had a husband or kids. And like you, I'll be entering the dating scene again. Not right away, but it's something I'll be working on in the near future. I wish us both good luck and good health, and many rewards to come as we do this Detox together with others on Game Quitters. Kind regards, Dani

This is great! I think you're doing well with limiting the use of additional technology (eg. apps) which aren't really necessary to motivate you. In fact, waiting for you to 'feel' motivated is going to back-fire. You just have to 'do' the task, and then you will start to feel that motivation. Yes, I agree with you that learning something means applying it. Not just mindless repetition. Learning basic cooking techniques and recipes is a good start. You just need a foundation first. I like that you chose a cookbook that is interesting to you, not just for its recipes, but because it is Japanese. : )

Sure, Robert. I'll write something in the new thread. Thanks for your creativity with this website and for restructuring the topics so it's easily available for new people and veterans. It's very much appreciated, and I already see vast improvements. : )

Hey @thehondasc00py I actually tried the ketogenic diet a year ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. It gave me sustained energy throughout the day. I used it to regulate sugar levels as mine were marginally unhealthy and close to a pre-diabetes stage. I would like to return to the ketogenic lifestyle soon. I have an account with Diet Doctor website which is extremely helpful if you're looking for recipes. Also, I never had cravings for bad foods when I was in ketosis. Due to increasing g good fats intake. I am not vegetarian so my diet consisted of omega 3 fats from salmon, bacon, eggs, and coconut oil or the coconut meat. Overall, I was consistently energetic, slept better, and no cravings. I wonder if you can start a thread in the Lifestyles section about the benefits of ketogenic diet? Regards, Dani

That is awesome. Wow. You really faced that demon 'bullying'. Good strategy to invite him out for dinner. Plus a free meal ... hahahah. Victory!

Thanks for being honest and not fake. It takes courage to be truthful. You and @info-gatherer's journals are a great help to me, among others that I will mention throughout the course of time. It's because you guys are being real. No one's here to judge. I made my own pledge to be as candid, truthful, and raw when I write in my journal. Anyway, keep up the good work. Dani

Welcome! I hope you find this forum and its members to be helpful. Glad you are here! : )

Don't give up. Hang in there. Get out of the house and take that walk. You're at Day 71, wow!

Welcome back and glad to have you here. 15 minutes is a great window of time. And then taking a break after. It's short enough to push you to do as much as you can within that time frame. Smart thing to do! Also, I love To-Do Lists. When you see the amount of tasks that you check off, it's extremely rewarding. It's a nice visual reminder, depending on how you look at it. Some people might have the perception of, "oh I didn't finish ALL of the tasks, I failed!". Or, you can look at how many you were able to complete and reward yourself afterward. Prioritizing your To-Do list is also important. My suggestion would be to write down the 'least' favorite thing you need to do, and put it at the TOP of the list first.

Hi Zala, Welcome back. I'm glad you're here. Workinprogress made some very good points about basic things that make us happy. Sleep, spending quality time with loved ones, eating healthy, even being around nature for 20 minutes a day can lift your spirits, and exercise. It doesn't sound like you're in that mindset right now to make some healthy changes to your lifestyle. Sounds like you just want to vent and let out some steam due to recent hardships. It's okay to feel like this for a period of time. My only suggestion is to watch Cam's videos again, and perhaps find one person on this forum that you can talk to on Discord chat/voice chat. Somebody that you can trust and who is a veteran on this forum, who can give you sound advice.

Hey, that was cool how you opened up to that guy and said video games are bad for you. You never know. Maybe one day he or a friend of his might have a video game addiction, and they'll remember how you turned away from it for your own good. And I think most people respect a person who abstains from something that is unhealthy for them. It takes courage and commitment to do that. So, kudos to you. I like the title of your journal too. "90 Days of Journal". I'll read more when I have the time. Right now, I'm going to watch a movie for an hour and then get some sleep before 10:00 pm. Early day at work tomorrow. Cheers!

Hey Tycoon, I liked reading your journal. You have a lot of cool interests. Voice acting? That's awesome. In your earlier posts, you mentioned watching Netflix for a few hours, and feeling guilty about it. It's like transferring your gaming addiction to another electronic outlet: binging on movies or tv shows, or youtube. I think you are very insightful and able to catch these traps earlier on, which is a good sign of growth. You might not feel like you're growing as a person, but you are. Incrementally. : ) Keep up the good work! I'll keep up with your journal from time to time. Like you, I try to keep my online use to a minimum. Kind regards, Dan

Hey, You are not back at day 0. I think the problem with this 90 Day goal challenge, sometimes, is that when people slip up, there is too much focus on the relapse. Instead, count the total number of days that you did NOT game. What I did in the past, when I wrote my journals, was re-read my entries after a couple of weeks. It made me feel good when I read what kind of small goals I achieved because I wasn't gaming. This can give you positive feedback, especially during the times when nobody responds to your journal entries. Reflect on your progress every now and then. And remember that everyone struggles. Sometimes we're not always doing well on the outside, even though it appears that way.

Hello everyone, Finally, it's over! I just wanted to thank the following people for their continual support and invaluable feedback. Your input has not been ignored and I appreciate the help very much! @Cam Adair @Falky @WorkInProgress @Jeremias @Primmulla @Paul A @Kad @Mark @SpiNips @Merdoc_Rowboat There have been so many different changes in my life throughout the last few months that it's difficult to cover them all in just a small paragraph. The major turning point for me was during the middle of my Detox. I had one minor slip on the weekend when I logged into an MMORPG and played for about nine hours straight. After that, I realized that gaming would no longer be an option for me in my future, as it was just too addictive. After I turned my back entirely on gaming, I experienced some emotional struggles. I was going through a tough time emotionally, because without the gaming to help me cope, I was struggling to address specific stresses in my life that propelled me to game in the first place. Let me tell you, it was NOT easy. Learning new methods to cope took me a long time to create a habit. I wasn't perfect in keeping up to my goals, but I pressed on and did what I could anyway. I did all this without spending time on a single game. What did I learn about myself? Lots. 1) I learned about what types of coping skills work for me: meditation, socializing, relaxation, running, artwork, crafting, writing in a journal. 2) I learned about how to develop habits, and how to maintain them, thanks to reading the book The Power of Habit. 3) I learned how to set up achievable yet challenging goals: increasing my running time and speed, setting up an online craft store, plotting my financial goals for the next 6 months, 1 year, and then 5 year plan., setting up social events throughout the month so that I avoid isolating myself and to give me opportunity to make new potential friends. 4) I learned a little bit more about my personality: introvert, low-level energy, occasional struggles with moments/periods of social anxiety, enjoys non-competitive sports such as indoor rock-climbing, kayaking, running, hiking. dislike noisy venues, enjoys the beauty of nature, enjoys working with my hands and creating or crafting. adopted a Minimalist lifestyle. 5) I learned how to be kinder to myself, and to remind myself that I'm imperfect and yet that's entirely okay. I have a lifetime to grow as a person, and to accomplish many goals that I have listed in my personal journal. Some of my key personality traits were known to me for many years, but I didn't really observe them until recently, and how I interact with people socially at work or meeting strangers, or acquaintances. Gaming kind of led me to isolation, and it wasn't helping me socially at all. I always thought that it was easier to escape into gaming, yet in the end, I was just running away from life. I'll be moving onward from here. I have decided to continue my journal on another private site, in hopes to continue with following through with my goals and to reflect about things that I experience on a daily basis. Thanks so much, everyone, for your help, your kindness, and your awesome feedback! Over and out, Dannigan

You're welcome, Primmulla! I was worried that what I typed wouldn't help you out much, but it sounds like it did, and I am greatly relieved. Your struggle is no less than anyone else, and you never know who else struggles with the same circumstance. I don't believe anyone is ever finished with self-growth. We change over time, and we're always going to be learning about ourselves, and also other people, and how we relate to others, and how we relate to our environment. You have to do what's best for you, and I believe you're the captain of your own ship, in other words. Great to have you on this forum, your support to others (from other posts I've read) have been genuinely helpful. Sincerely, Danni