Kim

Yeah I am definitly one of thous "should" people. I am currently working out what I really really want in life for myself, not be external demand and than I just cut out everything that does not fulfil that narrative.

In can relate for the escape part. I have huge fear of failure (starting something new where I am not good at) that is why I have a hard time starting new things I am not yet good at. I feel judged from the get go.

What I learned so far after finishing my 90 day detox: +No more cravings for games +Much less moodiness and anger out of nowhere +More introspection and learning about myself and my goals/dreams But there is also a shadow side which makes me quite unhappy, because I guess I hoped, quitting games will solve all my problems. - I am not productive at all. Youtube/Reddit and other now run the show more than before. Procrastination has actually gone up - I still can't sit still and focus on my goals My need for stimulus is so strong, I just replaced gaming with other entertainment. - "Lost" some friends that only connected through gaming This is revealing stuff and it hurts, but I guess better late than never. I am pretty sure I don't have ADHD, judging by test results, I am just very very undisciplined and my goals are vague and I have not much self compassion if any. I tried a dopamine detox but after 3 days I could not take it anymore. I am currently looking at ways too clarify my goals and get more structure into my life but my impulse control... is not there. Anyone having experienced the same? TL:DR: Quitting games have me positive effects but it did not solve my core problem, not even close.

Late to the party, but I was addicted to HotS as well, 33 years old, currently gaming in moderation. You can write me if you want.

Hey mate, greetings from Germany. Good Job at taking the first job, this will not be an easy journey but you acknowledged you're addiction and try to move on - that's great. I know the feeling of missing out and I am also stuck at the computer (I am an artist). Deciding to seperate play from work was an important step for me when I deinstalled everything from the computer. The feeling of missing out and regret is some of the worst there is. Don't try to beat yourself up but also look into the future. It is easy to suffer the pain of discipline than the one of regret for sure. But I also want to say - I did parties, drugs, travel and stuff as well when i was "young" (i am 33 now) and know I lean towards a bit more honest to the "Nerd" Side of life. I play Magic as well, love fantasy movies, games etc - its ok we are in 2020 don't try to be someone you are not. Could you manage to find some goals for yourself? By the way lot of psychologist suggest not picking goals (which can be failed - starting the cycle of feeling bad about yourself) but rather improve your life from day to day on the actions you take (like drawing, going to the gym etc) So start building strong habits instead of saying "I am going to loose 20 kg of weight in 3 months"* Good luck on your journey, hit me up when you are in doubt, we can also talk german.

Thanks for the reply! Yeah I used to read a lot of non fictional books, but now it is hard to start because of the non-reward. I will try to categorize my dopamine activities as well and give them a limit. Sticking to the limit is another thing though..!

Hello to the Community. I just quite playing WoW. I was never a full neckbeard WoW Addict or anything, just a normal dude who likes fantasy games after work from time to time. I actually played quite casually when it comes to time. But I still have so many urges to lock in to see whats up or use the WoW App Companion or sneak in another Mythic run. Also noticed that I spent quite some time browsing Guides or Forums on top of the Gaming itself. I developed cognitive dissonanz in that I think WoW is a 'losers game' and i really don't like the stereotypes associated with the game, while still not changing my behaviour. So i deinstalled, which was hard because I have 2 friends from my hometown and we tend to play in a group together from time to time and it is a great experience to reconnect with these friends, which is now lost for now. Could not bring myself to delete my account of all the time/money/memories invested into different Blizzard Games and Characters. Always have the feeling that moderation is possible, than i fall back into it after 6 months. Wanna be better this time. My problem and the cause of writing: I tend to replace Wow with the next best thing. It does not even have to be games. Can be youtube videos, internet articles, more harmless non multiplayer games on a console or anything else to keep the Dopamine Flowing and my brain constantly distracted. My problem is not Games it self but constant distraction through all kinds of Media. I have trouble sitting still for a minute. New hobbies are daunting because they don't give dopamine (in the beginning) and I have trouble getting into Flow. Does anyone have some help for that? It is tough to compete with that constant flow of dopamine. Thank you for your time.