Hey all! I'm Joel and I'm a video game addict. I was born and raised in Houston, TX. I currently live in Colorado Springs, CO.
I've been meaning to do this for quite some time! I quit about half a year ago and relapsed 131 days ago for 1 week. That leaves me 124 days sober as of today.
I started gaming at the age of 4. I suffer from ADD, so gaming was really the only way to stay focused for long periods of time. I would go to school and feel so different because my mind was always wondering. This didn't stop me from excelling as a gymnast and martial artist (two more things that I could actually focus on). My friendships all revolved around gaming and sports... so pretty normal childhood.
High school came and went. College came and I would stay in my dorm room playing CS instead of going to class. Between gaming and joining a frat, it took 1 semester to get on scholastic probation and 1.5 years to get dismissed.
I worked for a year and went back to school determined to succeed. Ended up graduating magna cum laude and moving on into the professional career. Now I could afford all of the gaming luxuries and instant gratification that I desired.
Logging years of gaming hours wasn't the only thing that was wasted. I blew countless thousands of dollars on WoW, Diablo 3, Hearthstone, Path of Exile, Clash of Clans, Boom Beach, and Game of War.
It was Jan of this year where I was staring at the purchase transaction screen and had enough. All games were deleted from my computer, iPad and iPhone. I had to stop for myself. I didn't want to lose my fiance (now wife!). It was then that I prioritized my happiness over my gaming.
My wife is no stranger to addiction as she's a recovering alcoholic that's been sober for 12 years. She's been an amazing source of inspiration and knowledge throughout. She knows that I improve for me and has been as patient as anybody could humanly be.
Today, I've turned my living and working spaces into a sanctuary away from addictions the best that I can. I started taking ADD medication in April and it's been a life changer. I've picked up cooking as a serious hobby. My martial arts training consists of playing capoeira and I plan on training some boxing. I'm working hard to repair the financial harm that I caused in the past and setting up good habits for the future. I am about to start studying for the GMAT to go back to school for a masters in applied statistics.
Introduction - Joel aka FrankDux
in Start Here & Introduction
Posted · Edited by FrankDux
Hey all! I'm Joel and I'm a video game addict. I was born and raised in Houston, TX. I currently live in Colorado Springs, CO.
I've been meaning to do this for quite some time! I quit about half a year ago and relapsed 131 days ago for 1 week. That leaves me 124 days sober as of today.
I started gaming at the age of 4. I suffer from ADD, so gaming was really the only way to stay focused for long periods of time. I would go to school and feel so different because my mind was always wondering. This didn't stop me from excelling as a gymnast and martial artist (two more things that I could actually focus on). My friendships all revolved around gaming and sports... so pretty normal childhood.
High school came and went. College came and I would stay in my dorm room playing CS instead of going to class. Between gaming and joining a frat, it took 1 semester to get on scholastic probation and 1.5 years to get dismissed.
I worked for a year and went back to school determined to succeed. Ended up graduating magna cum laude and moving on into the professional career. Now I could afford all of the gaming luxuries and instant gratification that I desired.
Logging years of gaming hours wasn't the only thing that was wasted. I blew countless thousands of dollars on WoW, Diablo 3, Hearthstone, Path of Exile, Clash of Clans, Boom Beach, and Game of War.
It was Jan of this year where I was staring at the purchase transaction screen and had enough. All games were deleted from my computer, iPad and iPhone. I had to stop for myself. I didn't want to lose my fiance (now wife!). It was then that I prioritized my happiness over my gaming.
My wife is no stranger to addiction as she's a recovering alcoholic that's been sober for 12 years. She's been an amazing source of inspiration and knowledge throughout. She knows that I improve for me and has been as patient as anybody could humanly be.
Today, I've turned my living and working spaces into a sanctuary away from addictions the best that I can. I started taking ADD medication in April and it's been a life changer. I've picked up cooking as a serious hobby. My martial arts training consists of playing capoeira and I plan on training some boxing. I'm working hard to repair the financial harm that I caused in the past and setting up good habits for the future. I am about to start studying for the GMAT to go back to school for a masters in applied statistics.
So that's my story! See y'all in the forums!
Joel