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Hey everyone, I’m Kevin. For most of my life, gaming wasn’t just entertainment — it was my escape, my identity, and the only thing that helped me survive some very dark years. I struggled with depression, addiction, isolation, and losing people who mattered to me. Gaming kept me alive when nothing else did. But today, I’m not in that place anymore. Over the past few years I’ve rebuilt my life from the ground up: the gym, discipline, routines, finishing school, reading, learning to code, quitting weed and alcohol, and learning how to actually live again. I’m proud of how far I’ve come — but gaming is the last addiction I haven’t fully conquered. That’s why I’m here. I don’t want my life to revolve around a screen anymore. I want my time, my focus, my energy back. After watching one of Cam’s videos, a simple question hit me: What happens if I finally let gaming go completely? I’m here to find out. There’s a long history behind my relationship with gaming — addiction, depression, and slowly rebuilding myself. If sharing parts of it can help someone here, I’m happy to do that. And if some of you can help me stay accountable along the way, I’d really appreciate it. I’m not here as a victim — I’m here because I’m choosing to grow. I’m looking forward to walking this path together with you. – Kevin -
Hello, I'm introducing myself on this forum for a very simple reason. I want to quit the "hobby" that has consumed almost 90% of my life - gaming. I'm 26 years old, and I have been playing since I was 3. I began with a gameboy color, pikachu edition, and the game I had was pokémon Yellow. During those first years, gaming was just a hobby among others, and actually helped me learn English and how to read. English is not my first language, but funnily enough I began reading in English, not in my mother tongue, because the game was in English, and my childhood brain decided that learning English was a small price to pay in order to play the game. Perhaps, right from the beginning, there were signs I was going to be an addict (Additionally, my father and paternal grandfather were gambling addicts, so the genetics were definitely there). Other hobbies I had at the time included playing in the park, and reading books (learning to read early due to gaming made me a precocious reader). As you probably guessed by now, my relationship with gaming did not remain controlled like it was in my early childhood. My father, a recovering addict, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and unfortunately that vulnerability made him return to gambling, and the person I loved the most in the world, a man that did not just help my biological parents raise me (my parents were over the age of 40 when they had me, and a couple that was their friend, who had no children of their own, offered their assistance in raising me), and ended up being the most important person in my life. That person had a stroke when I was 9, and died suddenly. The loss of my best friend, in addition to my father's illness, and the beginning of adoleescence, spelled disaster. And disaster occurred. It was not a sudden change, but slowly, gradually, gaming began consuming me. My school grades, the top of my class, began to suffer, my social interactions with friends and family began to suffer, and my mental health began to suffer, while my gaming hours increased. From 5th grade to the first years of university, the situation worsened until I almost took my own life. I realized that I had to stop. At the time, the game I played the most was not Skyrim. Skyrim was 2nd place, with the undisputed king and ruler of my life being League of Legends. In 2020, I deleted my original League account, and although I had many setbacks since then, I haven't played league in over a year now, the longest I've been without it since I began playing in late 2013 (This marked an intensification of my mental health decline). However, in more recent times, I've been falling back to playing Skyrim, and another game called Kingdoms of Amalur. I began playing those games before League, and while League vastly overshadowed them from 2013 to 2020, they gradually took the crown from League. A few months ago, I created a new steam account, and only played three games in it - Kingdoms, Skyrim and Morrowind - all open-world RPGs, that allow me to pretend to be someone else, in a different, magical world, where I am the undisputed hero, a God among lesser beings. That account is queued for deletion (although I did send an email to recover it, I did not cancel the deletion), but that did not stop me. I downloaded a copy of SKyrim, and played that copy for tens of hours already in the last weeks, and that needs to stop. I'm currently working in Cybersecurity, specifically in the GRC field, and I want to improve my skills so I can find a better job. Concurrently, I am finishing my master's degree in Computer Science and Management. I entered college in 2017, meaning that I have been in tertiary education for 9 years next year, when I'm expected to finish my master's (I am already a year late, because I failed a class and I still need to deliver my Thesis). I am tired of using games as an escape, and I really want to be free from universities, and I want to build my knowledge in my field, allowing me to move abroad, and get a relatively high income. I've been free from games for relatively high periods since 2020 - 3 months, 7 months and 9 months, my PR, but it is not enough. I want to be free permanently, and I want to fully enjoy my life while I still can. I have three main goals right now: Finish my master's Move abroad with a well paying job Find a girlfriend (as a result of my gaming addiction and deteriorating mental health, I never dated) And I want to replace gaming with: Reading and Writing (I like to read books, and I eventually want to write a book) Going on Walks and lift weights Study Cybersecurity Find and listen to new music (I would like to learn how to play an instrument, but it is not a priority right now) I already have a journal in the stop gaming discord server, but I think I will transfer it to this forum. This concludes my introduction. For those that read it until the end, thank you for your attention. -
I realized today that in the Jack Dempsey book championship boxing. He said alcohol and cigarettes and late nights out weren’t considered bad. They weren’t scientifically researched then. He felt in his gut they weren’t good for him so he abstained. What I wonder is, are video games the same way? Are video games much like deep fried food and alcohol. Actually bad for people in ANY amount? Recent research indicates alcohol and deep fried food are bad for your health in any amount. Video games definitely have an overall harmful effect on me. Social media is something that also distracts, makes me lazy. But also makes me work harder sometimes so it’s maybe a neutral effect I am not sure. Maybe a slight negative is social media tbh. Detox is going well. I’m posting here, I’m putting games away with the intention that it be for good this time. Everything’s getting better. Things are hard and I feel that my mind must keep learning for optimal health. Just like my body needs consistent exercise and good nutrition. The negative effects on self esteem from social media feel kinda not worth it lol. Maybe we stay off that. Lots of good things to watch and read for me thankfully. Now things are calm enough in my life I can finally take naps. Calm down. I’d love to hit mma tonight but I’ve been tired. The right balance for me is, get 2-4 classes a week in. Keep trying for four per week. Eventually you’ll probably want to get from 4 to 6. Right now it’s 2-4. Yeah. Conserve some energy for it Ommmm The workouts are going good considering I’ve been draining myself for games recently. In a day or two I think I’ll start feeling more gas in the tank to go for it again. I had a mistake at work. I didn’t follow up via text for an appointment. Maybe I can type something generic like, “Hello Name, I have us down for 11am today. Is that accurate on your schedule?” Yes let’s just say that. It’s perfect. My swearings slowing down a lot now I’m not gaming. Fuck I’m so tired I need to rest -
Ommmmmmmm Right so as always if you’re gonna reply here. Please be positive, kind and supportive. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Save your tough love for the mirror. “Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.” -Marcus Aurelius Ommmmmmmm I’ve learned to do what I do and apologize less for it. That’s because people have been kind enough to not mind how I am. Or who I am. How I do things how I post and behave and communicate. I sought out those people those safe space. May this be one of those safe spaces. If anyone comes against my creation of this as a safe space well. I’m in charge here so whatever, I’ll handle it. Sighs. Deep breaths alright you got this man. Build yourself up. You’re gonna get up do your morning routine. Delete all your gaming stuff. Hide away the controllers and such in the cabinet above the fridge since it’s so hard to reach. Then just do your training shower nap eat high fiber diet. Ommmm foam roll meditate. Drink lots of water, Avoid bodybuilding supplements for now. They’re messing with your hydration it seems. Ommm don’t be afraid to say no to people to anyone no matter who they are. Even if you have to whisper it at first. “No thank you.” Is always a valid response and you can always change your mind if you’d like. Game quitting is easy so long as you keep posting here when you get urges and you stay focused on replacement behaviors/harm reduction. I see nothing wrong with green lighting watching anime until 9pm hard cut off time. If it goes past that you need to stop and maybe cut back on it. I’m not here to adhere to someone else’s idea of what’s ideal for me and my addictions management. I’m here to get to the next level of discipline. Of samurai quality living. Disciplined training, hard work, firm management of pleasure seeking. Of addiction prevention. I want to be the real life Goku. 15+ hours training per week. CrossFit, mma, hyper trophy. I’m at 11 hours right now and it’s tough, I need to cough up the games if I am to take the next step to 12 hours. One hour a week. Just one more. By the end of the year I can be in the 15-20 hours a week range. With enough training that I would be competent to compete in mma or bjj or Muay Thai. I just hope no one looks at me sideways if I show up to work busted up or see my girlfriend. It’s kind of like, my fear. That I’ll get banged up and lose my looks to the point that I’m kinda shunned by society. For cauliflower ear and scar tissue in the face. If you look at Steven Thompson or Michael venom page they have very normal looking faces. So I’m hoping with good ear care and defense in striking I’ll be safe to fight on for a long time. Probably got another 13 years in me that’s substantial and I want to make every year count. -
