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Jay's Epic Journey


seriousjay

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14 hours ago, Niko_Buccellati said:

Yeh, the stakes are very high in that "game" and if you pick the wrong person the outcome might be quite terrible(worse than death IMO). Honestly for me getting married and family was like the last thing I ever wanted in my life but I gave it a try a couple of times to realize that its not my cup of tea. All in all, I appreciate people with true family values so I like your intentions. In my opinion, what is the most important thing is to be sure that the partner is really loyal to you because you know its easy to have people around you when you are on top but most of them will disappear like cockroaches after you switched on the light at night if you will hit the bottom.

Man don't I know it when it comes to the last part.

I can definitely appreciate not wanting to get married and have kids. It takes up so much time and effort. But I love it. It took some getting used to with having Julia around but I really appreciate her and Damian being in my life. I can only imagine the joy raising my own kids will bring me.

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So tonight I went on a second date in two nights with one girl. Last night went alright - not good, not bad, just alright - she isn't really much of a talker, at all, so I really struggled to get her to talk about anything, but we finally did have some decent conversation about whatever. Tonight we were heading out to play some board games with a group of friends, and I suggested to her to meet up earlier and we could spend some time playing a board game that I brought, which she agreed to (she said that she was more comfortable spending time doing stuff so that seemed to be an easy way to keep things casual). She ended up not wanting to play the board game and seemed to be more interested in finding out when everyone else was coming, constantly on her phone.

She told me she was really excited to see me and that she had a great time last night, so I don't know if I was just expecting way too much or what. If we're going on a date, I would expect for you to at least put your phone away and attempt to engage with me. Even if you're not necessarily in your element, at least make the effort. I get that I'm not that great a conversationalist just yet, with the vast majority of my life experiences being of video games. That's something that's just going to take time to work out. I ended up telling her that this didn't really seem like it was going to work out.

I dunno.. part of me feels like I gave up too soon, but I just wasn't really feeling it at all. Even if we continued seeing each other, I just didn't see a way that either of us would be really satisfied. You're not going to click with that many people and I get that, so maybe all I really need to take from this is using it as a learning experience.

I'm very much open to any feedback regarding this.

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Board games are a very 'friendly' activity, something to do with your buddies. I'm not saying it's a bad date, but it doesn't set a tone of man-to-woman interaction. Also, some girls are just shy or really just want to follow your lead, wherever it goes. If she says she was really excited to see you and had a great time, that's a clear signal for you to take it further. Even though she might have not actually enjoyed it, it's likely that she is still into you and just wants to do something else - possibly more physical ?

Just my guess from a brief text description.Ā 

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Hmm, well the phone thing could be either just be bad character, but maybe she was nervos too. But overall I think you made the right decision, if you are really searching a girl for you, then there is no need to waste time on her. If just fun, you could keep it up...

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3 hours ago, Samon said:

Hmm, well the phone thing could be either just be bad character, but maybe she was nervos too. But overall I think you made the right decision, if you are really searching a girl for you, then there is no need to waste time on her. If just fun, you could keep it up...

Yeah I dunno. She is definitely introverted. Getting her to talk at all was very hard work lol. The phone thing definitely could have been nervousness.. or even just a matter of having no idea what else to do. Explanation below.

9 hours ago, JustTom said:

Board games are a very 'friendly' activity, something to do with your buddies. I'm not saying it's a bad date, but it doesn't set a tone of man-to-woman interaction. Also, some girls are just shy or really just want to follow your lead, wherever it goes. If she says she was really excited to see you and had a great time, that's a clear signal for you to take it further. Even though she might have not actually enjoyed it, it's likely that she is still into you and just wants to do something else - possibly more physical ?

Just my guess from a brief text description.Ā 

Yeah it's a little hard to really get a good read from a description of what happened lol.

To your second point, like I mentioned before, I have very little life experiences beyond video games so I do rely on other people at times to give me a sense of which direction to take things. That being said, I do not see myself as a typical dude. I WANT people I hang out with to guide things along at least as much as I'm happy to take the reins myself. I WANT to get to know people, what they like to do, etc. This is especially true of a significant other. I don't want to date someone that's simply going to wait for me to do everything. I'm happy to make the plans, but I want to know what they like to do as well, and engage in those activities. What the fuck is the point of a relationship if it doesn't go two-ways?

-----

Now on to the aftermath. I am simply extremely confused now. She texted me today to say that she wanted to give it another chance, that she thinks I'm a really great guy, and that she "really really wants this to work". OK. I believe her. Although the way this is all going makes me think that she's even more clueless than I am about how to actually date people.

She told me she's never had a relationship last more than 2 months, and she's 30 years old now. When I asked her why, she said she gets bored easily. When I asked her before what she wants to do, what kind of passions she has in life, she says she has none. When I asked her what she's looking for in a relationship and what types of things she'd want from a boyfriend, she said she doesn't know.

It's as if she simply lacks a soul, she has no fire burning inside her for some kind of purpose in life. I actually find this really sad because it reminds me of how I was before I started my game quitting journey. Interestingly though, she told me she feels she's addicted to video games herself. I didn't actually believe her because she didn't strike me as having the typical symptoms of it, but now I'm beginning to think there's more to that.

The funny thing is I have always thought that it wouldn't be a bad thing for me to date someone exactly like this. I've conquered video game addiction, among other things, and I always thought it would be a great challenge and also an excellent bonding opportunity to help someone else overcome the same types of things. So that part of it doesn't actually faze me. I won't deny that there is definitely a selfish element to this: I would feel extremely proud to successfully help someone through such challenges. It at least appears that I might get my chance.

Anyways, we have another date planned for next weekend. I guess we'll see how things go then.

Edited by seriousjay
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52 minutes ago, JustTom said:

https://youtu.be/F1fAWT6eRWA

The alpha and omega.Ā 

I've watched so many of these things and I've decided that, aside from general rules of thumb that are typically applicable in all situations, like grooming yourself well, being polite to people, allowing others to shine in a conversation, etc. etc., these "how-tos" are so over-dramatized and overblown that they make situations that happen in movies look realistic at times. Every single person on this planet is unique. Every single person will react differently to specific stimuli. Hell, how ready someone is to receive what you have to offer is a huge factor. A person can react one way to something you say or do, and 6 months later, you could have the exact same scenario and get a completely different reaction.

I've pretty much decided that the best rule to follow is simply to be yourself and allow the dominoes to fall as they may. I want to heavily stress that I DO NOT believe this means I don't have things to work on and improve. That "yourself" that I'm talking about has to constantly get better and better. That comes with time and especially experience, and being able to identify the areas that need to be worked on and actually taking steps to do so.

All that being said, that video is actually pretty good. Easily the best one I've seen on this subject. Thanks for sharing.

EDIT: One thing I disagree with though is the idea that if you ran into the perfect girl and were unsuccessful in making her your girlfriend, it isn't because you fucked up. It's because you weren't ready. You did the best you could with what you knew at the time, but one or several skills were lacking. It's up to you to identify what needs to improve for the next time and to actually work on that.

Edited by seriousjay
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@seriousjayĀ Hey Jay, I think at this point in time it's you who has to ask yourself some very important questions. Like, do I want to make a project out of this person? Because if you follow your subconscious ego and "Saviour complex" as it's often called, you might invest time and energy in this woman to try and pull her out of the swamp that is addiction, but all of us here know that it is only possible if the addict herself puts in the work and has the will power and deep desire to change. So do you really want to engage with her seeing her like a work in progress project? It will be a situation out of balance and what's worse is she might drag you back into games with her. The signs are obvious, lack of direction in life, social awkwardness maybe multiplied by gaming. So, keep that in mind and ask yourself another question: Can you engage with her as a person to person not lowering your standards just because she's an addict? Is spending time with her interesting, fun? What qualities does she have that you like? And if you don't know the answers that's okay but keep asking yourself from time to time. Maybe when you go out, ask her a lot of questions about herself just like you did already.Ā 

Ā 

How did you feel when she was looking at her phone and not speaking to you, on the date?

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18 hours ago, fawn_xoxo said:

@seriousjayĀ Hey Jay, I think at this point in time it's you who has to ask yourself some very important questions. Like, do I want to make a project out of this person? Because if you follow your subconscious ego and "Saviour complex" as it's often called, you might invest time and energy in this woman to try and pull her out of the swamp that is addiction, but all of us here know that it is only possible if the addict herself puts in the work and has the will power and deep desire to change. So do you really want to engage with her seeing her like a work in progress project? It will be a situation out of balance and what's worse is she might drag you back into games with her. The signs are obvious, lack of direction in life, social awkwardness maybe multiplied by gaming. So, keep that in mind and ask yourself another question: Can you engage with her as a person to person not lowering your standards just because she's an addict? Is spending time with her interesting, fun? What qualities does she have that you like? And if you don't know the answers that's okay but keep asking yourself from time to time. Maybe when you go out, ask her a lot of questions about herself just like you did already.Ā 

Ā 

How did you feel when she was looking at her phone and not speaking to you, on the date?

These are all very good points that I will have to keep in mind. Another one: nobody felt sorry for me when I was going through this whole thing, and it's not my obligation to change anyone.

All it really comes down to is: do I enjoy spending time with this person? If the answer is yes, then I guess the rest can be worked out somehow.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! May 2019 be filled with great successes on all your personal journies.

I didn't post about it before I left but I've been abroad for the last two and a half weeks, including a short 10 day trip to the UAE. I took some time during this period to really consider what to do with my career and I've decided that becoming an author is the direction I want to take. School was the other option but I decided that I just have way too many doubts about that path. It's a huge commitment and I have to be absolutely sure that it's one that I want to make, and I simply don't have that certainty. Every time I go through the thought process for this, I always end up back at "author". If there's anything I would say I have a passion for, that would be it. So, I have to try it.

I'm going to start by writing a short story about my trip to the UAE. It should be a fun ride!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hey guys, I know I haven't posted in a while but I honestly haven't felt any need to. Maybe it's still early to feel this confident, but I am at the point where I feel I have crushed video game addiction beneath my feet and am now moving in a positive direction in every aspect of my life. I've ran into obstacles here and there but I've always found a way to overcome them.

So.. this post will likely serve as a farewell to Game Quitters. I may still pop by from time to time and see if I can offer anything to this community that has done so much for me. It's the least I can do for having been given control of my life back. There are still challenges to overcome but I KNOW I can overcome those as well. It's no longer a question of if.

Thanks everyone, especially @Cam Adair for creating this amazing platform.

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Hey Jay, happy to read you're doing so well! I would just like to share with you one thing for the only purpose of protecting your successes in the future.

I have quit and come back to games many times, and for me that was because I thought that once things started getting better, I could do it without repercussions. I thought I was no longer addicted, I gamed, then I got hooked again.Ā 

Because of this personal experience I'd like to suggest to you, if at some point you feel confident that you can play again, postpone it for three months. If you find yourself angsty and nervous at the idea of pushing that date away, you'll know games still have a hold on you.

I think none of us here is really done with games, same way an alcoholic can't ever just casually drink.

Wish you the best!

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7 hours ago, fawn_xoxo said:

Hey Jay, happy to read you're doing so well! I would just like to share with you one thing for the only purpose of protecting your successes in the future.

I have quit and come back to games many times, and for me that was because I thought that once things started getting better, I could do it without repercussions. I thought I was no longer addicted, I gamed, then I got hooked again.Ā 

Because of this personal experience I'd like to suggest to you, if at some point you feel confident that you can play again, postpone it for three months. If you find yourself angsty and nervous at the idea of pushing that date away, you'll know games still have a hold on you.

I think none of us here is really done with games, same way an alcoholic can't ever just casually drink.

Wish you the best!

Thanks for your response!

To be honest, I have no desire to interact with just about anything video game related for any reason at this point, nor will I ever have such a desire again. I said long ago that video games have no place in the life I want to build for myself, and that has not changed. Do I miss them sometimes and reminisce about the "good old days"? Sure. There was even one day where I really regretted not playing Fallout 4's Far Harbour expansion again (even typing this brings up some nostalgic feelings). That reminds me of two sayings: there will always be another game, and there is no such thing as "one last time", because you will never be satisfied.

There was one time in my life where I told myself "ok, that's enough, I'm satisfied with this one". I even genuinely felt that at the time - I was not lying to myself. That was when I completely beat Fallout 4 and all expansions. Guess what? I came back to it later. More than once.

So glad to have all that behind me. ?

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Ever since I came back from my trip to Ukraine I've been having a great deal of trouble getting myself back on track. I've had spurts of good days and then it would be followed by not so good days. Overeating, fast food, coffee, some other stuff..

I'm having a hard time identifying exactly what kept me on track before my vacation. I'm not even really that sure what the issue is. When temptations hit me I have trouble resisting them, and then it goes downhill from there for a while until I get on track again for a few days, rinse and repeat. Any suggestions on how to deal with this would be appreciated!

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I would look at my everyday routine before the trip and try my best to imitate it, as a first. We can't really resist urges successfully, we usually have to replace our reactions to the cues with something else I feel. I would try to ignore how I feel about doing those things, because this addiction has taught me that feeling like doing things isn't necessarily a reliable thing. So I would try my best to blindly repeat my previous routines as a first.

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1 minute ago, fawn_xoxo said:

I would look at my everyday routine before the trip and try my best to imitate it, as a first. We can't really resist urges successfully, we usually have to replace our reactions to the cues with something else I feel. I would try to ignore how I feel about doing those things, because this addiction has taught me that feeling like doing things isn't necessarily a reliable thing. So I would try my best to blindly repeat my previous routines as a first.

There's a few things I was doing before that I stopped when I got back. I'll see about re-integrating them and see what happens. Thanks!

Edited by seriousjay
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  • 3 weeks later...
16 hours ago, Cam Adair said:

I use Todoist

Thanks. It looks good.

Does anyone have any ideas for how to organize ideas you want to take action on? Just as an example:

Quote

Ā 

1. Start replacing the negativity in your surroundings and life.

What you let into your mind during your regular day will have a big effect on how you think and feel.

So start questioning what you let into your mind.

You can do that by asking yourself:

What are the top 3 sources of negativity in my life?

It could be someone close to you or at work or in school. A website you visit often. A magazine, TV-show, podcast, music and so on.

Then take out a piece of paper and or an empty document on your smart phone and ask yourself:

What can I do to spend less time with these 3 sources this week?

Come up with ideas and action-steps for doing that on your piece of paper or in your phone.

If you canā€™t come up with steps for doing that with all 3 right now then focus on doing it with just one of the sources.

And then, during the next 7 days, spend the time youā€™ve now freed up on the most positive sources and people in your life.

Ā 

I want to put that somewhere in an organized way so I can go back to it to remind myself and start taking action on it.

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