Hello everybody,

I quit gaming one week ago by selling both my X1 and PS4. Strangely enough, it wasn't because I was playing too much but because I was thinking too much about videogames.

I'm studying engineering (now in my 4th and final year), have 3 kids and my wife is doing her accounting masters. I have very few free time so I tend to not play more than 8 hr/week but my problem is that I was always reading/buying/thinking about videogames as a whole. Binge on one game and reading everything there was to know on it, before discarding it and starting over...and over...and over.. Reading during courses, thinking about it before going to sleep, anticipating my next playing session, thinking of life as one long slog through the day to get to the gaming at the end of it. The impossibility of feeling at peace with an empty mind often left me feeling alienated from myself.

It was more an habbit because I've been playing continuously since more than 25 years now.

Now I quit cold turquey and I'm bored (boooooored). I joined in order to share the journey with like minded individuals, regain the peace of mind I once had to NOT think compulsively about videogames and to rediscover a more positive hobby.

Hello and WELCOME!

From my experience, i used games to fill a hole in my life ( emotional ). Now that i quited, that hole camed back; it needs to be covered up by something else. Affection, love, stability, who knows..

Back to your topic, i think that when you stoped gaming  your uncovered your hole. Your case is not that bad.. I for example, played 18 h/ day and had days without sleep -like 60 hours in front of the computer screen ( eating, drinking at the pc, coffee and energizer ) this period lasted 3 years. 3 years of hardcore gaming ( 16-18 h / a day, everyday ), time wasted, health and financial problems, not to mention the friends I lost.

Edited October 2, 20169 yr by Terra

Welcome! Love having more Canadians on the forum.

Welcome! When I first quit I was also super bored, it was just a phase for me. It might be the same for you too!

Boredom is a withdrawal symptom*. It will pass. But having new activities is crucial.

* paper that showed boredom as a withdrawal symptom: King_Craving_CHB_2016.pdf

Welcome aboard, and great job starting your journey!

Welcome abord

I have the same problem its not so much the gaming but the thinking about games all the times.

Even during work i catched myself checking certain subreddits like an addict in a 5 minute tact just desperately hoping for something new to appear, i think my gaming time was around 40% gaming and 60% checking forums and reddit.

I still check reddit from time to time but I do my best to minimalize it and.. getting out of touch with the material certanly helps. What also helped ME with that hole of boredom was setting up very ambitious goals in my life for which I have to work hard.

My dream is to live in singapur one day and considering the fact that I have 0 of the neccesary skills for that  (aside knowing english) I think that is real life hardcore mode, but strangely even thinking about it makes me forget my crawings and focus my mind.