Hey all,

 

My name's Alex, and I've been gaming on-and-off for the past 20 or so years.

 

It all began when my parents bought me a Nintendo 64 for my 6th birthday. To make a long story short, I have had many long gaming sessions where I have felt completely out of control, especially during my grade school and early high school years. My friendship with my best friend at the time revolved around gaming, and I played a LOT, unsure why everyone else went outside for fun because games were obviously WAY better.

 

I finally sold all of my gaming systems about seven or eight years ago, but I still struggle with this never-ending cycle of downloading mobile games on my phone, binging them for a short time to get my "fix," and purging. It makes me feel awful afterwards - drained, and that I wasted a huge chunk of time. I also still fall into occasionally buying computer games (bought a Mac partially because it's not as good for gaming) and playing them, as well as video game sessions at a friend's house. It's always that same feeling - excitement, racing thoughts and an obsession to keep ruminating on the game or the positive feelings while I played it, as well as strong mental resistance whenever I try to stop my gaming session.

 

Simply put, I know it's not healthy or sustainable, and I've tried to quit for a long time. I appreciate this community for validating my feelings (that it is something to take seriously), and that we're in this together. Thanks for your time, and best of luck to everyone!

Welcome Alex! 

Hi Alex, and welcome! Thanks for sharing.  I can certainly relate to the bingeing and purging cycle.  Being a part of this community has certainly helped me be more aware of how the gaming has affected my life in negative ways...I hope it helps you too!