Hello everyone:

I'm 21, a nursing student from Toronto, Canada. I started playing games when I was 7 when I got my first gamecube, And started playing online games when I was 12. It started from Call of Duty, to League of Legends, and now Overwatch. I just bought a PC recently after playing from a poor performing laptop for 5 years and now I have the urge to try new games.

I didn't really care about my gaming addiction, I knew I had something wrong with me, but I ignored it because I was having fun playing. I unintentionally ignored everything and everyone around me because I believed that all was "good", but recently I knew that it was affecting the relationships around me, specifically my girlfriend. 

I'm in an LDR (long distance relationship), and my girlfriend and I barely physically see each other due to financial and school issues. We call all day, everyday. But when we call, I just play video games, barely any conversation, which is the belief that "everything is good" between us when in reality it isn't. And when I'm done playing with friends, I talk to her at night and fall asleep shortly after because I am tired from gaming. We've talked about this, I said I would change, but I never did. It's gotten worse, and my girlfriend has dealt with it for almost 2 years. We both share the quality of selflessness and she understands that gaming makes me happy, but it feels like this gaming addiction has brought me to almost losing her. 

My main goal from this is not to just be a better boyfriend, it is to have a sense of control of my addiction, to go back to the hobbies I did alongside gaming (ex. music), and to build the confidence, sense of achievement, and self-love that I lack in the real world. My best friend (girlfriend) was the only one that supported my gaming, but now I am losing my sense of self because of it. 

Welcome to the forum. It helped me a lot ro get things straight and find some answers to so far insolved questions. i recommend you start your own journal, which is a great way to express xourself, document your progress and just weite stuff down. Very powerful. Good luck with your new journey towards a new you. We will be there!

Hey, Philip nice to meet you! I was a musician before gaming too and quitting has made me better than I ever was so I think you'll love that aspect of it. From being here for a little while I can tell you that becoming a better person is why most of us quit and it works.

Thank you Alexanderle and Ceponatia for words of encouragement. I hope I can continue through this process with your support