I need help

[Toxicfox]

Hi I'm Ryan and I'm a gaming addict, I've been an addict for over 6 years and only recently on September 2nd made an attempt to stop. I tried to stop playing a game and found myself shaking from trying to stop and I immediately turned off my pc in shock of myself. Its only recently that I've been more apparent about my addiction noticing how much time I've spent on games rather than trying to better myself. I have been spending around 18 hours a day on just playing games and I want it to stop. My sleep has gotten worse and worse because of this until now when I only get around 2-3 hours of sleep a day. Because of this I had a realization that so much of my time has been dedicated to gaming and I've been struggling to stay positive and started to just regret everything. I had thoughts of just skipping my college classes to play games and not completing the assignments just for a few extra hours of gaming. I don't know the exact cause for starting this bad of an addiction but I speculate its a combination of peer pressure from highschool with a sense that I wouldn't be good enough at anything and I'll just end up disappointing my parents that caused me to take refuge in games. I used to spend all my money on buying new games but at the beginning of the year I've tried to cut back on what I buy. Instead of buying any game I want I try to think first if I will find a use for it or not, but this backfired on me and I bought no mans sky and sank over 100 hours in one week on it. Ever since then I just keep feeling more and more disappointed in myself to the point if I wonder if I can change. I just feel burdened to keep playing games despite not enjoying it for a long time now. Because of all the time I've spent on games I slowly have stopped eating more and more from 3 meals to 2 and now 1 a day. I want to seek help from you guys to beat this addiction and to reclaim my life.

[MuMuMelon]

You're in the right place. You will lose nothing by not playing video games, but you can lose a lot if you continue to play. Don't beat yourself up about the time you've spent playing (easier said then done) but try to look at quitting like giving yourself freedom. Like you, I was bored of gaming but continued to do it anyway, day after day, hour upon hour. You are a capable human being. You've made it this far and you realize that gaming is holding you back. You're on the right track. Keep it up. 

It's not easy at first, but it is absolutely possible to kick this addiction. 

All the best. 

[amchow]

Welcome to the forums!

You are definitely in the right place. 

If you need additional resources to assist you in stopping gaming, get Respawn. Paying the 45 dollars for the Elite level content is so worth it. What I learned from it and applied to my life has changed it so much for the better. Plus, it freed me from the prison I had laid around myself in playing MMOs and other games intended to keep people addicted. 

Read the journals of others on this forum and start finding new hobbies to pick up. Who knows? You'll find a new interest or something that can contribute to your future in terms of a job. 

We are all cheering you on, and don't forget we are all on the same journey.