There have been 2 full days off gaming. Thursday came with that now-familiar feeling of renewal (which specifically is in the short-term), and Friday I wore myself out exercising for a couple of hours. I had to use my own earphone music to escape the drone of most of what the gym was playing at the start though. I was reading more Harry Potter, and it dawned on me that I'd read books 1-4 before discovering my problem game. Dragons, magic, etc - it's almost no wonder.  But mostly, I think it was because I've always liked to hone in my attention on things, and get 'comfortable', and all that with games. My first games were Mario, then Pokemon, N64 and LOTR. Then, when problems started to arise, I heard the game-music of the journey that would half wreck my education coming from downstairs. I investigated, and from day one, I was fascinated, glued-to and absorbed into what were very simple reward mechanics. It would have been impossible not to notice my interest, had I been an impartial enough observer of my own behaviour. Should I be mad at anyone or anything for my journey? I was at bedtime on Thursday, truth be told. I almost shouted out in resistance. Going to sleep angry is horrible. I'll be happy to see through a Winter peaceably without being bested.  Gratitude: ~ An electric heater the previous night and maybe for several more - though I needed more water ~ Stopping long enough to hear birds in the morning (a favourite sound) ~ Finding the sense to realise I've felt overwhelmed ~ I don't like it much, but you know, having suffered more might have led to more appreciation Weekend's here; hope it's bearable for all ~ Matt P.S. - Sincere noobage - pressing buttons to a level-18 starter pokemon before clearing the first area because I couldn't work past the dialogue/mission coding. The next few may have been a breeze, but the scary thing is that I wasn't made by anyone or anything to feel the pain of the time I'd spent at it, and so assumed it was right. Funny.

Yep, and the guilt of planning for just 2-3 hours (or even less) and lost motivation for things that might be super beneficial to one's life, family and world can leave a horrible, almost unnameable empty feeling. Welcome and godspeed.

Hey Gamequitters team, I'm new around here. Only discovered Cam's videos a short while ago. I have been gaming since childhood and grew up in a gaming household. Earliest gaming experience that really sucked me in was Zelda: Ocarina of Time. During my teens, I played Diablo 2, Morrowind, EverQuest 2, Flyff, Rappelz, and countless other games I cannot even remember to be honest. In my 20s I gamed a lot on newer titles, especially, Guild Wars 2, Diablo 3, Path of Exile, and Grim Dawn. I threw in WoW and Heroes of the Storm (MOBA) for good measure. Somehow, I managed to work full-time, go to school full-time, and stay somewhat involved at church and social events, while keeping my marriage together. It meant every bit of free time was gaming, with late nights and long weekends all too often. When I turned 30 and started my master's degree I was smart enough to put the PC up for good. Apart from a 2-week relapse into Hearthstone, I didn't game at all for 6.5 - 7 years. I still spent time on the phone and watching TV shows, but the game-brain was gone for the most part. Somehow, amid the stress of life and in the middle of a second master's degree, I stumbled into Diablo Immortal and downloaded it. It just felt good to do the old loot grind again. A few binges on that, and I quickly remembered that they had remastered Diablo 2. This was a craving for me even back when they first released it, but now my guards were down all the way. So, I bought a PC rig I couldn't afford just to play Diablo 2: Resurrected. Got a hardcore necro up to 86, died before I beat Act 5 Hell. Started another necro and made it all the way through. I felt accomplished and loved the rush of nostalgia attached to that game. I relived the old times. Then I went to see if my old stuff was still on Heroes of the Storm. Yep, all my characters, especially Illidan, were just waiting for me to play them. I did, and man, it was so much fun! However, I started pulling 8-hour sessions when I only planned on 2-3 hour sessions. That's when even the wife was like, "Man, you're playing a lot again, remember, that stuff can be addictive for you."  That stung a bit, but it got me to realize it. Not long after that, I had my Blizzard BattleNet account deleted for the first time ever, all gone now. So I haven't done any more gaming since then (that was like 2 weeks ago). However, I still find myself scrolling, YouTubing random stuff, putting off work on my thesis, and feeling that "other stuff is boring" feeling again. I still have the PC I bought, and I find myself planning what I am gonna play once I get some real time on my hands again (winter/summer). I know however, that this will just suck me in to a pure gaming mindset, no matter how many times I promise to play a game "just to experience it once" (looking at you Skyrim). These games are designed to make you want to come back to them over and over. Even when you get truly bored with a game, hundreds are being marketed in your face, just waiting for you to take the bait. I decided today to do a real detox (90 days at least), not just from games, but from scrolling, needless TV, YouTube, and all the other digital mind-numbing stuff that is just a click away. I'm hopeful. Thanks for listening!

Tired of failing myself. Tired of being addicted and destroying my life.    I turn to social media because it's easy. I'm also afraid of doing something new and not being good at it instantly even though that's part of the process    I know what I have to do, I'm just not applying it.   New bedtime is going to be 9:30-10:00pm and I'm going to get 8-9 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is the first thing I want to address. Productive members of society go to bed at a normal time    Going to journal my progress here every day again 

I will read these books on perfectionism listed here. I will try to take out fears one by one to feel free again. I just have to fight back and show improvement on a monthly basis. Thank you for your response. Some of the things i wrote may sound strange, but taunts do play a beneficial role. Good natured Taunts made me overcome fear on many occasions in my younger years. Anything of value requires you to fight fear, greed, laziness. I refuse to accept anyone is lost. If you made progress today (ignoring the negativity) you have done yourself good.