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NEW VIDEO: The EASIEST Way to Stop Gaming

35 year addict, starting over today.


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Guest JohnnyWriter

Hey everyone, John here.

I'm going to go ahead and assume I'm one of the older (if not oldest) people signing up for this site. I'm 37 years old and I've been gaming almost my entire life. I used to wake up early before kindergarten so I could sneak in a few tries at Pitfall on the 2600. I'm not sure when games changed from a fun hobby to a full-blown addiction, but that's what they are to me now. I've tried to quit cold turkey twice this past year and failed. I've spent the last week fretting over how to finally quit and finally, luckily, stumbled on the TEDx video and this site.

I'll save the long sob story, but I will say I've spent the last two years reviewing and reflecting on my life as I approach the dreaded 4-0. I can say without hesitation that so far I've had an "okay" life. Not horrible, not amazing, just okay. Too bad "okay" sucks. I'm no longer content with just "okay." I want a great life. And looking back, the main thing that has held me back all these years was all the time, money and attention I gave to video games. I used to read and write everyday, I used to doodle and draw landscapes, I used to paint. My dream was to be a novelist and entrepreneur. Instead I settled for less and played video games to numb the disappointment and pain.

 

It's funny. I've never had a drinking problem. I smoked for a few years but quit without a relapse for 15 years now. I smoked pot for a while, but it's been 10 years since I've touched it. No relapses there either. No, the monkey on my back is, and always has been, video games. 

Well, today that ends. I've got all my systems (PS3, PS4, Wii U, 3DS, Vita)  initialized and boxed up. I'm about to leave and drop them off at a donation site anonymously. Oh yeah and on my way back I'm stopping at the Enrollment office of the local college to re-enroll and get back to finishing my degree. I think I'll pick up some sketchpads, too. After finishing the next Respawn module, of course!

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Hi John, welcome to the community!

I believe there have been quite a few people here that are in their 30's, so it's never too late to quit gaming. It's wonderful that you've picked up on the the 'monkey on your back' was video games, and taking the steps to make sure you don't ever play them again. I know that if I didn't block out all ways to get back into gaming, I would surely have relapsed again.

It's great to see how you've planned to get your life back on track, and I hope to hear from you soon on how you've been going!

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Hey John! Awesome to have you join us here and thanks for grabbing Respawn. Your support makes a difference.

You will be surprised by how many 30+ are on here. The average gamer is 32 years old so it makes sense. 

Let me know if you have any questions. We've got your back. :)

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Welcome, John! I just turned the 'dreaded 4-0', so you're not alone! Yes, I cut my chops on the Atari and the Texas Instruments computer (old alert!). It's a struggle which I'm going through myself, but well worth it. I like how you say you want a great rather than okay life. I don't entirely regret gaming, and I had a lot of good times. But I want something better than that.

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John, you can do this!  I'm 32 years old myself and am in school working towards my degree in architecture.  I actually took my final exam this morning!  This is the first class that I have taken since become a new father too.  I love your attitude of not being satisfied with just an okay life.  Every day you can keep this attitude alive, the less you will dread the 4-0.  You have it in yourself to amaze yourself with how happy you can be by the time you get there!

It sounds stupidly simple, but the best way to get there is to make all the good small choices in life that aren't really hard to make.  If you're like me, you've tried this in the past, but found that it seems impossible to maintain this kind of lifestyle over a long period of time.  It just doesn't stick.  That's because there's more to making a good habit than just making yourself do it every day.  You can use your willpower, but that always eventually fails.  The good news is that you used to read every day, and there's a book that can help you figure out how to form good habits that actually stick.  Get yourself a copy of "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg.  It's not that long of a read, and it can really help you out.  You can also read all the great stuff on this forum.  Cam have written tons of good stuff on here and others here have added their own invaluable insights as well!  Ask a question and I can guarantee that you'll get an answer.  Share a struggle and somebody will share how they have deal with it.  Welcome aboard!

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Welcome to the forums!

I've read The Power of Habit, and while it does contain good info, it also has a heap of stories that are supposed to illustrate its points. I think it's largely overdone and hated it, but your experience my be different.

Btw, I hope you start a daily journal soon, for I'm sure it'd be an interesting read.

Edited by Marchosias
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Welcome to the forums!

I've read The Power of Habit, and while it does contain good info, it also has a heap of stories that are supposed to illustrate its points. I think it's largely overdone and hated it, but your experience my be different.

Btw, I hope you start a daily journal soon, for I'm sure it'd be an interesting read.

I can see why you would come to that conclusion regarding the book, and it's nice to see that somebody is okay with going against the grain.  Is there a book you have read that helped you out?

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