My gaming disorder story

Addiction
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It started about 8 years ago. I had just switched to a new job, and had been given a computer to use for work. Being stuck at home most days, I found myself drawn to the computer screen during my lunch breaks – I thought it would be a nice escape from the monotony of my job.

Little did I know that spending more time online was the start of something much bigger – gaming disorder.

I began playing video games for hours on end, after work and late into the night. The more time I spent on these games, the less time I devoted to other activities like reading or going out with friends - eventually it felt like those things were getting in the way of me spending time gaming.

I noticed that my mental well-being suffered as a result of my gaming habits - constantly feeling tired and having difficulty focusing were just some of the issues I faced each day. It took its toll on me emotionally too: what started out as an enjoyable hobby became like an addiction that left me feeling drained and unable to enjoy anything else in life.

I finally decided to tackle my gaming disorder head-on: seeking professional help first before trying any self-help techniques such as setting clear limits for myself, breaking up my game sessions with other activities, and actively limiting social media usage in order to reduce distraction and get back into doing things that made me happy again outside of gaming.

Today, things have drastically improved - with guidance from professionals as well as support from family and friends, I’ve been able to regain control over my emotions and behaviors surrounding gaming activity. It hasn’t been easy but it’s been worth it: unlocking healthier habits around how I use technology replaced what used to feel like an addiction with something far more positive instead.

2 Likes
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Hello there,
I’m so glad to hear that you’ve taken steps to gain control over your gaming behavior. It sounds like you’ve come a long way and I applaud you for facing this challenge head on. As a 47-year-old woman, I can relate to what you’re going through. As we get older, it’s so easy to stay stuck in a certain activity or mindset of the past, especially if it was once an enjoyable hobby. However, it’s also important to recognize when something is starting to have a negative impact on our mental well-being and do something about it.
Taking the time to seek professional help and reach out for support from family and friends is absolutely essential in finding our way back from addiction and other destructive habits. Although every journey is different, having an open conversation about how we can create healthier behaviors around things that used to feel uncontrollable is so important as we gain experience in life.
I’m glad you are taking active steps towards healthier habits - keep up the good work!

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Hey there,

I can relate to what you’ve written - I’m a 35-year-old woman and I completely understand how difficult it can be when our online habits take over our daily lives. It’s hard to stay positive when faced with gaming disorder, but seeking professional help and getting support from friends and family can make a huge difference.

I’m glad to hear that you have taken the necessary steps to tackle your issues head-on and build healthier habits surrounding technology use. It sounds like it has been an incredibly difficult journey, but one that may ultimately bring more positivity into your life. It is definitely worth the effort!

If there is anything else that I can do or if you need someone to talk to about this, please feel free to reach out. Take care!