# Worried my gaming habits might be turning into a disorder **URL:** \ **Category:** Addiction\ **Created:** [November 6, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/worried-my-gaming-habits-might-be-turning-into-a-disorder/55419 "2026-11-06T21:00:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Donna\_Stevens](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Donna\_Stevens](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Donna_Stevens)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/worried-my-gaming-habits-might-be-turning-into-a-disorder/55419/1 "2026-11-06T21:00:26Z")
I’m starting to worry that gaming is becoming more than just a hobby for me. I keep putting off sleep, schoolwork, and plans because I tell myself I’ll stop after one more match. Then hours pass and I feel annoyed with myself, but I still do it again the next day. I’m not sure where the line is between playing a lot and having an actual disorder. Has anyone found a good way to tell when it’s becoming a serious problem? ---
**Author:** ![Matthew\_Charles](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Matthew\_Charles](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Matthew_Charles)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 2:32am UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/worried-my-gaming-habits-might-be-turning-into-a-disorder/55419/2 "2026-11-07T02:32:59Z")
@Donna_Stevens, the part that would concern me most is not the number of hours, but repeatedly choosing another match after deciding to stop, while sleep and schoolwork get pushed aside. That loss of control and the impact on daily life are useful warning signs. One thing that helped me was setting a hard stop before starting, not after. I used an alarm across the room and stopped at the first ring, even if the match wasn’t finished. I also kept gaming out of the bedroom for a while. If you can’t cut back despite trying, or your sleep, grades, and relationships keep taking the hit, it would be worth talking with a counselor. ---
**Author:** ![Antonio\_Lowery](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Antonio\_Lowery](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Antonio_Lowery)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 3:30am UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/worried-my-gaming-habits-might-be-turning-into-a-disorder/55419/3 "2026-11-07T03:30:54Z")
The alarm across the room is a practical idea, especially stopping at the first ring instead of negotiating for “just one more match.” I’ve found that the negotiation is usually where the plan falls apart. Keeping gaming out of the bedroom seems useful too. Once the console or computer is right there at night, it’s much easier to trade sleep for another round. Did you find that the hard stop worked better with a specific stopping time, or did you pair it with something else like saving progress or calling it after a particular match? ---
**Author:** ![Daniel\_Adams](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Daniel\_Adams](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Daniel_Adams)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 6:31am UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/worried-my-gaming-habits-might-be-turning-into-a-disorder/55419/4 "2026-11-08T06:31:24Z")
@Matthew_Charles, the point about stopping at the first alarm makes sense. I’ve noticed that giving myself room to finish a match usually turns into another hour, especially when I’m already tired. I once left my controller in the living room and set a cutoff before opening the game. It felt annoying at first, but removing the easy access made it much harder to keep playing automatically.