I’m worried my gaming is becoming more than just a hobby. I can lose an entire evening without noticing, then put off sleep, chores, and messages because I want to finish one more match. I remember telling myself I’d only play for an hour before work, then staying up until nearly 2 a.m. feeling awful the next day.
The part that bothers me is that I’ve tried cutting back and keep sliding into the same routine. I’m not sure if this is enough to fit ICD-11 gaming disorder, or if I’m just dealing with poor habits and stress. Has anyone spoken with a doctor or therapist about where that line is?
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Jackie, the repeated loss of sleep and putting off basic responsibilities would be enough for me to take it seriously, even without trying to label it myself. A doctor or therapist can look at how long it’s been happening, how much control you have, and whether stress or something else is feeding it.
One thing that helped me was setting a hard stop before I started playing, not after. I used a phone alarm for 10:30 and shut the game down when it rang, even if the match wasn’t finished. I also stopped playing in the bedroom, since “one more match” was much harder to resist when I was already supposed to be sleeping.
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The repeated sliding back after trying to cut down is the part I’d bring to a doctor or therapist. You don’t need to decide whether it meets the ICD-11 definition before asking for help. The lost sleep and missed responsibilities are already useful information.
I once kept telling myself I’d stop after one last episode, then ended up staying up far too late before an early morning. Writing down the actual stopping time for a week made the pattern harder to dismiss.
The bedroom boundary is a smart one. I’ve found that once I’m already in bed with a screen nearby, my resolve gets a lot weaker, especially after a tiring day.
The hard stop before starting makes sense too. Waiting until the middle of a match gives the game all the advantage. I’d probably add a backup alarm across the room, since ignoring one on the desk is surprisingly easy.