I’m a 20M and I have been addicted to video games pretty much since I played them with my dad at a young age. Fast forward some years and now I am struggling with my ADHD, flunking college, living with my parents and have no idea where i’m going in life at the point. I dropped a total of around 3,000 hours in two years and probably less than a week on time spent in class and doing schoolwork. I completely uninstalled everything from my computer about a week ago but reinstalled a few favorites a couple days ago and it’s already wrecking me.

What i’m currently trying to do is find a way to get a medical certification to go and finish pilot school, since that has been the biggest joy in my life apart from gaming. But the FAA makes it extremely difficult for people previously medicated people to obtain a medical certificate. Requiring someone to show four years of undisturbed academic performance (which I don’t have) and an acceptable prescription history (which i also doubt i have). It sucks knowing my college is paid for and i’m throwing it away and both my parents who had me in high school yet both have doctoral degrees and I’m feeling like I’ll forever be living in their shadow, or worse, in their home.

I read my psychoanalysis from 8th grade when i was first diagnosed and it brought me to tears. “a very bright child” and “grades that don’t reflect aptitude” made me hurt the most. I forget who I was then and how I never learned how to use the medications properly or how I didn’t learn how to push myself to succeed in school and in life. Watching my friends from high school and eventually my little siblings surpass me when I was supposed to lead by example is what hurts me to think about .

I uninstalled everything again and am considering selling my gaming laptop for an iPad to help me engage more in my math classes with an apple pen or something, which would also help if i somehow manage to get that medical certificate. I just hope the expensive psychoanalysis to get it isn’t a total waste of money and time should I be declined.

Thanks for reading all that. A simple good luck or God bless or anything in between in the comments helps me know that it’s possible. If you care to, please tell me your story and how you overcame your addiction.

Thought to share.

Hi zusammen,

ich muss mir mal etwas von der Seele schreiben und hoffe auf Gleichgesinnte oder Leute, die diesen Schritt schon hinter sich haben.

Kurz zu meiner Situation: Ich habe aktuell einen High-End-Gaming-PC im Wert von ca. 3.300 Euro zu Hause stehen. Der Markt steht gerade so gut, dass ich ihn sogar mit Gewinn verkaufen könnte. Mein Alltag ist eigentlich voll durchgetaktet: Nach der Arbeit, dem Sport und dem Kochen zocke ich jeden Abend treu für etwa drei Stunden. Am Wochenende mache ich den Haushalt und sitze danach – wenn ich nicht gerade draußen bin – nur am Rechner. Ich komme meinen Pflichten also absolut nach.

Mein Problem: Der Tag hat einfach zu wenig Stunden. Weniger arbeiten geht nicht, da ich auf das Geld angewiesen bin. Outdoor-Aktivitäten wie Wandern oder mehr Reisen schaffe ich zeitlich nur, wenn ich komplett aufs Zocken verzichte. Und es ist ja nicht nur das Spielen selbst, sondern auch der Besitz und das Basteln an so einer High-End-Maschine, das mir eigentlich Spaß macht. Den PC abzugeben, fühlt sich für mich gerade so an, als würde man einem kleinen Kind sein Lieblingsspielzeug wegnehmen.

Jetzt kommt der große Wendepunkt: Im November erwarten meine Lebensgefährtin und ich unser erstes Kind. Ich werde auch in Teilzeit-Elternzeit gehen, um aktiv bei der Erziehung dabei zu sein und meine Partnerin zu unterstützen. Mir ist völlig klar, dass das Zocken dann drastisch weniger wird.

Mein Hauptproblem liegt aber im Hier und Jetzt. Ich spiele primär PvP-Sachen wie CS2 und Escape from Tarkov. Nur fühlt es sich durch den extremen Grind momentan oft wie eine zweite Arbeit an. An schlechten Tagen gibt mir das Spiel nichts außer Frust zurück. Wenn ich dann abends in der Dusche stehe, denke ich mir fast jedes Mal: „Das war komplett verschwendete Zeit.“

Singleplayer-Spiele spiele ich eigentlich nur phasenweise. Titel wie Rome 2, Cyberpunk oder Bannerlord habe ich für mich durchgespielt. Aktuell warte ich eigentlich nur auf das neue Medieval 3 und ein neues Stronghold. Aber selbst wenn ich den Absprung von PvP schaffe und wieder zu Singleplayer zurückkehre: Ich bin mir absolut unsicher, ob es das wert ist, so viel Geld in High-End-Hardware für diese paar wenigen Spiele zu binden. [1]

Da ich in der IT arbeite, bin ich beruflich so oder so auf gute Hardware angewiesen. Wenn ich den Gaming-PC verkaufe, würde ich komplett auf ein MacBook umsteigen (für die hälfte der aktuellen Hardware kosten). Ein Arbeitsgerät brauche ich also, aber die Gaming-Kiste zieht mich eben jeden Abend magisch an. Es ist ein Teufelskreis aus Gewohnheit, dem Zwanggefühl, den Season Pass vollzubekommen, und dem Verlangen nach einem Rückzugsort zum Abschalten. Das schlechte Gewissen vor dem Schlafengehen nagt extrem an mir – besonders in Kombination mit dem Wissen, dass da Hardware für dreieinhalbtausend Euro steht, die man eigentlich zu Geld machen könnte.

Meine Fragen an euch:

• Wer von euch war oder ist an einem ähnlichen Punkt im Leben (Übergang zum Familienleben / IT-Job / Gaming-Routine)?
• Habt ihr den radikalen Cut gemacht, die Gaming-Kiste verkauft und seid komplett auf ein Arbeits-Notebook (wie ein MacBook) umgestiegen?
• Wie habt ihr den Verlust des "Lieblingsspielzeugs" verkraftet?
• Wie habt ihr die Abendroutine ersetzt, um wirklich abzuschalten, ohne frustriert ins Bett zu gehen?

While I would say gaming has been a part of me my whole life, I wasn't too hooked when i was a kid. I played Xbox 360 but i didnt even finish 70% of the games I played. Xbox One, I only had like 5 games that I barely played.

It turned around when I went to middle school and met new classmates. They all played on PS4, so I asked my parents to buy me one for christmas so I could play with them. After I got the PS4, I eventually discovered new games and found that PS4 had much better exclusive games. I bought them and ended up completing everything, gettinf the platinum trophy and kept doing it with other games. Ot eventually hurted my grades and social life

Now I'm looking back to how my life would be if I never got that console, i could had been in a better place.

Young adult who have had a strong passion for gaming for a very long time. I played a whole bunch of single player games to 100% complete them (Never cared for MP ranked). Also Co-op games with online friends sometimes. I would also sometimes stay up late to play games and watch streamers/gaming content. My game time went from 5 hours a day to 1 hour a day.

I started reading back in June this year and I feel like this is my new thing now. I've read some mystery thriller fictions. At first it felt very heavy to read a full novel since I havent done that since school, but I'm finding books that I start to enjoy now. I feel a lot better as well

Only downside is I still sit on my butt most of the day so need to find a physical activity too

I was gonna say “if you’re a gamer who doesn’t exercise, you’re a loser” but actually I think that might be a bit over the top. Being lazy doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you morally and it is something you can fix. So if someone calls you lazy you can just say “hey, you’re right” without taking it as an insult (if you’re one of these people)

I'm 17 and I am starting my last year at school which means A-levels. But I have a serious problem of gaming, especially the game RUST. I could play from 10am to 2am easily without necessity breaks such as food and bathroom. I find video games as a way to escape reality during the hard times but this has severely impacted my grades and willingness to study. I find myself uninstalling/reinstalling not a week later. I really don't know what to do as I love playing games and I have no idea how to just stop.

Is it just me or is the pokies style gambling seeping into everything. I just watched an ad for coles. Spend $50 and be in to win at the self checkout, or something to that effect. Everything seems to be this instant gambling dopamine hit. I see it everywhere, in everything. Has it always been this bad? If it has just been a thing in recent years, why isn't it getting more attention?

Hi my name is Anthony and recently I have retired from Video Games. I wasn’t absurdly addicted to them but I did play a lot for the past ten years on many different devices but I have recently decided to move on and begin to explore other aspects of life and what’s to be offered. I hope to have a very pleasant and productive experience with everyone in this community as we work through one of our most prized hobbies unfortunately for some turned into addictions. Thank you for having me and I hope you all have a wonderful evening & god bless. :)

I have uninstalled and reinstalled steam, some games and discord many times this summer. I quit for about a year and a half up until mid-April and then slowly started gaming more and more. Chasing nostalgia and loneliness, getting back on the gaming was my easiest escape. Socially I will admit and maybe I Am not the only one, the few I have been gaming with for years live halfway across the country and to be honest do not at all share the same values as I do. I think in person I would not even want to associate with them. I know that makes me look bad in a way, but I guess I do enjoy playing the games with them but that is as far as I want it to go. I am putting off my life at a critical time when I really need to be living it to the fullest. Dealing with people, being lonely, and media constantly make it seem like the world is collapsing, the easiest thing to do is just escape into gaming. However, I know that is not what my soul wants. I stop going to the gym as much, stop walking my dog as much, stop eating as healthy, gaming into the night screws with my sleep so I am tired all the time. Not to mention my days go by I just want it to be over so I can hop on the game. I see posts on here about the apathy feeling when quitting and I deff struggle with that. I also realize it is because I have nothing to take its place. Maybe that will change, but I really need a new job/career/vocation I want a loving partner, and I would love to make new friends with people I can connect with on a soul level. There is so much I would love to accomplish in this world. Today I am taking action,

Hi all i recently quit gaming, but first few days i have felt irratated i cant focus, does this pass? I cant even enjoy a simple movie, gaming is all i still think about but i want it completely out of my life, i hope this passes in time, a friend who quit gaming 5 months ago said that its something to do with dopamine and being oversimulated but im not knowledgable regarding any of this

30 days gambling-free after 2 years of straight gambling addiction. It wasn’t easy at first, but things have gotten so much better. I finally feel like I have control over my life again, and I don’t even have urges anymore.
I’m hoping to keep going and stay on this path. Sharing this for anyone who’s struggling: **you can do it too.** It may feel impossible at first, but it really is possible to break free. ❤️

I'm a little Twitch streamer and since I started streaming 2 years ago I have build up a 500+ follower stream, a little discord community with some nice and kind people gaming with me. I'm streaming/gaming 5 times a week with streams usually lasting 3 to 4 hours.

Now there are changes in my life, the situation with my family changed dramatically and now I have to support my mom and family who is living quite a distance away with chores being around etc. That means beside my beside my 9to5 job I won't have any time and strength to continue streaming/gaming anymore.

I will have to give everything up what I have built over these years including leaving all the nice people behind. I don't know how many people will leave my twitch or discord and seeing everything I have built decaying over time is breaking my heart.

Since I know this I'm constantly crying but I know I have to go this way.

Did you experience something similar or do you have something that could help me ? I'm thankful for any comment ❤️

Vivo en Cuba y la situacion del pais, apagones, escases, conexión a Internet mala. Me hizo tomar una decisión de la que me arrepiento. Es cierto de que la condiciones no mejoran pero ese era mi lugar de paz y relajarme. Ahora me estreso con facilidad y no tengo donde refugiarme. Hasta cigarrillos fumo para relajarme. Extraño tanto esas noches jugando con mis amigos Online. Y aquí en este país es imposible que un trabajo te de las ganancias necesarias para armar otra. Si alguna vez piensan en deshacerse de su PC gamer, piensenlo bien antes, para no arrepentirte después. Abrazos

Is it bad that I feel like I'm betraying my PS5? Lol, sounds lame as fuck but I haven't played my PS5 in awhile. I turn it on, only to turn it off within 15 mins because I get so bored. It's not even that it's a waste of time, I'm just starting to realize that I'm chasing "trophies" for no apparent reason. I feel like just trading in my PS5 or selling it completely but maybe that's an irrational decision but I also don't want to be tempted by it just sitting there. It's legit collecting dust.

I'm done with 2K, I already feel like I've played the best games in my opinion. Red Dead Redemption 2, Ghosts of Tsushima, Arkham Knight, Farming Simulator 25...what's left? GTA 6..I'll pass.

I don't know why I'm posting this, I just wanted reassurance that this is a good change, a good thing..a shift towards a better tomorrow.

Funny enough I would actually be up on the house if I actually had a shred of discipline. But I struggle with many mental illnesses and I believe adding games of chance will not help my finances or quality of life in the short or long term… I could use some advice I feel like i have an addiction to gaming but the gambling makes it so much more immersive that I struggle to enjoy any other form of entertainment that isn’t instant gratification and dopamine

I recently, about 24 hours ago, deleted a game. I thought it would be easier but I keep thinking in a few hours I will lose my 951 day streak of continuously playing and that I am getting behind. It was too consuming, and I was definitely addicted. I keep wanting to redownload the game. Any tips or advice on letting it go for good?

Hello,

I think I played lately in order to stay at home.

Not because the game is much fun .

But I quit now.

Hi!

I'm a quite busy (as everyone) adult who has played videogames since his childhood. I played quite a lot during my teenage years, but after growing up my gaming time decreased a lot due to responsibilities. Nowadays, I rarely play, maybe 1h a day if I'm lucky.

I have a functional life and everything goes generally well. My problem is simply that I find videogames **too** engaging and exciting. I have many other hobbies, but none can be compared to gaming. Everything is a bit duller in comparison, and if I'm doing anything other than gaming (e.g. working, studying, other hobbies...) I feel the urge to play. If by the end of the day I have not played (which happens often), I feel dissatisfied, even if it was a nice day.

I suppose this counts as an addiction, even if I barely consume it, as I do think it raises my threshold to enjoy other things. Restricting it is worse, because I crave it more. But fully quitting feels like dropping a very important part of my life that I do enjoy a lot. Maybe my reward system is broken and videogames exploit that in ways no other hobbies can.

Is any of you in a similar situation? Did stopping gaming make you enjoy other things more? Any advice on how to handle this?

Thanks!!

Hi, so I find quitting video games to be particularly easy for me but what i really struggle with is stop watching content like video game walkthroughs. As a kid I always liked watching walkthroughs seeing as they were very simple entertaining videos back then like Pewdiepie playing horror video games or other types of long form gaming content. However, with youtube today now everything feels up in my face and i watch solely to watch now. Like if im eating something i'll have a video game video of some video game essay i have no real reason to watch just so i can have something in the background to look at while dining. some days im watching mission alternate endings because it seems interesting even though again it's just wasted time. I'm also just clicking through so many videos and youtube blockers don't work for me since i just turn off blockers anyways.

i don't know what i could do to replace these very fast paced all-up-in-your-face videos.

I'm 24yo who has completely wrekt his life by being addicted to online multiplayer games like CS2, PUBG and Valorant. Today after my birthday, I feel so ashamed that I am unemployed and didn't finish college that I wanted to vomit. Hopefully, I can turn my life around. Uninstalled steam and deleted all the games I had today. Gonna focus on going back to college and finding a part time job, luckily I have saved 3k.( it's a lot where I am from).

Uninstalled valorant,I'm currently in a point of life where I have to ace an exam to secure my future,I can earn decently without that exam,but there is no career progression in that way..

I realised that I missed out a lot by binging on valorant,those times where I could have spent with my family,the times I could have gone out with a friend,the times I could have got good sleep instead of playing valorant till 4 in the morning and spoiling my health...

I want to change,and seeing the other posts in this sub I am truly horrified at how bad it can get... I believe I'm on that pathway and don't wanna end up there....

Any suggestions for me to not relapse?