Addiction worry

[phil06]

Can anybody give me any advice? I have just got the xbox on live and suddenly become addicted and I'm worried as I only spent half an hour on it before a week. Now it's like 5 or 6 hours a day maybe..

I'm worried I'm becoming a computer geek as I can't get myself off it. I have had panic attacks and numb feelings after it. I even had to unplug it a few nights back to stop me going on. I'm worried I will waste my life away as the day has vanished from me.

I know it sounds silly. :wacko:

[CJH86]

I got myself X-box live a while back....i spent agggeeesss on it then after a few weeks got bored of it, and very angry when i didnt get more than 10 kills on halo 3 so i stopped almost completely :blush:.

Its a great way of wasting time, my boyfriend however was wasting stupid amounts of time on the damn thing and started kicking himself over it..... so he times himself for an hour or so (or 5 game limit of halo, pro evo etc etc etc:D) then tells himself thats it.....works a treat.

[braderz]

its just because xbox live is addictive , i am on all da time on call of duty , it dosent bother me as i no its normal lol besides my panic attacks occur wen im owt and not at home, its strange but then again so is life haha keep playin !!!!

[goingmadder]

Hey Phil,

Me again : )

Xbox live and other gaming consoles even PCs are addictive as they provide us with escapisim from our daily lives. This in itself isn't a big deal as long as we are aware of it and don't use it to escape from all our problems.. simply because when e come off the game the problems are still htere waiting to be dealt with..

As with anything, moderation is the key. Play it by all means play on but when something gets in the way of your life then it is an addiction and can lead to bigger problems... Like ignoring your friends or family or girlfriend, ignoring other tasks you should be getting done, causing you to be mentally exhausted as over time you atart to map the games out in your head and find that even while not playing you're thinking of what strategies to use next time... this happend to me with the online game Left 4 dead (which btw is an awesome awesome game)

CJ's idea sounds great... Give yourself a reasonable amount of timeplay ... and when its up switch off and give something else your full attention...

aslo if you are using it as a form of escapisim... what are you escaping from? perhaps there are issues you need to face head on ...

Over all though playing a game for a while every day is no different to watching crappy day time tv or listening to the radio ...

Remember everything in moderation

big hugs

X

[eurotrashcub]

Goingmadder is so right.

You should try to limit yourself to a couple of hours a day and engage in other things as well, things that might be more productive (exercise, reading, cleaning, walking, whatever makes you feel better)

If you are anxious and depressed, a bit of light exercise can do wonders...

I mean I am well unfit but whenver i manage to walk for 30 minutes or get out or whatever, i feel so much better.

ANyway, back to work!

[cheeringup]

Hi

I regularly lose my other half to "call of duty" on a daily basis - I think its perfectly normal to want to play it so much.

I do have to say though - if I hear "send in the dogs" (you know what Im talking about - lol !!!) I might actually leave him!!! ha ha!

Hope your well

Raine x

[phil06]

I managed to unplug it since this post and today's the first I have been back on done some other things like watch a DVD, work, watch tv, browse online.

I just suffer a doubt in myself so have to take these kind of precocious steps like unplug the wires. It probably sounds silly but I'm battling with a bit of OCD at the same time. My OCD anxiety has trained my mind to avoid things and think anything I do repetitive or more often than regular is abnormal and I've developed an addiction..my mind thinks abut going crazy, affecting my life, ruining it. It's all a fear of the mind, scared of my own...