This Game Addicted Me.

elinurel

Please only pay attention/read to this Thread if you have patience for reading a lot of Text and eventually giving a hand. Thank you

Well, the title of the Thread says it all on short: This game addicted me. I tried so hard to overcome the addiction, you name it - get out there, find myself another hobby, uninstall it, delete all the files, delete my main character... But it keeps coming back to me. I keep wanting to re-install it and play after a while.
Why am I posting this Thread here? Because:
1: What better way to solve things than at the place where it all began.
2: I cannot afford professional advice in real life. I am still underage and unable to work where I live at, and my parents have quite a struggle with the financial crisis going on.


I just want to know if there is a way to overcome this PWI addiction in other ways than those mentioned above. The reasons I keep want to play are absolutely stupid if I think about it - reach a high level, beat my show offing pals in-game, and get nice fashions for my character. Maybe this "addiction" has it's roots at the complexion people in-game did to me laughing at my character's poverty and lack of shiny pixels? If that is the reason then anger might as well overcome addiction and I will be back to real-world, enjoying what I can do there and forget this despicable "drug" that is: MMORPG's. b:surrender

Shulkie - Dreamweaver

Raise a ticket explain the situation to Support, and ask them to perma ban your ip address/account.

as long as you have an account you will be tempted to return. to be honest if it is as bad as you say, then as long as you have a PC you will be tempted to return. ask your parents to move your pc out of your room (if that is where it is, into a shared area of the house) also ask they make your pc account restricted (so you cannot install the game again) if you need to use the pc for schoolwork etc

talk to your school see if they have an addiction counselor of some sort - usually education boards offer some sort of student support of this kind. they can at least direct you to a local support group who can assist you better than any responses you might get here.

also look here for some assistance: On-Line Gamers Anonymous

elinurel

Thing is most people I talked to (even my parents) said there's nothing wrong with playing a Game as long as you do not go overboard... Example: Ditch sleep or eating to play, neglect your needs (like holding yourself instead of going to the toilet for ages just because you want to play)

Looking back I do realise that I did not do any of those - I keep an eye on my playing time and never waste my entire day online if there's something better to do o.O Plus, my brakes from Gaming usually last weeks or months without any problems... The urge to play appears when I am simply bored out of my mind and need something entertaining to do. (I am not the type to "hang out" and go clubbing with friends or whatnot. All the friends I had in real life so far only betrayed me and mouthed me, they are unable to be entrusted with anything)

So when you play once in a while for a few hours and you always exit with no problem for your needs, is it still called addiction like some people say?
I do as stated above want to level there and get pretty stuff - but it would be useless. I don't play too much, level VERY slow, never pay real money on the game... And usually my factions and friends delete me there if say there's a whole lot of 4 weeks I do not enter the game at all. o.o

So, am I really addicted... Or just enjoying the game once in a while? It's all I really want to know. If I need help or it's alright as it is now.

Edit -- I do not have social problems, by the way. I socialize to people at my school/pals once in a while, but I do not really enjoy being around people for reasons stated above... I cannot find anyone sincere and truly caring. I am the closest to my parents though I have them and I need no one else. I prefer staying with them or just inside the house in a cozy place reading or painting than "get out there with people". I think it's normal, the world got more introvert people too, right? Creativity is my way of being "social" ^_^;

grimreaperhc

Hello Eli,

If I can call you that way of course. I read your posts and I can definitely relate them to me and tell you that you shouldn't be worried about being 'addicted' and stuff You're just playing a game, you have some goals set in front of you and you want to reach them, that's something normal. You've found a way to entertain yourself in some way and it's something normal that you want more and more of it.

You said that you have no problems with your sleep, regular eating etc. which is a clear sign that you are not addicted. I think that in fact you think too much about it and you are getting in some kind of paranoia ( not saying that you have some issues and stuff, don't get me wrong please ). To calm you down I`ll share a little of my past as an addicted gamer.

I used to play a game called 'Freelancer'. I've found a great server, had a lot of fun and met a lot of people. I was refusing to go out with friends sometimes, always been trying to get to the PC and play, been eating like only 1 or 2 times per day because I was busy with playing etc. For 2 years I had around 1000 hours of online time ( in Freelancer you can't just set up something like a catshop, if you're online then you're playing, if not - you are offline. ) which is like ... lemme see ... ~ 42 days ? Can you imagine spending a month and a half online ? Yes, I was doing that. My record of time spent playing is around 18 hours without a break. This is called addicting. Am I feeling kinda addicted to PWI ? Yes, I do. Why ? Because it's my only way to relax after I get back from the long and tiring day at work. I always love to go out with friends but we are kinda ... we are not like going somewhere to drink a coffee or a tea and go back home, we are like going around the city, playing dumb games, laughing and joking a lot and stuff which is pretty tiring for me after work while in PWI I can just relax and have some fun with my online mates.

Damn, got into too much explanations and stuff. So, I wanted to say that for me you're an ordinary boy/girl who enjoys the game. You're even playing too rarely if you're asking me, but that's my opinion. Nothing to worry about

elinurel

GrimReaperHC wrote: »

Hello Eli,

If I can call you that way of course. I read your posts and I can definitely relate them to me and tell you that you shouldn't be worried about being 'addicted' and stuff You're just playing a game, you have some goals set in front of you and you want to reach them, that's something normal. You've found a way to entertain yourself in some way and it's something normal that you want more and more of it.

You said that you have no problems with your sleep, regular eating etc. which is a clear sign that you are not addicted. I think that in fact you think too much about it and you are getting in some kind of paranoia ( not saying that you have some issues and stuff, don't get me wrong please ). To calm you down I`ll share a little of my past as an addicted gamer.

I used to play a game called 'Freelancer'. I've found a great server, had a lot of fun and met a lot of people. I was refusing to go out with friends sometimes, always been trying to get to the PC and play, been eating like only 1 or 2 times per day because I was busy with playing etc. For 2 years I had around 1000 hours of online time ( in Freelancer you can't just set up something like a catshop, if you're online then you're playing, if not - you are offline. ) which is like ... lemme see ... ~ 42 days ? Can you imagine spending a month and a half online ? Yes, I was doing that. My record of time spent playing is around 18 hours without a break. This is called addicting. Am I feeling kinda addicted to PWI ? Yes, I do. Why ? Because it's my only way to relax after I get back from the long and tiring day at work. I always love to go out with friends but we are kinda ... we are not like going somewhere to drink a coffee or a tea and go back home, we are like going around the city, playing dumb games, laughing and joking a lot and stuff which is pretty tiring for me after work while in PWI I can just relax and have some fun with my online mates.

Damn, got into too much explanations and stuff. So, I wanted to say that for me you're an ordinary boy/girl who enjoys the game. You're even playing too rarely if you're asking me, but that's my opinion. Nothing to worry about

Heh, of course you can call me Eli Your preference... And to send off confusions, I am a lady.

Thank you so much though for your reply - and even for your story. It helped me to understand that I am not really addicted after all, and just as you, I play it once in a while to relax and get over the anger that there is nothing good at TV or that I may not have the money to go outside and do something always (which is the case now, especially because it is winter and we are having a quite hard one... Nowhere to go without risking to get your bottom in bellow-waist depth snow b:chuckle )

Maybe it is the time to stop installing/uninstalling but just install it again, and leave it there even if I do not play for ages. It will be there when I will want to get back to it. Thank you once again! Happy to know that there's no serious addiction to worry for! ^^

grimreaperhc

You are welcome, madame, and I have to agree that winter can be nasty sometimes.
Have fun and take care