My addiction... My heroin. - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

zxello · 10-14-2007, 06:34 PM

11/22/2004 : The day world of warcraft is released, the day I became addicted to yet ANOTHER massive multiplayer online roleplaying game (mmorpg).

Off and on from that day forward I have been wholly addicted to my heroin, even when I would 'quit', it would always be there in the back of my mind. I have quit so many times and made so many excuses for that game that I joke about it now it an almost morbid humor.

10/13/2007 : The day I reinstalled WoW after more than an 8 month hiatus. I spent the rest of the night before bed debating on whether or not to reactivate my account and login. I disturbed multiple friends with weak-hearted pleas to help me. All fell on sarcastic ears; ears that thought it was a joke, ears that laughed back at me and jovially egged me on to re-enter that digital world.
I pass the night with sleep...

10/14/2007 : I wake up thinking 'Good job! You didn't subscribe last night, maybe you should uninstall it and be done with it.' Then in the back of my mind I get this feeling... a feeling that will NOT subside, an anxiety that is all but crippling - DO NOT UNINSTALL.
I distract myself with XBOX360, it is my day off of work, my girlfriend is feeling sick and I can't find comfort in her embrace. So I leave the house to go finish some chores I knew needed to be completed and using them as an excuse to be away from the computer, in the back of my mind knowing I would come back at some point. All this time I've told my less-than-supportive friends that it 'is just a matter of time until I break'. This is an addiction, absolutely an addiction.

I made it 2 hours. Finished my chore outside and returned to the comfort of my townhouse. Upon returning to my desk I once again attempt to distract myself with XBOX360, which only lasts so long. An hour passes, 2... I seek out the comfort of my old friend that I use to play with, hoping that he-to has quit. Alas, the first thing he mentions is about that addiction; he is playing as we speak.

That's it, I can't take it anymore. I'm bored out of my mind.
(Account Management > Reactivate account). I spend the next 2-3 hours organizing my interface and trying to get things to work. I finally get to to playing, I go out on my character to continue the 'grind'.

15 Minutes later I exit the game, cancel my account, and ask my buddy if he knows anyone that wants to buy an account for cheap, just to get it off my hands.

My addiction has broken. I truely feel that I have overcome it this time. This is not to say that I am completely free of it, but it is a large step. I have hope. This rant / testimonial ends just as abruptly as the experience it details. Feel free to discuss, I would love it.

Shauk · 10-14-2007, 08:28 PM

I hate this fucking game. Yet i still have 2 of my 3 accounts. Thats right, 3 motherfucking accounts WITH the expansion. I'm paying as much to PLAY a video game as the average person seems to spend on cellphone service and this is how I justify it, it's a communication tool for me because... sadly, every last person I know on the face of this planet plays this game now, partly because I introduced them to it.

now, I started with my girlfriend at the time, I was happy being a casual MMO'er back in the day with games like SWG and FFXI, UO, EQ, I never got "in to" them because I never made it to the end game.

WoW saw that thats probably where they lost most of thier subscription base in those games and basically made the level up portion easy and fun, and now have 9 MILLION people paying 15$ a month. They did something right, or horribly wrong. It's not thier problem it's the players who can't quit.

The numerous times I had tried to quit, I'd try to organize "real" social activities with my friends, go hang out with them, only to find out that they'd play wow, even my old favorite social past-time, LAN Parties, turned into a wow fest, hell, we even completely halted a lan party to down ragnaros for the 1st time as a guild. we felt having the "core" MT party all in the same room gave us a slight edge in the co-ordination we needed at the time to do it. and do it we did.

I realize, to me, it was always, and has always been, about the social interaction that I gain through these games.

I meet up with these people I play with IRL all the time, year after year at expo's and cons and such, they aren't just gamers, they're friends via a different method of reality.

this reality is so time consuming and unproductive though. It's a mental placebo, you are fed with rewards every step of the way, you go through an awesome journey both socially and visually, from a lowly peon to a bad-ass looking character that is something to be reckoned with.

it's just extracting what people want from them and giving it to them in a form that takes no real effort, only your time.

Instead of spending 4 hours in a dungeon killing false gods and dragons, I realized finally, I should have been spending that 4 hours doing something real, something that will improve ME, not my character. Education, Exercise, the "RL" grind, as you could call it.

sadly, I don't think i've overcome my addiction, I feel like as soon as I'm comfortable after my relocation, and find a good job, I'll find a reason to play again. 15$ is a cheap hit when it keeps you "high" all month long.

it's not the game's fault though, it's mine.

snowy · 10-14-2007, 08:33 PM

I wish you luck.

Everyone in my house plays World of Warcraft. I'm playing it right now. To me, it's just another form of entertainment, but I do understand that for some people it is more.

Halx · 10-14-2007, 08:34 PM

I was addicted for a long time. I cant say if it ruined my life or enabled me to ignore it, thus allowing it to fall apart. In any case, I told my then-fiancee that we had to quit, so we said our good-byes and didn't log in for a good 8 months. We re-started our playing a couple months ago, this time we're able to control our time and we can go whole weeks without playing. I'm not even interested in playing my old characters (except my hunter, who has shit for gear) instead, my wife and I level characters together at our own pace and just use it as another means to spend time together.

Plan9 · 10-14-2007, 08:40 PM

OP:

Try doing something outside the box.

It IS that easy.

Halx · 10-14-2007, 08:45 PM

I think using the term "outside the box" is most definitely inside the box.

JohnBua · 10-14-2007, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halx

I think using the term "outside the box" is most definitely inside the box.

Yup. Outside the box has jumped the shark.

Plan9 · 10-14-2007, 08:56 PM

You mean the world without video games isn't an expansion?

...

Fine. Screw you guys. I see how it is with the cool kids.

I'm going back to playing Starwars Galaxies again!

snowy · 10-14-2007, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin

You mean the world without video games isn't an expansion?

...

Fine. Screw you guys. I see how it is with the cool kids.

I'm going back to playing Starwars Galaxies again!

Hey, now, some of us are perfectly capable of playing World of Warcraft and living a regular life. Just yesterday I hiked up a 150 ft dune at the coast. Tomorrow I'll go to class, do yoga, go to work, and go to more class--and I might play some WoW in there. Just like I might read a book, watch a cartoon, or browse TFP.

It is possible to WoW healthily!

Plan9 · 10-14-2007, 09:02 PM

*Generalization 'Bot whines alive and churns out this:*

"According to addicts... it is also possible to use crack cocaine in a healthy manner."

...

Just messin' around. I'm addicted to touching myself and smoked almonds.

...

150 foot dune? Couldn't you find anything bigger? Jeez.

snowy · 10-14-2007, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin

*Generalization 'Bot whines alive and churns out this:*

"According to addicts... it is also possible to use crack cocaine in a healthy manner."

...

Just messin' around. I'm addicted to touching myself and smoked
almonds.

I'm addicted to the former, but not the latter.

Plan9 · 10-14-2007, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

I'm addicted to the former, but not the latter.

You're in luck then... I've got some nuts for you.

Willravel · 10-14-2007, 09:11 PM

Actual heroin story:

Quote:

Erin's problems started at about age 15 with alcohol. What started out innocently quickly turned into a full blown addiction. Erin fought her alcohol addiction for 3 years. She had been in and out of about 6 different rehabs, some of them 2 and 3 times. She had dropped out of high school and at one point was court ordered to a rehab in western Maryland. She was there for 90 days and while in treatment she got her G.E.D. When Erin got out she was able to stay clean for a year and a half. It seemed she had finally gotten her life together. She got a job and a car and she enrolled at Del. Tech.
One night while attending an AA meeting someone offered Erin Heroin. For whatever reason Erin tried it. She told me later that she was addicted after the first time. The first time she snorted the drug but it was soon after that she began using a needle.

Erin continued to use heroin for 2 years. She drove to Philly, into Kensington Everyday, sometimes more than once a day. She put herself in a lot of dangerous situations going up there. Erin was spending about $250 a day on heroin and cocaine, and she did whatever she had to do to get that money. She sold everything she owned, she sold other peoples things, she stole from her family and her friends. She eventually started selling the drugs to support her own habit.

At one point when Erin was very deep into her addiction, she got very sick. She had a heart attack in Philadelphia, her weight was down to 98 lbs. and she had trouble breathing so she had to use an inhaler to breathe properly. At that time she was seeing a therapist who suggested that she start going to the methadone clinic. Erin took his advice. She went there for about 4 months but at the same time she was still using heroin, just not as often. She got tired of going to the clinic everyday and standing in line for sometimes hours for the methadone and she decided to get off the methadone and the heroin and get some serious help.

She put herself in detox and was there for a week. Then the state sent her to a long term treatment center. Erin arrived at the center on a Friday, my husband and I went to visit her on Sunday to bring her clothes and personal things. On Monday Erin's cravings for heroin were so intense, so overwhelming that she ran away from the center, she hitchhiked to my place of business and she stole my car. She went to Kensington and while she was there she had the car stolen from her, she was beaten, raped and left in the streets. A lady found Erin and brought her to her house, cleaned her up fed her and told her she could use the phone if she needed to call someone. Erin called Pat, she is a family therapist who had been working with our family. She told Pat that she desperately needed help. Pat picked Erin up and gave her two choices. she could turn herself in for the car theft or she could continue to live the way she had been living.

Erin chose to turn herself in. At her bail hearing my husband begged the judge to make her bail so high that she souldn't be able to get out, which he did. I remember her calling me that night begging me to bail her out of jail, we couldn't do it because we knew that this was our last chance to keep her alive.

At her hearing for the felony car theft, my husband told the judge he would drop the charges if Erin could get some kind of help for her addiction. The judge agreed and sentenced Erin to the Crest. The Crest is a treatment center that is part of the prison system. There weren't any beds available right away so Erin had to spend 5 months in the wome's prison. While she was in prison we got to see Erin one hour a week. Erin spent Christmas in prison that year but not with her family because it wasn't a visiting day. Finally a bed became available at the Crest and Erin was accepted. She was there for 4 months when she had gotten far enough in the program to get out on work release. She got a job at a coffee shop. She would go to work in the morning and then back to the Crest after work. By this time Erin had been clean, drug free for 9 months.

Erin called me one night and asked me to take her to work the next day. She needed to get some blood work done before work and was afraid if she took the bus she would be late. I picked Erin up at the Crest that morning and we went to get her blood work done. When she came out of the office she was clearly upset. She was shaking, sobbing and doubled over with stomach pains. It was like she was going through withdrawal. She told me that as soon as the nurse put the needle in her arm to get the blood it triggered something and made her think about using heroin again. I tried to tell erin to put it out of her mind, to not think about it. I found out later that it was easier said than done.

We went out to the car and Erin put in this Pink Floyd tape and this song "Wish You Were Here". Out of the blue Erin said to me "Mom, I love this song, if I ever die will you play it at my funeral?" I said I would if I was still around, and that we had no reason to be talking about funerals.

We got her to work and it was still early, Erin brought me into the Franciscan center which was right next door to where she worked. Erin told me she went there every morning to pray and meditate and get her head clear before work. We sat in this little chapel and talked for a while. Erin seemed to be feeling a little better. I didn't want to leave her but I had to get to work. Erin walked me out to my car. She gave me a hug and a kiss and she said "I love you mom". I said "I love you too". As I was getting in the car I said "Wait Erin you forgot your Pink Floyd tape". She said "that's alright, hold on to it".

I watched her go into work.

Later that night I got a call from the Crest. They said Erin never returned from work. They said if she wasn't back by 11 o'clock they pere going to put a warrant out for her arrest.

I found out months later that Erin did call the Crest that morning. She told she was having a difficult time, they sent a couple of counselors out to talk with her but apparently they thought she was well enough to stay at work.

When I got off the phone with the Crest I started to think about that morning and how much pain Erin was in and I got worried. I called My friend Pat in Philly, and asked her to go to Kensingtonj to look for Erin. She went out looking a few nights. then one night she spotted Erin in Kensington and they made eye contact. Erin jumped into a car with someone and took off. Pat tried to catch up to them but they lost her. That was the first time Erin had run away from help.

Later I was at work when I got a phone call from the Philadelphia coroners office, they said they had my daughter, she was dead from an apparent heroin overdose. I called my husband and I called Pat, she came down from Philly to get us. When we got to the office it was the most impersonal experience I had ever had. I felt like to them this was just another dead junkie, this is something they see every day. We didn't get to hold Erin, or touch her. They just put my husband and I in a room, turned of the lights and turned on a computer screen.

On the screen was Erin's face.

Marie Allen

http://www.heroinalert.org/story.htm

Plan9 · 10-14-2007, 09:17 PM

Catholic Priest says:

"Don't play this WoW. It'll lead your 15 year old daughter to smack."
...

Life lessons ROCK!

n0nsensical · 10-14-2007, 09:17 PM

Is being addicted to WoW really so bad? If "real life" wasn't so boring and pointless it might not be so attractive, I say, it's not going to kill you, play on.

Plan9 · 10-14-2007, 09:27 PM

WillRavel doesn't play Wow for an important reason.

He couldn't find any reference to "rape nubile young village girls" in the attack command list.

zxello · 10-14-2007, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n0nsensical

Is being addicted to WoW really so bad? If "real life" wasn't so boring and pointless it might not be so attractive, I say, it's not going to kill you, play on.

n0nsensical: I find this to be completely unwarranted. I enjoy life to the fullest, I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and exploring the world. Yet wow will take that over. I 100% believe that MMO-Addiction is a legit disease, and I experience it.

Willravel · 10-14-2007, 10:01 PM

That's why I posted the heroin story, zxello, to show the important difference between psychological and chemical dependence.

I've had a few friends addicted to heroin. It's no laughing matter.

Plan9 · 10-14-2007, 10:03 PM

*levels up his common sense by not playing video games too much*

Infinite_Loser · 10-14-2007, 10:04 PM

It's easy to quit. Just give all your stuff away

Lokus · 10-14-2007, 10:29 PM

I eventually had to quit because it dominated my virtual and to some extent, real, life. Whenever I got together with my friends all we'd talk about was WoW, any free time I had went towards grinding that next level or bit of gold. Anyway, I quit months ago but I'm too lazy to sell my account or maybe it's just sitting there as temptation. Unfortunately I have Halo 3 now and all my real life friends play it.

pai mei · 10-14-2007, 10:53 PM

I did quit WOW by selling my account, but I am tempted to start again . Even if I am bored with it, the fun was in the beginning when neither I or anybody else knew nothing about the game, now I know everything, and there are things I would change
I think quiting because you have too much and become bored is the only real quiting from anything.
I think it applies even to drugs - but they kill you before you get bored

Hyacinthe · 10-15-2007, 12:36 AM

I've played mmorpgs for the last 5 years or so without a problem - I'm a bit like Yowl I balance real life and games. I have however seen some people that have major problems with it.

I'm in a high end raiding guild, I go to uni, the gym, work, dance classes and spend time with my friends. But I am also a schedule addict

To me scheduling time in for a raid or an event I want to do is no different then scheduling in a study group for human biology or my psych classes.

analog · 10-15-2007, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin

WillRavel doesn't play Wow for an important reason.

He couldn't find any reference to "rape nubile young village girls" in the attack command list.

I was reading all your posts, and found myself confused by what I was reading- but suddenly, it dawned on me; you think you're funny.

There's a fine line between "being funny" and "acting like a dick". How about joining the discussion?

Nisses · 10-15-2007, 03:20 AM

Analog, it's still his right to try and be funny (even tho I feel he failed at it too).

As far as the discussion goes:

I'm playing WoW about 3 times a week, for 3h (raiding at fixed hours). I can honestly say, the fun of the game is starting to wane... Can't stop playing quite just yet tho, because of the social factor, lots of friends play it too, and when you get together, it's a vital piece of discussion (sad, I know).

For the OP: Here's how I think it'll go ... You'll still keep thinking back to the good old days when it was fun and you spent nights just playing probably.
However, even if you do start again, you'll end up trying it for a week or 2 and giving back up. The so-called ever-new and never-ending possibilities of this game are far from that.

You've seen most of it before, and the content you haven't seen yet, takes too much time and effort for any productive member of a social society to see (unless he's lucky and gets to tag along with a group that basically carry him through).

I've had the same thing happen with the Tie Fighter games (LucasArts ruled at that time

) with UFO:Enemy Unknown, with EarthSiege and the like, ...

The point is, you will get over it, and once it's done, the "magic" is gone.

Then years later, you reinstall, try it again, and still quit the game 1h later.

Now all you have to wonder is: will I be able to resist in about a year's time when an expansion is released? Will I pass up on the new content and new stuff to try?

tecoyah · 10-15-2007, 03:28 AM

I remeber clearly a day about three weeks after this game was released. I looked at the game, held it in my hands (had many friends who were hyping the fun to me), and remember consciously telling myself I didnt need more distraction in my life. I put it back in the rack....and walked away.

I am so very glad I did...heh.

Esoteric · 10-15-2007, 04:40 AM

Yeah, I used to be hardcore when I first started playing.

Now I play once a week with my RL friend who is my 2v2 arena partner. Usually I log on Sunday or Monday and we knock out 10 games for arena and I'm done until the next week.

Crack · 10-15-2007, 05:23 AM

If you have never sucked dick to play warcraft, then you are not addicted.

/is addicted

xepherys · 10-15-2007, 05:47 AM

I just don't understand addiction... If you aren't happy doing something, stop doing it. Smoking? Drinking? Playing WoW? Just stop. It's really NOT that hard if you put some oompf into it!

Chiyachan · 10-15-2007, 08:42 AM

I managed to get off Runescape finally, transferring to Guild Wars... weaning myself off that slowly... Too much CS and TF2 though.
I'm a gamer at heart, and that won't change.
If you're a gamer, and life has nothing better, is there something wrong with addiction-ness?
Just be sure to breath fresh air and get exercise too

Ustwo · 10-15-2007, 09:02 AM

First off its not a fucking disease.

We live in a society where pop psychologists will call anything thats negative or self destructive a disease.

I don't buy this type of thinking.

What its called is spending too much time with your hobby. Yes you like to do it, yes its designed to sucker you in, and while I find that type of game design to be a turn off in the long run, obviously others don't.

End result is quiting is as easy as not doing it anymore. Have I wasted too much time playing video games, especially MMO's? Yes, in fact I think they are ultimately destructive to society as I have a feeling a lot of great ideas are not being worked on because the guy with the idea needs to get a new purple item which will be outdated in the next patch.

But its still not a disease.

Willravel · 10-15-2007, 09:28 AM

Disease can have a lot of meanings, but comparing World of Warcraft to heroin even as a joke is pretty inappropriate. Even as a 'pop psychologist' (not practicing or licensed), I recognize that there is a marked difference between psychological and chemical addiction.

Jinn · 10-15-2007, 09:37 AM

Quote:

First off its not a fucking disease.

We live in a society where pop psychologists will call anything thats negative or self destructive a disease.

I don't buy this type of thinking.

What its called is spending too much time with your hobby.

Agree 100%, and will too:

Quote:

, I recognize that there is a marked difference between psychological and chemical addiction.

I think people confuse inability to stop with no desire to stop. Having an "addiction" to a video game is not a physical or chemical addiction, so you do not lack the ability to stop. What you lack is the desire to do so.

As you get into 'harder' addictions, the addiction becomes more and more inability to stop and less and less desire to stop. Both aspects are still there, but physical and chemical addictions can make you physically unable to stop, and in the case of alcohol and barbiturates, fatal to stop.

In the case of a gaming addiction, you're not going to suffer any deleterious health effects by stopping. It has absolutely nothing to do with inability to stop, and everything to do with not having a desire to.

And rightly so. If you have a desire to do something, why not keep doing it? The only time you should consider NOT doing something you strongly enjoy is it if it dramatically cutting into time you 'wish' you had to do OTHER things you enjoy. The trick is always finding a balance of all the things that you enjoy.

Sweetpea · 10-15-2007, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willravel

That's why I posted the heroin story, zxello, to show the important difference between psychological and chemical dependence.

I've had a few friends addicted to heroin. It's no laughing matter.

I'd like to thank both Willravel and Snowy for bringing good points to this "discussion."

OP, if you think you are literally addicted to WoW, takes steps to change that, find some balance... if you sincerely think you are mentally or emotionally addicted to how the game makes you feel... I would suggest you seek couseling, it can be beneficial in changing habits that are destructive.

Thanks,
sweetpea

Willravel · 10-15-2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JinnKai

I think people confuse inability to stop with no desire to stop. Having an "addiction" to a video game is not a physical or chemical addiction, so you do not lack the ability to stop. What you lack is the desire to do so.

An excellent point. 'Addiction' is something fueled by compulsion, not a good time that is enjoyed and that would not result in withdrawal if stopped. While I believe that some people can be addicted to video games, I suspect that the instances are exceedingly rare and that most people who self diagnose do so more for novel reasons (trying to be funny) than anything else. While I don't mind people being funny or what have you, I hope people would understand that if you were truly addicted, you would be in a dire situation.

And Sweetpea, thank you for your thank you!

Shauk · 10-15-2007, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crack

If you have never sucked dick to play warcraft, then you are not addicted.

/is addicted

how about holding up a raid because me, the healer, was doinking the other healer?

any fyi, it's a fucking addiction, it's in the same vein as complulsive gambling or behavioral disorders. People have DIED from being addicted to playing MMO's, people have let thier children die due to neglect (oh shit you forgot to feed the baby in the last week! sorry hon! I was pvp'ing!)

http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/gateway_addiction.html

people call in sick for work so they can "grind a little longer" or they don't want to miss a raid, or they cancel thier RL social events, eventually some of them even lose touch with their friends entirely, or go so far as to make thier friend start playing as well.

zxello · 10-15-2007, 08:05 PM

How can any of you say its not an addiction? I would first ask this: For those of you that say it is NOT an addiction, who has actually played world of warcraft and wanted to keep playing.

Second: Here is a partial reason for why I say it's my addiction, my heroin.

Source: Dictionary: Addiction - the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

I actually said this: 'Hey man, It's taking every ounce of will power to not get my discs and install'

Now .... discs:needles, install:shoot up

As soon as I realised what I had said, I felt an overwhelming urge to play WoW and to vomit, I said to myself 'holy crap I sound like im a heroin addict'.

Willravel · 10-15-2007, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zxello

How can any of you say its not an addiction?

Hi, I'm Willravel. I went to a way-too-expensive school to study psychology. I graduated with a near 4.0. My mother is a prominent doctor of psychology.

I'm not saying you're not addicted. I'm saying that the thread title is comparing apples to what may or may not be oranges. I can't say whether you're addicted or not, but what I can tell you is that if you're addicted to a video game it's very, very different than a biochemical dependence on a substance like heroin. I happen to have known a few people who had troubles with addictive substances. Until you've stolen your mother's wedding ring to pay for your online account and you no longer live indoors, it's not quite the same thing.

Baraka_Guru · 10-15-2007, 08:22 PM

Also, if you feel a great sense of guilt after having partaken in the activity, you might be more addicted than you think. If you log off of WoW and feel a great urge to cry after you come to your senses...you might be rather addicted.

...especially if the urge to play, despite crying, comes back to you shorty thereafter.

Shauk · 10-15-2007, 08:56 PM

acknowledge my post damnit lol.

10-14-2007, 06:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
zxello Addict Location: P-Town, WA	My addiction... My heroin. 11/22/2004 : The day world of warcraft is released, the day I became addicted to yet ANOTHER massive multiplayer online roleplaying game (mmorpg). Off and on from that day forward I have been wholly addicted to my heroin, even when I would 'quit', it would always be there in the back of my mind. I have quit so many times and made so many excuses for that game that I joke about it now it an almost morbid humor. 10/13/2007 : The day I reinstalled WoW after more than an 8 month hiatus. I spent the rest of the night before bed debating on whether or not to reactivate my account and login. I disturbed multiple friends with weak-hearted pleas to help me. All fell on sarcastic ears; ears that thought it was a joke, ears that laughed back at me and jovially egged me on to re-enter that digital world. I pass the night with sleep... 10/14/2007 : I wake up thinking 'Good job! You didn't subscribe last night, maybe you should uninstall it and be done with it.' Then in the back of my mind I get this feeling... a feeling that will NOT subside, an anxiety that is all but crippling - DO NOT UNINSTALL. I distract myself with XBOX360, it is my day off of work, my girlfriend is feeling sick and I can't find comfort in her embrace. So I leave the house to go finish some chores I knew needed to be completed and using them as an excuse to be away from the computer, in the back of my mind knowing I would come back at some point. All this time I've told my less-than-supportive friends that it 'is just a matter of time until I break'. This is an addiction, absolutely an addiction. I made it 2 hours. Finished my chore outside and returned to the comfort of my townhouse. Upon returning to my desk I once again attempt to distract myself with XBOX360, which only lasts so long. An hour passes, 2... I seek out the comfort of my old friend that I use to play with, hoping that he-to has quit. Alas, the first thing he mentions is about that addiction; he is playing as we speak. That's it, I can't take it anymore. I'm bored out of my mind. (Account Management > Reactivate account). I spend the next 2-3 hours organizing my interface and trying to get things to work. I finally get to to playing, I go out on my character to continue the 'grind'. 15 Minutes later I exit the game, cancel my account, and ask my buddy if he knows anyone that wants to buy an account for cheap, just to get it off my hands. My addiction has broken. I truely feel that I have overcome it this time. This is not to say that I am completely free of it, but it is a large step. I have hope. This rant / testimonial ends just as abruptly as the experience it details. Feel free to discuss, I would love it. __________________ Old signature just wasn't doing it for me anymore, so now I have this new one. It's equally as stupid but at least it looks really long. I'm probably just going to keep typing until I run out of things to babble about and see how many people actually read this. I once ran down a hill, fell down and hurt my elbow; my mom said I would be ok, she kissed it and made it all better. I've run out of things to say now, so if you have read this whole thing, congratulations you get a gold star!

10-14-2007, 08:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	I wish you luck. Everyone in my house plays World of Warcraft. I'm playing it right now. To me, it's just another form of entertainment, but I do understand that for some people it is more. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-14-2007, 08:34 PM	#4 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	I was addicted for a long time. I cant say if it ruined my life or enabled me to ignore it, thus allowing it to fall apart. In any case, I told my then-fiancee that we had to quit, so we said our good-byes and didn't log in for a good 8 months. We re-started our playing a couple months ago, this time we're able to control our time and we can go whole weeks without playing. I'm not even interested in playing my old characters (except my hunter, who has shit for gear) instead, my wife and I level characters together at our own pace and just use it as another means to spend time together. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

10-14-2007, 08:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	OP: Try doing something outside the box. It IS that easy. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

10-14-2007, 08:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	I think using the term "outside the box" is most definitely inside the box. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

10-14-2007, 08:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
Shauk Confused Adult Location: Spokane, WA	I hate this fucking game. Yet i still have 2 of my 3 accounts. Thats right, 3 motherfucking accounts WITH the expansion. I'm paying as much to PLAY a video game as the average person seems to spend on cellphone service and this is how I justify it, it's a communication tool for me because... sadly, every last person I know on the face of this planet plays this game now, partly because I introduced them to it. now, I started with my girlfriend at the time, I was happy being a casual MMO'er back in the day with games like SWG and FFXI, UO, EQ, I never got "in to" them because I never made it to the end game. WoW saw that thats probably where they lost most of thier subscription base in those games and basically made the level up portion easy and fun, and now have 9 MILLION people paying 15$ a month. They did something right, or horribly wrong. It's not thier problem it's the players who can't quit. The numerous times I had tried to quit, I'd try to organize "real" social activities with my friends, go hang out with them, only to find out that they'd play wow, even my old favorite social past-time, LAN Parties, turned into a wow fest, hell, we even completely halted a lan party to down ragnaros for the 1st time as a guild. we felt having the "core" MT party all in the same room gave us a slight edge in the co-ordination we needed at the time to do it. and do it we did. I realize, to me, it was always, and has always been, about the social interaction that I gain through these games. I meet up with these people I play with IRL all the time, year after year at expo's and cons and such, they aren't just gamers, they're friends via a different method of reality. this reality is so time consuming and unproductive though. It's a mental placebo, you are fed with rewards every step of the way, you go through an awesome journey both socially and visually, from a lowly peon to a bad-ass looking character that is something to be reckoned with. it's just extracting what people want from them and giving it to them in a form that takes no real effort, only your time. Instead of spending 4 hours in a dungeon killing false gods and dragons, I realized finally, I should have been spending that 4 hours doing something real, something that will improve ME, not my character. Education, Exercise, the "RL" grind, as you could call it. sadly, I don't think i've overcome my addiction, I feel like as soon as I'm comfortable after my relocation, and find a good job, I'll find a reason to play again. 15$ is a cheap hit when it keeps you "high" all month long. it's not the game's fault though, it's mine.

10-14-2007, 08:56 PM	#8 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	You mean the world without video games isn't an expansion? ... Fine. Screw you guys. I see how it is with the cool kids. I'm going back to playing Starwars Galaxies again! __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

10-14-2007, 09:02 PM	#10 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	*Generalization 'Bot whines alive and churns out this:* "According to addicts... it is also possible to use crack cocaine in a healthy manner." ... Just messin' around. I'm addicted to touching myself and smoked almonds. ... 150 foot dune? Couldn't you find anything bigger? Jeez. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

10-14-2007, 09:17 PM	#14 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	Catholic Priest says: "Don't play this WoW. It'll lead your 15 year old daughter to smack." ... Life lessons ROCK! __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

10-14-2007, 09:17 PM	#15 (permalink)
n0nsensical Junkie Location: San Francisco	Is being addicted to WoW really so bad? If "real life" wasn't so boring and pointless it might not be so attractive, I say, it's not going to kill you, play on. Last edited by n0nsensical; 10-14-2007 at 09:28 PM..

10-14-2007, 09:27 PM	#16 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	WillRavel doesn't play Wow for an important reason. He couldn't find any reference to "rape nubile young village girls" in the attack command list. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

10-14-2007, 10:01 PM	#18 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	That's why I posted the heroin story, zxello, to show the important difference between psychological and chemical dependence. I've had a few friends addicted to heroin. It's no laughing matter.

10-14-2007, 10:03 PM	#19 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	*levels up his common sense by not playing video games too much* __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

10-14-2007, 10:04 PM	#20 (permalink)
Infinite_Loser Junkie Location: Lake Mary, FL	It's easy to quit. Just give all your stuff away __________________ I believe in equality; Everyone is equally inferior to me.

10-14-2007, 10:29 PM	#21 (permalink)
Lokus I can't think of a good title Location: East Bay Area, CA	I eventually had to quit because it dominated my virtual and to some extent, real, life. Whenever I got together with my friends all we'd talk about was WoW, any free time I had went towards grinding that next level or bit of gold. Anyway, I quit months ago but I'm too lazy to sell my account or maybe it's just sitting there as temptation. Unfortunately I have Halo 3 now and all my real life friends play it. __________________ The black wind howls...

10-14-2007, 10:53 PM	#22 (permalink)
pai mei Insane	I did quit WOW by selling my account, but I am tempted to start again . Even if I am bored with it, the fun was in the beginning when neither I or anybody else knew nothing about the game, now I know everything, and there are things I would change I think quiting because you have too much and become bored is the only real quiting from anything. I think it applies even to drugs - but they kill you before you get bored

10-15-2007, 12:36 AM	#23 (permalink)
Hyacinthe Psycho Location: Australia	I've played mmorpgs for the last 5 years or so without a problem - I'm a bit like Yowl I balance real life and games. I have however seen some people that have major problems with it. I'm in a high end raiding guild, I go to uni, the gym, work, dance classes and spend time with my friends. But I am also a schedule addict To me scheduling time in for a raid or an event I want to do is no different then scheduling in a study group for human biology or my psych classes. __________________ "I want to be remembered as the girl who always smiles even when her heart is broken... and the one that could brighten up your day even if she couldnt brighten her own" "Her emotions were clear waters. You could see the scarring and pockmarks at the bottom of the pool, but it was just a part of her landscape – the consequences of others’ actions in which she claimed no part."

10-15-2007, 03:20 AM	#25 (permalink)
Nisses Shade Location: Belgium	Analog, it's still his right to try and be funny (even tho I feel he failed at it too). As far as the discussion goes: I'm playing WoW about 3 times a week, for 3h (raiding at fixed hours). I can honestly say, the fun of the game is starting to wane... Can't stop playing quite just yet tho, because of the social factor, lots of friends play it too, and when you get together, it's a vital piece of discussion (sad, I know). For the OP: Here's how I think it'll go ... You'll still keep thinking back to the good old days when it was fun and you spent nights just playing probably. However, even if you do start again, you'll end up trying it for a week or 2 and giving back up. The so-called ever-new and never-ending possibilities of this game are far from that. You've seen most of it before, and the content you haven't seen yet, takes too much time and effort for any productive member of a social society to see (unless he's lucky and gets to tag along with a group that basically carry him through). I've had the same thing happen with the Tie Fighter games (LucasArts ruled at that time ) with UFO:Enemy Unknown, with EarthSiege and the like, ... The point is, you will get over it, and once it's done, the "magic" is gone. Then years later, you reinstall, try it again, and still quit the game 1h later. Now all you have to wonder is: will I be able to resist in about a year's time when an expansion is released? Will I pass up on the new content and new stuff to try? __________________ Moderation should be moderately moderated. Last edited by Nisses; 10-15-2007 at 03:23 AM..

10-15-2007, 03:28 AM	#26 (permalink)
tecoyah Illusionary	I remeber clearly a day about three weeks after this game was released. I looked at the game, held it in my hands (had many friends who were hyping the fun to me), and remember consciously telling myself I didnt need more distraction in my life. I put it back in the rack....and walked away. I am so very glad I did...heh. __________________ Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

10-15-2007, 04:40 AM	#27 (permalink)
Esoteric Tired Location: Florida	Yeah, I used to be hardcore when I first started playing. Now I play once a week with my RL friend who is my 2v2 arena partner. Usually I log on Sunday or Monday and we knock out 10 games for arena and I'm done until the next week.

10-15-2007, 05:23 AM	#28 (permalink)
Crack Misanthropic Location: Ohio! yay!	If you have never sucked dick to play warcraft, then you are not addicted. /is addicted __________________ Crack, you and I are long overdue for a vicious bout of mansex. ~Halx

10-15-2007, 05:47 AM	#29 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	I just don't understand addiction... If you aren't happy doing something, stop doing it. Smoking? Drinking? Playing WoW? Just stop. It's really NOT that hard if you put some oompf into it! __________________ The prospect of achieving a peace agreement with the extremist group of MILF is almost impossible... -- Emmanuel Pinol, Governor of Cotobato My Homepage

10-15-2007, 08:42 AM	#30 (permalink)
Chiyachan Tilted Location: Swindon	I managed to get off Runescape finally, transferring to Guild Wars... weaning myself off that slowly... Too much CS and TF2 though. I'm a gamer at heart, and that won't change. If you're a gamer, and life has nothing better, is there something wrong with addiction-ness? Just be sure to breath fresh air and get exercise too

10-15-2007, 09:02 AM	#31 (permalink)
Ustwo Pissing in the cornflakes	First off its not a fucking disease. We live in a society where pop psychologists will call anything thats negative or self destructive a disease. I don't buy this type of thinking. What its called is spending too much time with your hobby. Yes you like to do it, yes its designed to sucker you in, and while I find that type of game design to be a turn off in the long run, obviously others don't. End result is quiting is as easy as not doing it anymore. Have I wasted too much time playing video games, especially MMO's? Yes, in fact I think they are ultimately destructive to society as I have a feeling a lot of great ideas are not being worked on because the guy with the idea needs to get a new purple item which will be outdated in the next patch. But its still not a disease. __________________ Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

10-15-2007, 09:28 AM	#32 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Disease can have a lot of meanings, but comparing World of Warcraft to heroin even as a joke is pretty inappropriate. Even as a 'pop psychologist' (not practicing or licensed), I recognize that there is a marked difference between psychological and chemical addiction.

10-15-2007, 08:05 PM	#37 (permalink)
zxello Addict Location: P-Town, WA	How can any of you say its not an addiction? I would first ask this: For those of you that say it is NOT an addiction, who has actually played world of warcraft and wanted to keep playing. Second: Here is a partial reason for why I say it's my addiction, my heroin. Source: Dictionary: Addiction - the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma. I actually said this: 'Hey man, It's taking every ounce of will power to not get my discs and install' Now .... discs:needles, install:shoot up As soon as I realised what I had said, I felt an overwhelming urge to play WoW and to vomit, I said to myself 'holy crap I sound like im a heroin addict'. __________________ Old signature just wasn't doing it for me anymore, so now I have this new one. It's equally as stupid but at least it looks really long. I'm probably just going to keep typing until I run out of things to babble about and see how many people actually read this. I once ran down a hill, fell down and hurt my elbow; my mom said I would be ok, she kissed it and made it all better. I've run out of things to say now, so if you have read this whole thing, congratulations you get a gold star!

10-15-2007, 08:22 PM	#39 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Also, if you feel a great sense of guilt after having partaken in the activity, you might be more addicted than you think. If you log off of WoW and feel a great urge to cry after you come to your senses...you might be rather addicted. ...especially if the urge to play, despite crying, comes back to you shorty thereafter. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 10-15-2007 at 08:25 PM..

10-15-2007, 08:56 PM	#40 (permalink)
Shauk Confused Adult Location: Spokane, WA	acknowledge my post damnit lol.