Addicted To World Of Warcraft

My spirit goes out to you my friend. It was my game of choice, too. It is a courageous step to stop, to delete you files and cancel your subscription. You are in the right place. Talk to other members, read, and listen, attend an online meeting and keep coming back!

ET

Welcome to OLGA MC. I'm so glad you found us! I didn't play WoW but I played Second Life and was sucked so far into that game it was my world. I felt like I was my avatar and not myself. I totally know how it is with the lying. I lied for years to my husband and it put a wedge between us. It's awful. We are addicts.

I encourage you to post here and read the responses and then come to the meetings if you can. Click on the tab at the top to find a meeting that fits your schedule. Also, many can be recovery buddies here too that you can reach out to and talk with, and eventually you might elect to find a sponsor here.

All I know is I would've lost my marriage had it not been for OLGA. I came here and never left. Just keep coming back ok? And I know it's hard, but try to be patient about it. This is a HUGE step you took. Things don't change overnight but each time you come back here and reach out, you are taking a step in your recovery.

BIG HUGS

I too am a WoW survivor. I got into the game with open beta and completely became absorbed in it until two years ago where I managed to stop playing it. I managed to not play the last complete expansion, and I'm thrilled.

I would suggest you get to the nightly chat meetings. We can help you. Expect withdrawals. Oh yes, I had major withdrawals.

And keep writing! Welcome and hugs.

Welcome to OLGA Manchild! Hope you could make the daily meeting at 9 pm Eastern time.

Welcome Man Child,

Breaking away is the hardest part, well done for getting this far and recignising that you had a problem. I also noticed my life melting away while I was glued to pixcels in my final year of education.

This place helps, we're here for you. try and get to a chat or video meeting, your not alone.

Other fellowships such as CoDA and NA could also help you, Thankyou so much for joining our community.

Becca

That sounds like a very good idea, I find the step ones are great reading materials, as they help me remember why I'm doing this.

http://www.olganon.org/?q=node/27592

When I was coming off the games I was really hard on myself, then someone told me to just be thankful and pleased with myself for every moment I abstain. It does get better, it won't happen overnight.

I had the exact same experience, thinking about whats going on in the game, for me it was the same as breaking up with someone, I think about them all the time, then a few months down the line, I realise I think of them less.

If you want to ping me an email, go ahead, I'm in the UK but I'll be up for another hour or two.

All the best, have a lovely day!

HEllo,

I am two weeks clean of my game so things are very raw here too.

I cry a lot, the first two days I felt my life was so completely dead. But that is because the game had slowly but surely been replacing my life and emotions and gradually over the days my life has continued to return. It's early and still not easy by any means.

i think by reading here and equipping yourself with the knowledge of withdrawal symptoms and what to expect - so you can go through it and realise it's all quite normal and part of the path - and that this will fade - helps.

I find distraction works for a time. Talking to my partner and crying a lot also helps. I'll sit with him when I have run out or became tired from distraction techniques. You may find it hard to become focused on books, heavy work etc but this is another side effect which I'm sure gets better over time.

game dreams! You may find yourself having game dreams too.

I think there is huge grief and loss when you leave the game - after all it's been your life, socially and otherwise. It's trying to get through these tough emotions which can be difficult. Keep reminding yourself why you stopped and try to push out the reasoning which you may experience for returning to the activity.

I hope to be here daily if there's anything you need.

Hugs, don't be afraid to reach out for help. Keep up the good work!

Welcome to OLGA, MC. I'm mostly just going to echo a lot of the things that have already been said...it's a big step to even recognize the fact that you have a problem, and you're right to think that the hard part is going to be when the pressures of life set back in and you want to go an hide in the game again. Quitting games is a lot easier than staying quit from games, and if you're anything like the rest of us here, you'll need help. There's a reason why we do it together...meetings, sponsors, recovery buddies...there are lots of good options for support around here, and I have personally benefitted from using literally all three of those options.

Don't be too hard on yourself right now...you'll likely experience some withdrawal symptoms, although what they will be for you, nobody can say. Taking things one day at a time has helped me a lot, as has posting and reading other posts here on OLGA. I hope to see you in a meeting some time soon...hugs!

Hey ManChild! I never played WoW but have played other MMORPGs before and know first-hand how addicting they can be. I found reading this story to be very helpful in pushing me to kick my video game habit:

I Kept Playing - The Costs of My Gaming Addiction http://kotaku.com/5384643/i-kept-playing--the-costs-of-my-gaming-addiction

It sounds like I'm in a similar position to you: I'm finishing up college, close to getting married, and feel terrible when hiding my addiction. I've found that reading the stories of others really helps me to realize the price of allowing this addiction to continue: lost jobs, spouses, family, friends, etc. I've also realized I can't just "play for a little bit" because I quickly get sucked into whatever it is I'm playing. I've decided that cold turkey is the only way to go for me.

I wish you (and myself) the best in beating this addiction!

Yeah, believe me I tried to deal with this addiction alone but it was not working. I had no choice but to ask for help because I was so desperate. I am usually not a big fan of asking others for help.