I'M quitting video games it will be hard

[Sussso]

been in my head and I knew this day would come as I'm addicted to gaming but I need to quit and reflect see if my life will improve the way I want it to. my ego is already terrified its been a part of my life since I was a child but its time to let go at least for a while and see, I might fail and go back to gaming in couple of days as my ego will convince me to do so, I'm afraid of failing , this a huge sacrifice for self improvement and my life journey.  

yes I do have addictive personality but I try not to be so hard on my self at the end I have to accept the up and downs but i'm ready been waiting for this day for sometime. I did not plan to be today in fact I decided this last night as I was reflecting on how my sleep pattern is ruined and its been like this for years its hard to even fix now my body has adapted anyways I know playing videogames played a big role in giving me insomnia.      

any tips will help thanks. I always look forward to reading others opinions and if you ever struggled with addiction and got over with I'd like to read about it.  

by addiction and how it ruins my sleep look how >>> "just one more game" its hard to resist the "one more" and the cycle continues 

[undeather]

lol noob l2p

[Sussso]

@undeather whats l2p 

[Sussso]

@undeather ok I looked it up. you're very funny. 

[MattP]

Good luck. If you quit video games, then what will you do with all that time?

Will it be something more productive than video games? If not, then there really is no point. Right?

The hardest part is filling that void. Or thinking that you need to fill that void. You don't necessarily need to fill the void, but you might go crazy if you don't. 

Self actualization work is supposed to get you comfortable with living within that void. And for me, i have failed time and time again. I have quit a few addictions, (drinking, vaping) and honestly, i don't feel any better. I actually think i feel worse. And waking up to see the reality you have created for yourself may, or may not be terrifying. That's what causes people to latch back on to their addictions. Too hard to accept their reality.

Playing video games is most likely a big part of your identity. That is what makes it so hard to stop. It is who you are. It is you. How do you just kill off that part of yourself? Well...keep listening to Leo. And actually practice some of the stuff in the videos. And keep at it. That would be my best advice.

[Cudin]

~ d R u G s ~

[universe]

Its mostly a habit. If you stop for a while you wont have the craving to get invested in gaming again. Enjoy while it last. Find ways to express yourself and do things in the real world. Get a life purpose etc. Then it will be easy.

[Cocolove]

you'll never look back

[Sussso]

@MattP  yes I think its the void I'm terrified of and specially that I live alone , it drives me insane to sit there alone with my thoughts . but I'm just quitting gaming I will still find other thinks to keep busy with YouTube ext.. 

[MattP]

@Sussso im not sure why it wont let me open a new text box, but whatever. Well that's good. Maybe you wont be as addicted to the other things, and they will be easier to transition out of. 

The void is a terrifying place because it resembles death. But if you can meditate through the terror of it, the void turns into a peaceful place. You can try that when, and if you are ever ready. Like 20 minutes per day of meditation. Doesn't sound like much, but even that amount made me less stressed throughout the day. Must be done every day though, for it to work. Not just one day here and there.

 

 

  Good luck. If you quit video games, then what will you do with all that time?

Will it be something more productive than video games? If not, then there really is no point. Right?

The hardest part is filling that void. Or thinking that you need to fill that void. You don't necessarily need to fill the void, but you might go crazy if you don't. 

Self actualization work is supposed to get you comfortable with living within that void. And for me, i have failed time and time again. I have quit a few addictions, (drinking, vaping) and honestly, i don't feel any better. I actually think i feel worse. And waking up to see the reality you have created for yourself may, or may not be terrifying. That's what causes people to latch back on to their addictions. Too hard to accept their reality.

Playing video games is most likely a big part of your identity. That is what makes it so hard to stop. It is who you are. It is you. How do you just kill off that part of yourself? Well...keep listening to Leo. And actually practice some of the stuff in the videos. And keep at it. That would be my best advice.

[RickyBalboa]

Not sure I can give you the best advice, but this is my story with video games and the realization that helped me quit games a couple years ago. I've come back a few times within those couple of years to play for 1-3 days non-stop. Each of those times It became obvious why I was doing what I was doing. Giving me even more reason to not go back to that life.

What I became conscious of was my unconsciousness XD. How easily I'd slide in and out from gaming. Almost as If there was no difference between the virtual world and non-virtual world. I'd not acknowledge that I was a body just sitting down at a computer. That's how engrossing the activity of games are. You become completely unconscious of your life outside of the game for that amount of time you are playing. It was just glaringly obvious that I was trying to escape my non-virtual life. So now when I try to play games I know very damn well what I am doing and my brain wont let me fully immerse myself within the game knowing the guilt I will feel. 

I have had this epiphany with not only video games but also weed(not exactly the same, but there are underlying similarities). Very often I would combine the two. It was the magic combo that really immersed me into those virtual worlds. I was literally manufacturing my own unconsciousness for the sake of comfort. I had to quit to start living a less self-deceptive life. 

Be confident that if you can conquer this, that conquering your other habits will only become easier. I quit video games and promptly was able to quit drinkingk, smoking, and netflix bingeing. 

Edited December 7, 2019 by RickyBalboa

[Sussso]

@RickyBalboa  dude yes can relate strongly!. the thought that I'm just sitting there like literally even if I was gaming or just sitting staring at a wall they are both pointless(in some sense). the later destroys your ego so it seeks comfort like video games or whatever. any who for the path of spiritual awakening one cannot be attached to comfort  

[Knock]

@Sussso The best way to quit computer games is to start attributing a lot of 'pain' to the event. You want to create a story that makes gaming so unappealing that it would disgust you to play it again. 

Next, you want to attribute your time and energy into a 'meaningful' pursuit that doesn't involve computer games. This can be whatever is meaningful to you. Lifting, self-actualization, music, business etc. Something that is really compelling that you can lose yourself in.

Lastly, you need to eliminate the possibility of 'relapse'. The best way to do this is to create as much 'friction' as possible to prevent yourself from going back to gaming. Friction is created by putting in self-imposed barriers. Some examples of friction could be locking away your gaming console every time you use it, setting a long login password, using software to prevent access to certain games, etc. The goal here is to prevent mindless consumption of gaming, making you mindful every time you have to go out of your way to use it. This friction creates the time and opportunity to choose a better action. 

I myself used to be an obsessive gamer for 10 years, and I quit 3 years ago, so I know what I'm talking about. Any more questions, I'm happy to help

[Pramit]

You may want to check out reddit subreddit r/stopgaming, it is full of people who are trying to stop playing video games, and full of good advice, like a list of hobbies you can do to replace your gaming addiction with 

[Sussso]

@Knock thank you

[RickyBalboa]

14 hours ago, Knock said:

@Sussso The best way to quit computer games is to start attributing a lot of 'pain' to the event. You want to create a story that makes gaming so unappealing that it would disgust you to play it again. 

Oh god, I see your point, but this reminded me of the Ludovico Technique in A Clockwork Orange. Hopefully playing video games won't induce vomiting in OP. 

Edited December 8, 2019 by RickyBalboa

[Michael569]

Good luck! The best approach is probably cold turkey, sell your console and all the games you own. If you have a PC, replace it for one without graphic cards and with poorer performance. I think even that doesn't fix it the addiction thou.I've quit many times and always came back  it has been my biggest addiction since the times I got my ps1 15 years ago. 

P.S. society frowns a lot upon gaming yet it is completely acceptable to spend hundreds of hours watching garbage like Friends on Netflix. This may be an addict defencing his addiction but many of the games can enrich your life and creativity a lot. As long as you don't just play call of duty 8 hours a day. 

Edited December 8, 2019 by Michael569

[shokoman]

you are my superhero now! 

[Chakra Lion]

@Sussso  I am going through the same thing. 

A few years ago I stopped playing Xbox, started traveling and moving around, writing and working, and not even having time for Games. About 2 months ago, my job stopped for the winter, and I started playing World of Warcraft, my childhood nostalgia addiction, that transported me to the Fantasy World I was craving. For the last weeks I played it literally 24/7 - no regret - nothing else to do - but now it became boring. I reached max level, the adventures seemed to be over, and it was just about grinding to compete with the top dogs. Even as I was playing I realized that I wasnt really enjoying it as much as I used to. Never enjoying the moment of actually experiencing the world around me, always looking ahead and wanting to advance, comparing myself to other players, thinking how I should look and what I should do to make myself appear the best. I wasnt gaming for myself anymore.  (This also relates to my real life thinking and acting)

Now a week ago I deleted it, and have been a little depressed and wasting my time on other stupid shit that isnt getting me anywhere. It is okay though, I know this is the middle phase between another new adventure, like writing or creating something new. 

The best way I have found to heal from this, is to find a new passion, build xp and level up my skills somewhere else, maybe become a vendor of some sort, or work on new professions, and discover the world around me, connect with the players in my area. Life is the Video Game you can't quit, unless you get unlimited re spawns, who knows... 

Edited December 8, 2019 by Chakra Lion

[DrewNows]

@Sussso it’s a good idea to explore the nature of addiction which is thought 

what exactly is thought? How and why do we identify with thought? Does your actions/behavior happen before or after a thought? What is the purpose of self-thought? Is it possible to live without it or even truly see it for what it is? Self observation without judgment or concentration, is how to take back power from thought and free ourself from ourself (the addiction to thought)