Addicted to the game, need help

  • Dear fellow players,

    I have to admit, I am addicted to the game, and I need help.

    I have owned GW for 15+ years, and it has always been my favorite.

    I have a very stressful and demanding day job. I have a family (wife, no children yet). I have no other hobbies besides GW. I have always been playing in my free time, and have short-sightedness. I often go to sleep late due to being hooked up in the game and forgetting about time. Then I had to get up early to go to work. I often regret not sleeping well, and need more and more coffee to get by. After work, I am so stressed out that all I can do is play GW. I spend almost no time interacting with my wife, who has became frustrated just because of this. I have not exercised for ages and have become frail physically. I know something is wrong.

    I looked up the definition of addiction, and here's the DSM-5 Criteria for Substance Use Disorders: (the criteria doctors use)

    1. Taking the substance in larger amounts or for longer than you're meant to.
    2. Wanting to cut down or stop using the substance but not managing to.
    3. Spending a lot of time getting, using, or recovering from use of the substance.
    4. Cravings and urges to use the substance.
    5. Not managing to do what you should at work, home, or school because of substance use.
    6. Continuing to use, even when it causes problems in relationships.
    7. Giving up important social, occupational, or recreational activities because of substance use.
    8. Using substances again and again, even when it puts you in danger.
    9. Continuing to use, even when you know you have a physical or psychological problem that could have been caused or made worse by the substance.
    10. Needing more of the substance to get the effect you want (tolerance).
    11. Development of withdrawal symptoms, which can be relieved by taking more of the substance.

    I am not too surprised to find that I met most of the descriptions above. Gaming is a psychological addiction, so there may seem to be less withdrawal symptoms. However, if I didn't play GW, I become easily agitated and short-tempered. Then I spend time thinking about GW; about builds, farms, stuff I got in-game. When I'm free to play again, I jump right back in. Playing GW takes my worries away for the time being, but I find it difficult to live without it. And now that I found this awesome forum (GW legacy), even during work I can't control the urge to check it out once every few minutes. It's like I can physically stop playing and leave the computer, but my mind still goes on an on with the game.

    Though the years, I progressed very far in the game, grinding titles I wanted one after another, getting cool miniatures and weapons. But my real life has stopped its progression. I can't do well on work assignments because I can't focus. I can't get along with my wife because I don't have spare time for her, not to mention other family members. I haven't talked to my parents for months. I don't want kids or other things to happen in my life because I think it means less time to play. I am a grown-up but I don't think I am a responsible person.

    Oh, I've tried to quit before. I've tried pretty hard. There were a few times when I really regretted missing out on important things in real life, and out of rage, I deleted all my precious stuff and toons (made the account as clean as new). And I did that twice. I have even changed my password to gibberish so that I can't login forever. But it didn't work. I contacted support and got a new password, then slowly regained some fortune in-game until I was twice as rich as before.

    I love GW, but to a degree, GW has destroyed my life, again and again.

    I know those ectos and arms are just virtual riches, and the items are just 3d models.

    I know nothing lasts forever. (certainly not the everlasting tonics, haha)

    I know I need to stop.

    I need help.

    ;(

  • Hello, sharing Issue might be good step. Try speaking about it with relatives too. Did you talk about this problem with your wife ? Shes probably affected by that too so maybe together you could solve it easier. Small tip I could give you is lowering Time spent on forum/yt/Discord (gw topics I mean ) to not make you stuck in game even while not playing it. The last think I Could add as you have searched on ur own gaming can be addiction so consider reaching to professional.

  • Ok so alt account please with all respect no one try to figure out who I am I'd just rather you not.

    I appologize as this is kinda hard for me to put down and I hate typing on my phone.

    Anyways, my addiction was a fair bit different then yours and was suprisingly easy for me due to my coke dealer having a stroke around the same time I quit making things easier but I did have a few points that might transfer over well.

    First, say good bye when I quit coke I had to cut out most of my friend group as they all did it as well. Its going to be easier to cut people out like friends in game if you get a chance to say goodbye. Otherwise you'll feel like you want to talk to so and so again because you never got to say bye and you'll reinstall to talk to them.

    Second, this ones not related to my experience but get you're account banned I know thats hard these days but sit in kama spamming a fake gold selling site and get a handful of reports and some support guy whos not paying any attention as they dont care about gw1 anymore will kust hit the ban button. Then, have your wife log into your router and fuck with any connection to the log in servers dont remember how to do that these days but I dont recall it being hard. Neither of these will make it impossible to play but will make it a bit more difficult giving you time to realize what the fuck you're doing.

    Third, fill up the time. I stopped partying and had to come up with something else to do when I felt like doing that. Ironically for me that was coming back to guild wars. For you take up another hobby my one friend picked up running to fill some time. But basically replace it with a positive activity.

    Fourth, give me your armbraces.

    Fifth, get some accountability maybe ask your wife to stop you and ask if shed be willing to talk about some of the stress you're feeling when you want to play. But make sure she has a reasonably open mind because to someone who hasn't had a similar issue it can seem crazy. Its not but their brains just havent experienced it yet.

    Sixth, if things are still going rough get some professional help. Therepists can be suprisingly helpful when you find the right one.

    Sadly, its going to suck for awhile and you will have to deal with the withdraw but its only going to get worse the longer you put it off.

    Lastly, I'm gonna look real stupid if you meant this as a joke so now you gotta quit.

  • Fourth, give me your armbraces.

    Hahaha, I really laughed :D

    I'm gonna look real stupid if you meant this as a joke so now you gotta quit

    Rest assured It's totally not a joke! Thanks for the encouragement! And filling the spare time is a good idea!

    lowering Time spent on forum/yt/Discord (gw topics I mean ) to not make you stuck in game even while not playing it

    I'll definitely try to "not play" while I not play, and lower the total time spent on GW as a first step. Thank you! :)

  • Hey man. Just wanted to ask how it's going for you and if all is working out for you regarding your plans :)

    IGN: Mr Clean Value

    :!: Important: Please if i win an auction/or u want to sell me an item write me an PM so we can organize the Trade :!:

    ...................................................................( Thanks for understanding and appreciate the help <3 )......................................................................................................

    "Keep it clean!" 🧽💦

    WTB: x00g - Clean Value items - 360g Roundshield - 256g RAM-hammer - Waterwand with 20/20 Fire

  • Thanks, been playing less... (busy working, filling up the spare time, that did work somehow)

    but... but! but! but!

    I just picked up another old game: Diablo 2 (anyone else?)

    oh the addiction again ||

    What I learned:

    I can't fight an addiction with another addiction

    If I try to do that, I'll just get... TWO addictions :!:

    Back to Guild Wars... and immediately spent hours farming a particular green: Saevio's Maul (what? but why? lol)

    Conclusion: The Time is Nigh for another plan-to-quit...

    and there's big work assignments coming up so I have to play less in order to finish my work.

    need all the strength I can get.

    lastly, my dear friends, if you see me online, tell me to LOG OFF

    much appreciated!

  • I got bad news. Diablo II remastered is on its way... =O

    IGN: Mr Clean Value

    :!: Important: Please if i win an auction/or u want to sell me an item write me an PM so we can organize the Trade :!:

    ...................................................................( Thanks for understanding and appreciate the help <3 )......................................................................................................

    "Keep it clean!" 🧽💦

    WTB: x00g - Clean Value items - 360g Roundshield - 256g RAM-hammer - Waterwand with 20/20 Fire