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)
- Taking the substance in larger amounts or for longer than you're meant to.
- Wanting to cut down or stop using the substance but not managing to.
- Spending a lot of time getting, using, or recovering from use of the substance.
- Cravings and urges to use the substance.
- Not managing to do what you should at work, home, or school because of substance use.
- Continuing to use, even when it causes problems in relationships.
- Giving up important social, occupational, or recreational activities because of substance use.
- Using substances again and again, even when it puts you in danger.
- 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.
- Needing more of the substance to get the effect you want (tolerance).
- 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.
