End a Video Game Addiction
A video game addiction can result in weakened relationships with family/friends, lost money, neglect of more important obligation, and hundreds of hours of wasted time. It's easy to end your video game addiction if you follow these simple and easy steps!
Steps
- Do not make excuses. If you have a video game addiction, admit it. Do not try to rationalize it, deny it, ignore it, justify it, or compare yourself to others. Just try to work toward a solution.
- Begin by setting up a plan which stops you from buying video games. Create a yearly budget with a reasonable limit. Also, try to refrain from impulse buying. Not only will this help cure the addiction, but it will save you money.
- Change your mentality. Realize that the video games you are playing now aren't going to matter to you at all in five years, or possibly even one. Realize that nothing productive is achieved from playing video games and after five years, your video game collection will be meaningless. Your high scores will hold no prestige in five years.
- Don't be a perfectionist. Don't try to complete video games 100%, since in most cases, that requires dozens of hours. Realize that while it may feel accomplishing inside to unlock everything, it produces no real tangible benefits and can be done without.
- Limit weekly video game time and start phasing out. For example, go from 20 hours, to 18 hours, to 16, and lower.
- Reward yourself if you reduce your playing time. Do not play video games to reward yourself; instead, treat yourself to some ice cream or something fun. You can even enlist a friend or family member.
- Vow that you will meet all of your obligations (school, work, family, etc.) before you play games. Video games should also be used only to reward good behavior - not bad behavior.
- Consider asking a family member or close friend to hold all of your video games for a week or two.
- Most importantly, solve the root problem which is causing you to turn to video games as a vice. Most addictions work like a vicious cycle. Indulgence in vices, results in problems which can be temporary alleviated by indulging in vices.
Tips
- Avoid playing online multiplayer games in guilds whenever possible. Guilds cost time and effort and leaders will expect you to be very active and/or pro. This can cause unfavorable times of your day-schedule.
- Try other activities such as exercising, brain-puzzles,programming or blogging with the time that was used for video-games for extracurricular activities.
- Limit the amount of time spent on games. Instead of playing 5 hours straight take a break after an hour then come back 2 hours later.
- Raise your gaming standards. Instead of wanting to try every single kind of game, only play the best games while ignoring the average and mediocre games.
- Consider renting some games (or trying them out at a friend's house) instead of buying them. Not only will it save you money, but it will put a limit to how much time you can spend on it.
- Viewing videos or gameplays of a game instead of buying it will allow you to experience the game while saving both time and money.
- Remember that this can be a slow process.
Warnings
- Emotional ties to a videogame or video-game account
- Neglection of real-life responsibilities or personal care
- Excessive online-gameplay ranging from 4hours to 12hours per day.
- Overnight game-play on a daily basis
- Excessive loss of money due to poor budgeting
- Activities done online which could lead to embarrassment or shame in real-life.
