My recovery

Hi My name is Raven, Im 19 from Salford England and this is how i ended my addiction.

When i was younger i was brought up in a dysfunctional family. Very dysfunctional. My friend introduced my to The Sims 2. I loved it i could live my dream live thousands of times over and have the family i dreamed of! It was amazing. I got it the day before we were due back from school holidays. I bought it at 9am on the sunday morning. I didnt stop playing it until 6am the next day when my mother shouted for me to wake up and get ready for school. I went to school and went back on it as soon as I got home. My family began getting annoyed not understanding my reasons as to why i was in my room all the time, I was made to sit downstairs until after 7 when I got home from school. My mum noticed i was adgitiated, unusally moody and snappy. I had lost my appetite and all i wanted to do was be in my room. As a compromise she moved the computer in the living room so i could be socialable and be happy in my dream world. This eventually ruined my relationship with my mother and I was packed of to live with my dad. He was a night worked and a recovering alcholic.

I loved it I could be on my sims constantly and there was nothing anyone could do about it. I had a week off school. Barring toilet breaks i went about 4 days straight before i collapsed on my desk from lack of eating, drinking and fatigue. I ate a large meal, drank alot of water and slept for 24 hours. My three day plays got worse and worse. I learnt to make sandwiches and eat them when i was playing all the time. When i left school there was no stopping me on my games. I was constantly awake. I spent over a month without sleep and played on my games throughout the time i was awake. Eventually my dad noticed and the doctor came to the house as I refused to leave. He diagnosed me with insomnia and perscribed me sleeping tablets. Which of course i didnt take unless forced. I slept for 24 hours a time. In the year this happened I had gone from being rather obese to being around a size 10 (uk size) so to me there was no problem. I knew i was playing too many hours worth of gaming but that was something i couldnt control. During this time i met my now fiance, we got along as we both had high interests in gaming.

My dad in april 2010, had a week off and realised what had been going on. He sat me down and told me about addiction and its different form and ways. He hd been sober from drinking for coming up to 30 years and told me that i needed to get help or find ways of spending my time. He suggested getting a job, used the whole "you can use the money to get expansion packs for your sims" so i got a job, the hours were from 12:30pm until 9:30pm in a bookmakers.

This meant that i was unable to play on the sinms for a while as I had to do my chores for my keep and then work usually 6 days a week. Then i moved out and in with my partner and again travelling to work and maintaining my own home to me was more important and gradually from being unable to play and also changing my attitude to my life (for example being houseproud) helped me. Now i barely play it unless im rather bored and its never more in then hours. To me, as compared to what i was doing, thats rather good. =]

And for once, im proud of myself.