1. Unable to predict time spent gaming.
2. Can't control gaming for an extended period of time.
3. Sense of Euphoria while playing.
4. Craving more game time.
5. Neglecting family and friends.
6. Restless, irritable or discontent when not gaming.
7. Lying about your gaming.
8. Experiencing problems with school or job performance.
9. Feeling guilt, shame, anxiety or depression
resulting from gaming.
10. Changing sleep patterns.
11. Health issues: Carpel tunnel, eye strain,
weight change, back ache, sore neck, arms
12. Denying, rationalizing and minimizing bad consequences
of gaming.
13. Withdrawing from real life hobbies.
14. Eating more and more meals at the computer while gaming.
15. Increased free time surfing game-related websites
16. Constant conversation with uninterested friends/family/partner about the game.
17. Attempts to get friends/family/partner to play
18. Purchasing in-game items for real life money
19. Feeling the need to "stand up for gamers" and proclaim that your life is perfect by listing all of your life's achievements, and yet you still game for 4-6 hours per day.
Edited by: SnowWhite760 at: 11/26/06 13:36
Liz Woolley
I Have lost my daughter to this gaming addiction. she once was a smart beautiful young girl who had great artistic talent and could draw anime and took Japanese in college. She had a job as my assistant sales consultant at my dealership and had the potential to go really far in sales if that is what she chose. Instead she dropped out of college and started to not care about work. She said she only went to work to make a paycheck and had no ambition to move ahead. She would come home and play final fantasy for many hours. Sometimes until 5:00 in the morning and then call in sick to work because she couldn't get up. She became nasty and offensive if I Tried to stop her. She called me names that I did not know she even knew.
Anyways it has been 15 months. We took the computer away at the suggestion of our counselor. {By the way, the counselor met my Allyson and told me that she is truly addicted and that the only way we could help her is to get the game out of our house). We did this and it has been hell. She left our home to live with a guy in Michigan who is 9 years older just because she met him on the game. He understands her and she has been very distant from us. I was worried sick that this guy is O.K. He seems nice but my daughter has neglected every responsibility that she should have such as auto insurance and registration. Her bills were coming to me and I forwarded them to her and I don't know if she is taking care of them but I had to look the other way as my counselor tells me. I miss allyson so much Love, MOM
Hi Mom,
I am sorry for what happened to your daughter and you and your relationship because of these games.
I hope coming here will ease your pain a bit. Sometime knowing you are not alone in this struggle helps. I physically lost my son to the games. The only thing we can do is offer each other support, so we don't go off the deep end ourselves, and pray to God, to give that person an awakening, so they will one day see the light, and decide they want to change their life for the better. That does happen, as you can see, by reading the stories the gamers have shared....they want to leave the games.
Liz
Liz Woolley
Hi Liz,
Thank you for your kind words. My daughter doesn't call me and if I do call her and say anything about the games, she hangs up on me. In your opinion, do you think I should E-mail some of the letters on this site to her and hope that she reads it or would you leave her alone and not say anything? She says that she is coming home for thanksgiving and bringing her boyfriend. We live 5 hours away and I don't want to make her angry and then she won't come. Maybe it is best if I don't say anything and just be happy to see her when she comes. Any advice would be appreciated.
Allyson's Mom
Hi Liz
I wrote you few days ago but maybe I did not do things right. You see I hate the computer because of what it has involved with Allyson. I am still learning how to use these sites. If you got my message, great, if not click on to computer game addictions and see it you can find it.
I would like to hear from you.
Mom from Buffalo