I found this website today and I've been reading through other people's stories and thought I would share a friend's experience with an everquest addiction.
A few months ago, my husband's childhood friend ended up 'bumming' at our house for a few weeks because of his addiction to EQ. He ended up at our doorstep because of his addictive personality and inability to control it. From what my husband tells me, he has always had an addictive personality and EQ seemed to be his drug of choice this time.
I guess this episode started a few years ago when he got a small inheritance check after his father passed away. He bought a computer, got an EQ account, and lived off that money for as long as he could (about 1 and 1/2 years). He devoted his time to playing EQ!!!! He logged in 366 days during the 1 and 1/2 years! His hygiene suffered, his health suffered, and he basically just played the game day after day without end. Finally, the money ran out and he moved down to Arkansas to try to live with a relative. That didn't work out since as soon as he got his computer hooked up, he was back playing EQ again and was unable to hold down a job. In less than a month, he managed to get himself homeless and eventually wandered back up to our doorstep in Minnesota. We took him in for a week and sold his EQ account for 1000. He got an apartment with that money and was able to hold down a job ever since. Right now, he lives with relatives in Colorado but I'm afraid that once he gets the money for a computer - he'll be back again on his addictive cycle. I was even more shocked when my husband told me that this wasn't the first "EQ" problem that his friend had. Apparently, even before this last incident - this friend used to be married and apparently ruined that marriage with another EQ account (but that is another story and I don't really know all the details since I didn't know him then).
If he ever gets online, I'm sending him to this site right away!
BTW, I both me and my husband play MMORPGs but both of us have been able to moderate our gaming times. However, I have seen that problems can occur when people play these games excessively!
Edited by: Smilyus at: 2/25/03 2:11:44 pm
Thanks for sharing.
Title should have been "All Around United States on EQ"
Suree
Image by FlamingText.com
Smilyus.
Thank you for sharing about your friend's story. Not everyone who plays MMORPG's, like your husband and you, get addicted. Some people just have addictive personalities, and it is those types that this organization tries to help. Hopefully, your friend will eventually "hit bottom" and seek help.
Warm regards,
Aryianna