Hello,
I am so fortunate to have found OLGANON. I googled it and found a post by another user about Second Life addiction. Because I could relate to her story and I was going through the same thing, I decided to join OLGANON for support. It was surprising to me to see so many stories of online and other gaming addiction. I never thought I was "one of those" who would become so addicted that it would affect my real life and everyone around me. I read through the symptoms check list and it was a huge eye-opener.
I know this is a general forums chat and not for posting blogs, so I thought I would point anyone recovering from Second Life addiction/withdrawal to my blog. I just started this yesterday as a "written contract" to myself never to go back. If I write about it and share it with others, I will have more courage to stay away. Anyone else not in Second Life is welcome too.
I would recommend the blog to anyone who has quit, is quitting, thinking of quitting or just wants to know what is going on in the mind of someone else who is addicted to SL, whether it be a spouse,significant other or family member.
Feel free to leave comments if you want. If you are a livejournaler, feel free to add me as a friend there :-)
I get 50-200 uniques a day at ExGamer.net. I'll add you to my Blog roll when I get a chance to do some maintenance tomorrow.
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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I made a big blog post about quitting Wow. But in hindsight it was really just me talking about how much I loved MMO games and not really a "healthy" recovery post. I'm actually a little afraid to do recovery post for fear of being mocked by the family and friends that read it. :-( I checked out the two sites above though. Good reads! I'd love to see a list of good recovery blogs. That a nice read to replace the game sites.
The only winning move is not to play.
Hello :) ctg , I too am just now in recovery from my sl addiction , I have to admit there are times when I feel like an absolute silly fool to have obsessed and to continue to obsess about a pixilated chat room, the hardest part for me is the lack of social interaction since I'm a stay at home mom, this is the first year ALL my kids have been in school which of course in my muddled mind has made my withdrawell from SL even harder at times because I have more ME time , to ..... You guessed it obsess about all the free time I'm not spending in Second life , I'm glad you found this site, I too have been spreading the word ( I even sent the link to some old sl friends....hmmm got no response LOL wonder what that means:) the people here are very kind and I feel so gratful to the ones that have taken the time to encourage me.....nice blog by the way I enjoyed your little get a first life sign ... Way cool did you make it yourself?
Thank you, I had no idea there was such a website. That's good to know. I appreciate the links. I will be sure to check them out now that I have so much time on my hands, lol Oops i meant to put this under bgh's post. I tried to delete this post but I can't find a "delete" anywhere...
Cyphersnow, thanks for commenting. Blogging works for some...not everyone gets the same therapeutic values as I do from it. Some people feel comfortable sharing and some don't. I know if my family read this or my co-workers, I'd feel strange, so that's why I use an anonymous name. And you are quite right. Sometimes talking about it only makes it worse, but I'd like to see why I am feeling the way I do and when I write I tend to rationalize with myself. I love your signature quote, BTW :-)
Hi Nomore, thanks for your comment. It makes me feel validated that I am not the only one, being an almost-single-parent who has nothing to do on the weekends except look forward to SL...or did. I don't have the luxury of spending time with my friends and family and for me, SL was my whole world. I will have to find other avenues, but as an addict, I doubt myself a lot...so that's why the blog. Thanks also, for passing around the link. It's an intimate look at what's going on inside my head. Sometimes I feel silly being so honest about my feelings, but if it's something I need to do...and if it helps someone else it would be all the better. I actually found that picture doing a google image search for "funny second life pictures". There's a whole bunch out there that are very good! Its too bad my picture here is so small...the cat is saying NO...GO MAKE IRL FRIENDS! and blocking the computer with its furry body. Too cute!
Sometimes I feel silly being so honest about my feelings, but if it's something I need to do...and if it helps someone else it would be all the better. Being honest about how we feel, and what we are thinking, is a very good way to work recovery. HONESTY is the key. Keep sharing, you're not alone. I sometimes shared a lot here at olga, and asked for support. These days I don't write in the same way, but at that time when I first quit SL it was crucial to get it all out.
I had an anonymous journal for a number of years and really, really enjoyed. I eventually started a blog for family and friends to better keep in touch with everyone, but I miss what I could put into my anonymous journal! I really love this quote too! I'm kind of tickled that I have something meaningful to use it with. :-p
The only winning move is not to play.