Curing Video Game Addiction

Are you a Video Game Addict?

Do you find yourself lounging in your comfy chair and playing your favorite video game for hours? But you think it is not really that bad, as long as your Human Paladin levels up. Then you realize you haven't taken a bath for quite a few days and your clothes started to stink. But then again, you think that an Orc Berserker smells worse than you. Then you stole a quick glimpse around your pad and noticed how messy and littered it has been. Again you shrugged it off and think there can still be worst places like the dreaded Frozen Undead Realms. Finally, your friends dumped you for not spending time with them. With this final straw of annoyance, you proudly yell, "I don't need friends, I have my Undead Legions!"

Surely this might be an exaggerated sign of Video Game Addiction, but sadly some video game addicts do exhibit such exaggerated reactions, to some extent that some commits suicide when something happens untoward to their game.

Video game addiction is simply defined as an excessive or compulsive use of computers and video games that interferes with daily life. Despite displaying symptoms that are characteristic of other addictions, video game addiction has not been given a diagnostic status by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). These behaviors include failure to stop playing games, difficulties in work and school, lying to loved ones, decreased attention to personal hygiene, decreased attention to family and friends, and disturbances in the sleep cycle.

But, hey, let's be hopeful. Having a video game addiction doesn't mean it's the end of the world. There's still a way out of it but it would need a large amount of work and willpower.

Steps in "Curing" Video Gaming Addiction

Since there is no formal diagnosis for video gaming addiction, there is still no approved therapy or method of curing video gaming addiction. But there are some ways a video game addict can do to help in alleviating video game addiction. Here are some of those suggested means:

Limit your GAME TIME.

Set a specific time and duration for playing on your gaming system. Limit your game time to at most 1-2 hours per day. It will be hard at first, but when your body has adapted to it, it will be easy as a normal daily activity. In other for you too easily adapt to it, try thinking about your game time as a reward for doing your other activities.

Make sure that you tell your friends, parents, or siblings about your plan to limit your gaming time. Provide them with a specific timetable of the gaming schedule you have in mind. In that way they can easily check-up on you and monitor if you are following your desired gaming time schedules.

Limiting your game time not only frees a large amount of time for you to pursue other activities besides playing games, it also corrects your biological clock (which is attuned to gaming over long period of hours) slowly.

Dispose of your GAME MACHINES.

If you are really so determined to cure your video game addiction and would do anything to achieve such a feat, then there's only one thing to do-dispose your GAME MACHINES. These game machines can range from video game consoles, mobile game machines, PCs, among others. But whatever it may be if you have really decided to dispose of them then do it, as soon as possible so that you won't be tempted to use it.

You can sell these game consoles for a price at your local stores or to your friends who have been eyeing it for ages. You can try to hide it in the attic or somewhere which is not easily accessible to you. You can also try to give it away as presents to your friends or family members, like your nieces and nephews. If you are giving it away, try to give it to someone who is far from you.

Dispose only game machines that you own. Ask or explain to your parents and friends that you are disposing your game machines and started to turn a new leaf.

Try other activities.

Whether you try the first or second suggestion, you will observe that you will now have an activity vacuum with the result of limiting you gaming time or disposing your gaming consoles. Lots of spare times to try new activities like the ones before:

Study - Now you have enough time to catch up with your failing grades and unattended studies. You can start reviewing over your notes or prepare for your big quizzes and tests. Start opening those school books and don't let the bookworms get the most out of it. A good education is better than a good game.

Read - As long as it is not an FAQ or strategy guide to your favorite game, then reading could be another great and fun way to pursue. Try reading the latest news on the newspaper; you will be shock at how much happenings you have missed. You can also try reading books in the library, you might know more about the Greek Gods than the game narrator in your game console.

Hang-out - Hang-out with your friends and family members. I guess it's about time you patched up with them after a long time of isolating yourself with your game console. Engage and chat with them, ask them how they have been and what they are up to now. Finally, be humble enough to ask forgiveness for taking them for granted.

No matter what the suggestions or methods are of riding or curing video gaming addiction, it will never work unless the person is dedicated to change himself/herself. DEDICATION and MOTIVATION are the key for these suggestions to be successful.

As one saying goes, "The power to overcome addiction lies in the belief that it is possible combined with a consistent strength of spirit."

A long time gamer and writer for http://www.gamingclimax.com/.

I love MMORPG's, and everything gaming industry related.