New Site Chronicles Struggle with MMO Addiction
New Site Chronicles Struggle with MMO Addiction
October 2, 2008
While pulling together this morning's stories, GP stumbled across ExGamer.net.
The site chronicles the unnamed blogger's struggles with compulsive MMO play. ExGamer describes himself as "a 40 year old Canadian in recovery from a nine year compulsive online gaming habit."
From the site's FAQ:
My life as a gamer was out of control. I couldn’t hold down a job or function as a brother, son or husband... This blog is about my ongoing healing process, and that of some new friends I’ve met along the way...
This is not an abstract illness; it involves the use and abuse of specific products that proved very problematic for me... I could not stop playing online role playing games for years, no matter how bad things got. I would spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars and untold hours in one game, only to bore of it and seek another “high” elsewhere.
It also appears that ExGamer will be appearing on the upcoming Dr. Phil segment on game addiction that GP mentioned recently in regard to Wendy Kays, wife of SOCOM lead designer Graham Kays.
GP: Good luck to ExGamer with the site - and especially with his recovery.
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Posted 11/24/09 at 01:44pm
JDKJ: And since you shared with me, I'll share with you, if you'd like. I have the best recipe for chocolate nut cookies. Just lemme know if you're interested.
JDKJ: And since you shared with me, I'll share with you, if you'd like. I have the best recipe for chocolate nut cookies. Just lemme know if you're interested.
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:40pm
JDKJ: Thanks. That wasn't so hard, was it? You make me twist your arm. And I'm glad your ass ain't going nowhere near the turkey but to get a serving or two. I just can't see you cooking no turkey as a good move.
JDKJ: Thanks. That wasn't so hard, was it? You make me twist your arm. And I'm glad your ass ain't going nowhere near the turkey but to get a serving or two. I just can't see you cooking no turkey as a good move.
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:36pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:its going to be a 20-30 person party soem are bigging in stuff all I am cooking is soem chocolate/nut cookies and some cake with choclate iceing.
ZippyDSMlee: JD:its going to be a 20-30 person party soem are bigging in stuff all I am cooking is soem chocolate/nut cookies and some cake with choclate iceing.
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:33pm
JDKJ: For real, Zip, what's the plan for Thanksgiving? I know you ain't doing all the banister painting and leaf blowing for nothin'. I assume there're big things popping off at the Chateau Zippy. But that you won't share the plan hurts me.
JDKJ: For real, Zip, what's the plan for Thanksgiving? I know you ain't doing all the banister painting and leaf blowing for nothin'. I assume there're big things popping off at the Chateau Zippy. But that you won't share the plan hurts me.
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:32pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:sorry but are a diseased lefty...but we love you anyway ^^ *lick*
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:sorry but are a diseased lefty...but we love you anyway ^^ *lick*
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:28pm
ZippyDSMlee: DS:But...I am a spaz 0-o
ZippyDSMlee: DS:But...I am a spaz 0-o
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:04pm
JDKJ: I thought it was because he types with his left hand only, his right hand being perpetually occupied otherwise.
JDKJ: I thought it was because he types with his left hand only, his right hand being perpetually occupied otherwise.
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:03pm
DarkSaber: Too late for that.
DarkSaber: Too late for that.
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:02pm
Valdearg: I just don't need a bunch of people thinking I'm diseased for whatever reason.
Valdearg: I just don't need a bunch of people thinking I'm diseased for whatever reason.
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:02pm
Valdearg: No worries.. Just making it clear that I'm fine. Just gotta ride it out.
Valdearg: No worries.. Just making it clear that I'm fine. Just gotta ride it out.
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:01pm
DarkSaber: Zippys hands hate each other, that's why he types like a spaz.
DarkSaber: Zippys hands hate each other, that's why he types like a spaz.
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:00pm
JDKJ: I'm just saying that taking medical advice from Zippy may not be the best move you ever make.
JDKJ: I'm just saying that taking medical advice from Zippy may not be the best move you ever make.
Posted 11/24/09 at 01:00pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:DOn;t mind DS his dicky prickleness is what makes him so hot :X *luff luff* JD is just a dick.....a small annoying one....
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:DOn;t mind DS his dicky prickleness is what makes him so hot :X *luff luff* JD is just a dick.....a small annoying one....
Posted 11/24/09 at 12:58pm
Valdearg: FYI, I'm getting better. It was a fast moving, severe cold.
Valdearg: FYI, I'm getting better. It was a fast moving, severe cold.
Posted 11/24/09 at 12:58pm
Valdearg: It's frigging cold/flu season. Plenty of people are sickl.
Valdearg: It's frigging cold/flu season. Plenty of people are sickl.
Posted 11/24/09 at 12:57pm
Valdearg: Wow.. Just because I'm bi doesn't mean I'm a slut. Damn guys..
Valdearg: Wow.. Just because I'm bi doesn't mean I'm a slut. Damn guys..
Posted 11/24/09 at 12:56pm
DarkSaber: ok, so you have good aids instead of gay aids (bad aids as it is otherwise known).
DarkSaber: ok, so you have good aids instead of gay aids (bad aids as it is otherwise known).
Posted 11/24/09 at 12:56pm
JDKJ: @Val': I dunno. Compromised immune systems often fall victim to common colds. You may wanna consider looking beyond Dr. Zip's diagnosis and towards a second opinion.
JDKJ: @Val': I dunno. Compromised immune systems often fall victim to common colds. You may wanna consider looking beyond Dr. Zip's diagnosis and towards a second opinion.
Posted 11/24/09 at 12:54pm
Valdearg: @DS: gaids? Really? Wow, you are a dick.. That being said.. It is a cold. Zip's instincts were right on.
Valdearg: @DS: gaids? Really? Wow, you are a dick.. That being said.. It is a cold. Zip's instincts were right on.
Posted 11/24/09 at 12:42pm
JDKJ: Or hemorrhoidal flare-up?
JDKJ: Or hemorrhoidal flare-up?
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Comments
Well...Dr. Phil can only deligitimize this guy. I wish him well, because video game addiction is indeed a real affliction, but I wish he'd stay away from that bullshit artist media whore.
Sure, videogame addiction is as real as chocolate addiction or ice cream addiction - in other words it's not. The fact that you can play 16 hours or more per day, and that your work and home life can suffer is not proof of an addiction. It's only proof that the affected person is a selfish arsehole who prefers to avoid his responsibilities.
As for Dr. Phil, I doubt the guy has any serious belief in the opinions he broadcasts, so if he takes my side on this it probably has more to do with his devotion to ratings than it has to do with any sincerity on his part. The guy is the 21st century equivalent of a snake oil merchant.
Nice completely illegitimate comparison you've got there. Try comparing it to gambling addiction, which it's much closer to.
Gambling addiction is not a real addiction, it is called pathological gambling which is classified as an impulse control disorder.
Not to say I haven't been there, and not to say it not just a frustrating.
"The fact that you can play 16 hours or more per day, and that your work and home life can suffer is not proof of an addiction."
From the DSM IV TR
SUBSTANCE ABUSE:
One or more of the following:
Before I say ANYTHING, yes, that is substance abuse and NOT video gaming... However this may be, Psychologists are trying to lump together video game, internet, gambling, pornography addiction, etc into the same category since the criteria can be applied to any of these types of addiction. The more and more research done on addiction in general seems to imply an underlying theme that is very similar accross the board.
It's not an exact perfect analogy, but it's one of the best ones we got. I guarentee you in the DSM V you are going to see less of a separation between substance abuse and other problems and a more global assessment of addiction/abuse. So... yeah, I can believe this guy is a legitimate addict. Granted there is little to no physical withdrawal, but it is still a psychological addiction nonetheless, and psychological addiction is one of the biggest contributors to relapse long term, not physical addiction.
Nice to know how Wendy feels.
Do me a favour and read my site with an open mind.
And you're at least half right. When I was indulging my addiction I was a "selfish arsehole who preferred to avoid his responsibilities." I've acknowledged in the blog that my life was out of control when I was gaming. There are tens of thousands of you who can hold down full-time jobs, manage relationships and enjoy MMO's. I'm not one of them, so I had to find the strength to quit, and unfortunately that didn't come before I hit rock bottom.
Thank you for taking time to read this. By the way, without disclosing too much of the show's content, you may be pleasantly surprised when you see how Dr. Phil handles the game addicts on the episode that will air later this fall. (We taped it in L.A. on Sept. 16).
Regards,
Brad aka ExGamer
http://www.exgamer.net
By the way, Brad, if you've never seen Nick Yee's Daedalus Project, I highly recommend browsing it. There are some articles with research and discussion about MMO addiction.
Good luck with the recovery, though I think appearing on Dr. Phil is and always will be a bad idea. The man does not care about anyone's problems, and only uses their pain to put more cash in his pocket. Not having seen the episode yet, I am going to take a wild stab and say he treats the addicts ok but makes references as to the evil of video games and the addiction of MMOs being like an addiction to heroine.
Actually, Dr. Phil's not too bad on this episode. I think you'll find he pushes the 'personal responsibility' button pretty hard.
I'm sorry, but I absolutely loathe and detest "Dr." Phil. His hoakey and annecdotal "cram therapy into an hour for ratings" is utter... merrrrrrr I don't want to get onto that soap box.. BUT, well yeah. If it makes you feel any better, there is a tremendous amount of research being done on internet/gaming addiction. In fact, I am aware of several organizations that take the twelve step approach and apply it to gaming (something I don't necesarily agree with but I have my own psuedo issues with twelve step programs). People are starting to consider it as a legitimate addiction and responding to it accordingly. It will take time for the general public to accept it, but the general public is generally clueless when it comes to these type of things for a very long time after discovery, so take any criticism you get with a grain of salt.
I'm very active with Online Gamers Anonymous and am starting a local chapter in my city. Our first meeting is next month. The online boards are great, but face-to-face meetings are the way to go. I'm also a member of an SAA (Sex Addicts Anonymous) fellowship.
Nick's site is fantastic, thanks.
I'm working on a graduate degree in social policy analysis. I'd like to explore the implications of new media addiction. Whether we want to formally recognize online porn, gambling, MMO gaming, social networking, chat addictions etc., they are costing us money in lost productivity, welfare and health care.
Squigs wrote:
It's true that for most people, MMOs are perfectly legitimate harmless fun, and at worst a waste of time and money. But the same can be said of alcohol. Games can produce feelings of success, satisfaction, connections with others, and a release from the stresses of every day life. This causes the brain to associate these feelings with playing computer games and result in a need to play the game, sometimes to the detriment of other important activities.
Well said. And that is my problem. I can't tell you how much I'm craving WoW, now that the Xpac is coming out, but I know I just can't go there. Sometimes it's not even about how many hours a week you play, but the impact that time has on your life. MMO's are all-consuming for me. I think you all know at least one person like me in your guilds, don't you?
Brad, aka ExGamer
http://www.exgamer.net
How can you not believe that MMO addiction is real? You can get addicted to anything that is fun and not be able to stop. MMO's are designed to make you better at the game the longer you play.
Going to Dr. Phil for help is always a bad idea. I wonder if he is going to attack the game industry any time soon.
--- Official Protector of Videoland!
Ok, so how best to balance the fun with concerns about addiction and people wrecking their lives? I'm responsible for my own actions. I choose to stay away from the games for my sake and for everyone who depends on me. How do you balance your life around your MMO gameplay?
Brad, aka ExGamer
http://www.exgamer.net
I never play MMO's, most of all because I play games to get away from people, but also because the only people I've known that play those games act like crack-heads.
-Remember kids, personal responsibility is for losers! Jack Thompson is gone, but we are not done... Not yet.
I posted an opinion on Jack Thompson's disbarrment here.
Brad
ExGamer.net
http://www.exgamer.net
Believe it or not, I wrote my Master's thesis on the topic of extensive use of MMORPGs. I chose the wording "extensive use" and not "addiction" because of this serious debate over whether such things should be officially considered addictive or not.
I am very ambivalent on the issue of whether compulsive behaviors should be considered addictions the same way that overuse of substances (alcohol and drugs) are. And yet, at the same time, we need to be aware that compulsive behaviors have many of the same outcomes as what we traditionally think of as addictions, so maybe the wording isn't what's important here. It's akin to the question of whether we want to call the US's current financial situation a "recession" or not. Does it really matter what we call it? The effects are the same whatever word we use to talk about it.
This isn't really the place to expound upon my results, but anyone who wants to read a copy of my thesis is welcome to contact me via my research e-mail address: mmorpgstudy(at)gmail(dot)com
I can tell you that anything can become an addiction. I had a friend who was addicted to his Religion. He would study the Bible constantly, neglecting his friends, homework. He would fast continuously, sometimes for months at a time. This would cause him to get sick constantly. Eventually he got some help.
The thing is that his Religion wasn't the source of his addiction, it was merely what he latched on to. The same is true for most psychological addictions. If he hadn't latched onto religion, he would have latched onto something else. Video Game addiction is real, but it shouldn't be confused with a substance addiction. It's purely psychological and could have just as easily been an addiction to something else.
______________
Ben "Scorp" Stanton
Indeed. I only brought it up because it's the only abuse/addiction criteria, as of this date, in the DSM IV TR. The next one will have better guidelines to go by. I was just making a point about "just cus you play doesnt make you an addict, it makes you an arse".
Exgamer. I am curious to what you would do were the tables turned. By that what if you were the one feeding the addiction. Lets say there was a person who was addicted to blogs. And lets say your blog in particular would take up massive amounts of a person's time and interfere with their life. What steps would you take were your blog the "addictive agent".
Mind you I bring this up for two reasons. One because I am genuinely curious, and secondly because as you both have a blog which has mentioned Thompson's name and have spoken negatively about him. So there is every possibility he will troll your site endlessly and put you on his mailing list for one of his twenty "press releases" he has per day. He is addicted to his own name you see.
-Ultimately what will do in mankind is a person's fear of their own freedom-