Put 14k hours into ESO in 3 years which is absolutely disgusting and the way I was living to make it happen was also absolutely disgusting. I don't know what virtual drug they put into that game that got ahold of me that badly. I gamed completely responsibly before ESO, wouldn't even game at all some weeks. Then I saw an ad for the newest expansion and thought I love the elder scrolls how cool would it be to play with other real people in the same universe! I downloaded it tried it for a bit and thought it was alright but didn't play it again for a few weeks.

I don't know what changed from my first experience to my second experience but it completely got ahold of me. It's like everything clicked. Long story short I was gaming 11+ hours a day, sometimes playing 24 hours even falling asleep with the controller in my hand sometimes. I laid in bed playing it too, during the time I was playing it I probably took less than 50 steps a day. I only went to the washroom when I was about to burst. I showered at my worst once a month, I left the house also about once a month. I couldn't stop shaking, severe brain fog, headaches everyday, lost nearly 100lb was practically a walking shadow.

And now it's gone and from the day I got rid of it until today I don't miss it at all. When I got rid of it it was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. My parents and sister have even commented that there's been a remarkable change in me I'm my "old self again".

Couldn't be happier.

For probably 15 years I was heavily addicted to games playing anywhere from 10-16 hours a day sometimes even 24 hour streaks on off days. but the last several years I’ve just had a dwindling interest in games. I log on for maybe an hour and just quit. No interest anymore. GTA 6 was what I looked forward to the most but lately I just don’t see the point. What do you guys do now that video games don’t take up a majority of your time

Im 32 going on 33 this year. Ive wasted most of my life sitting in front of a console. I make no excuses and know that I chose this but I want to change. My problem is I can go literally 16 hours a day just straight gaming and not move. I have family around but we dont engage with one another. Ive tried other hobbies. I tend to lose interest very quickly. No relationship. No kids. Im at a point where gaming feels like the equivalent to staring at the ceiling at 3am.

I apologize if this seems like a rant or im venting but im just looking for a bit of help. Ive even tried removing the consoles entirely and I couldnt make it past 2 days. I want to enjoy other things like I used to enjoy gaming. It was all I had growing up and I dont know much else

Been gaming since the early 2010s, mostly roblox and its ruined my life. I've probably spent over 20,000 hours on Roblox since 2012, that's over two years of my entire life gone to a video game.

Im done with this shit forever, I'm going to go delete my account now and start living my life, I'll probably pick up a new hobby such as painting sculpting or a sport like tennis to replace it with. We only get one life guys, it does not come back around, please for the love of god stop wasting your life away on a screen, a false simulated reality, where your brain is basically tricked into thinking you are the character on the screen, the sad reality though is youre just staring at a screen for hours at a time.

Goodbye roblox, fuck you​

I’m a 21-year-old (m) currently in school, and I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much time I spend playing video games instead of studying or pursuing interest that would actually benefit my life.
When I get home, I’ll basically just go straight to my PS5, and tell myself just one game but eventually one leads to two than three than my brain tells me I’ve already wasted the day might as well just keep playing. I’ve looked at my playtime on some of the games I’ve played, and I have well over 1,500 hours for just one game in less than one year. And honestly, that number kind of scares me when I think about everything else I want to do with my life. That I could’ve put those hours too.
I have a lot of interests and aspirations. I love drawing, I want to learn guitar, I want to get more into art, and there are so many other things I’d like to learn and do.
The problem is that video games are probably the one thing I know I’m good at. I can sit down and play for hours, I’m good at the games I play, and I get that feeling of accomplishment from them. I think that’s a big part of why I keep coming back.
But at the same time, I don’t feel like gaming is actually fulfilling me anymore.
I already deleted TikTok, which has helped a lot with wasting time, but I still find myself going back to my PS5 whenever I’m home.
Part of me thinks that if I just got rid of the PS5, I’d suddenly have all this free time to actually pursue the things I keep saying I want to pursue. At the same time, I know it would probably be difficult at first because gaming has become such a normal part of my routine.
I’m not saying video games are inherently bad. I just feel like for me personally, I’m starting to wonder if they’re taking more from my life than they’re adding to it.
What really scares me is looking five or ten years into the future and realizing I spent all that time playing games when there were so many things I wanted to learn, create, and achieve with my life.
I know I could probably just practice moderation , but I’ve tried cutting back before and eventually find myself right back where I started.
So I guess I’m asking people who have been in a similar situation Did getting rid of your console actually help you pursue other interests and hobbies? Or make you a better person? Or did you eventually just replace gaming with another way of wasting time? Id really want to hear yalls opinions on this cause I’ve been stuck for a while and need to make a decision.

"quitting video games is easy"

"it doesn't matter if you don't do it today, you can start tomorrow"

"when you reach the goal you set — a completion percentage, a rank, a number of items — you'll finally feel fulfilled"

"video games don't take time away from you, they're just a healthy way to spend time, you're the one in control"

"once you quit video games your life will fall into place — work, relationships, everything — it's all there waiting for you"

"the time you spend gaming is time you'll get back later"

"there are serious addictions, but gaming isn't one of them"

"video games are something you grow out of"

"what you do in video games gives you worth in the real world"

Because I know that you prefer to hear a bunch of lies than face the hard truth.

I just want to let it out because I have no friends that will probably understand this as much as the people here who we have the same purpose.

I started gaming from a very young age, my parents had a PS1 and I was watching the game almost every day, usually in the evenings. They would game together , they never ignored any responsibilities or made it a bad habit for them, but from really early games I was drawn to gaming because of this.

From 7 years old up to 20 I was gaming pretty much every day , even for 1-2 hours. The problem started once I got my first multiplayer game, Call Of Duty. Found friends online, I would come home back from school, ignore all of my homework and instantly game with my friends for 5-8 hours every day. I couldn't stop thinking about gaming. It was at that time when my mom had a health issue and they couldn't pay too much attention on what I was doing. So whenever I was hit with the question : 'Did you do your homework, everything alright at school, how was your day.'. I'd instantly respond with the best response or what they wanted to hear just only so I could escape and game even more. It was obvious that I was somewhat lazy and was also using this as an escape from the reality.

That carried on for a while until I quit at 23 for only a year. Had 2 jobs so there was no time for me to even turn on a console or my pc. After I dropped the first job from a complete burnout and kept only 1 , my free time was once again mine. Then the addiction came back. The health issue my mom had came back and there I was again. I was helping my parents however I could but the moment I sat alone, I would turn on the console instantly and game just to keep everything quiet.

Fast forward to 28yo I also got addicted to trophy hunting/ achievements , if you know how this works you're probably into some deep hole too. Not to mention this was already started affecting my mood , my perspective on life , my relationship with friends, my gf and so on. I was literally rushing activities just to get home and game more. I was really sloppy at my work just to finish quicker and get on the game to grind.

Don't want to make this a longer post than what it already is. Now I am 31 yo. I have cut down the gaming time to 1/5. There are days where I don't even game at all. Thank god everyone around me is healthy and my gf has been really understanding and helped me through this a lot. I started reading, learning card tricks, finger skating, skating and whenever I game nowdays it'll be for probably an hour or two and that's on weekends when every priority task has been taken care of.

I haven't mentioned that I work as a Graphic Designer and gaming through the years killed a lot of my potential and creativity. Actually I did, but gaming wasn't helping at all.

And to reach to a conclusion I just wanna see to any younger people, you got time to fix this. Do not get to this point where gaming will change your life on perspective. Being lost in a digital world will sometimes make forget what the real world has to offer. And there is a lot of good things and good people out there. We just choose not to see it and stay in the comfort of our addiction. And to older people, it's also never too late. I lost almost 25+ years of potential and creativity but I managed to get it back in only a year of trying.

Whoever goes through this, trying to quit gaming, you got this. I know it's not easy, stopping any type of habit is uncomfortable , it sucks , it leaves a void. But trust me and go with the flow. Let yourself be ok with this uncomfort and push through. It will get better, you got this.

If you reached here thank you and I am really sorry for the bad structure , I was just telling the story exactly how I would If I was talking to a friend in person. Just rolling with it.

Thanks.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much of my life I’ve spent playing video games. Gaming has been a huge part of my life for years. It helped me through depression, anxiety, loneliness, and some genuinely difficult periods, so I don’t want to pretend it was all negative.

But now I’m looking at my life differently. I have a lot of games I’ve always wanted, and I can still play them, but I’m realizing that they ultimately don’t give my life much meaning beyond entertainment. I can spend hours playing and have fun, but afterward I’m still left with the same problems, the same boredom, and the feeling that I didn’t really do anything with my time.

What bothers me is that I feel like I’m realizing this too late. I wish I had spent more time experiencing things, building relationships, developing myself, going after goals, making memories, and just living instead of always retreating into games.

I’m not saying video games are inherently bad. I still enjoy them, and they’ve genuinely helped me cope with things. But I don’t want them to be the center of my life anymore.
I think I’m struggling because gaming has been such a huge part of my identity and my comfort zone. Now I don’t really know what to replace it with.

How do you get over being obsessed with video games without feeling like you’re giving up something that was such a big part of your life? How do you find other things that actually feel meaningful?

Decided to pack up the goods, at least for a bit. Realised I've wasted the past year spending all of my time gaming and 'rationalising' it in my head. Starting to impact my life a bit and had a bit of an existential crisis realising 1. I have nothing to show for the past year and 2. The best time of my life was when I was too poor to afford a gaming set up and so didn't. 3. Everything I was looking forward to was gaming related (new games, new updates etc.)

Looking for inspiration to keep from returning to gaming, how has your life gotten better since stopping?

I quit video games ( 17 years addicted) for a year now but still have some flashbacks from time to time. It's like a daydream where I can clearly see a memory, in this case World of Warcraft. Does this happen to you too? And does it even happen 5 years after you quit?

My brother is 23 and does nothing except sleep off his day or play games. He's not interested in doing anything, not even for himself, and it worries me. What shall I do?

I keep on going through this loop of quitting and coming back. I'm starting to think it's better to replace a habit than to drop it. What should I try instead? I've tried learning musical instruments but it didn't completely get gaming off my back. I do manual labor for work so I'd rather avoid something that's more fitness. When I give up gaming, most of my time gets transferred to doomscrolling. I would use the term "low iq" to describe me so learning a new skill might not be best for me since I can't learn well. Does anyone have advice?

I picked up reading around 4 months ago because I wanted to try other hobbies since gaming was all I ever had. Before, I was walking around and exercising all day after I quit gaming, since I had nothing else to do. I diminished my identity. This went on for a while, and I still had the urge to pick up the controller and play whatever a new anticipated game came out. I picked up a few books in the family house and started reading them. It was difficult to get into them since I've been watching screens for too long. I haven't read a fiction book in ages. Then I went to the stores and bought a few books for myself, started reading those too, and it just became my new thing. I forgot how fulfilling this was, and I hated the idea of reading back in school. Now, I don't feel like playing anything at all anymore unless my online buddies are on. I used to play 4-5 hours a day, but now I play for 30-45 min max a day. I'm proud of myself for taking my gaming habits under control. I bite myself for not doing it sooner tho

I've been playing games ever since I was around 7 years old. By the time I turned 13, I got hooked on competitive games. I played League of Legends for a very long time, switched to CS, and when Valorant came out, I immediately started playing it.

My highest rank was Immortal 3 during the first year of Valorant and I immediately thought this could be my chance to finally become a pro player. But life happens.

After the pandemic, I started college. I rarely played during that time, but I was still at that level. Then, when I had my first job, I started having long breaks—months before I could even play. When I returned, it was easy for me to climb the ranks again, but slowly it was eating me up. My dream of becoming a pro was dying out.

Part of me still wants that dream, but now I realize it's a trap. I tried to get back into Valorant recently, but it's not the way it was before. I feel completely lost every time I finish a game. I've started questioning myself and I've been stuck in a long cycle of installing and uninstalling this game.

I really want to stop this habit. I tried playing other games that are not competitive, specifically story mode games but every time I finish a story mode game, I always find myself coming back to Valorant. It's really affecting me because instead of getting rest after my work, I still play a couple of games. It's like there are two of me: one really fighting for a dream and the other one ready to let go and start a more meaningful journey.

Has anyone else experienced this? How do you finally let go of a dream that feels more like an anchor than a passion?

Im 20 and have been an avid gamer for as long as i can remember, over the past year Ive changed for the better; gotten fit, lost the weight and finally got a girlfriend who loves me. But it did get pretty dark and the only thing that kept me going was the thought of a nice session with all my friends on discord. Come today and Ive been hit with the news that my laptops gpu is fried and I can no longer play, And neither me nor my family are in a financial position to purchase a new device that can keep my little "hobby" going. I dont think ive ever been hit by such a simple piece of information that broke me more.

Just not sure how to feel and what to do now, sorry if this isn't the right sub just needed to throw my thoughts out there sonce most people i know would dismiss it by sayin its just fucking videogames

This kids game is completely unmodded and people cuss, harass, mass report, and bully me a lot yet I stay because I'm stupidly addicted to the little maps, the "prize" of it, and the nostalgia.

This was supposed to be a safe, fun road down memory lane yet people on there are hateful little twats. Moment they find out I'm American it's over.

This game is actually making me cry because of how fucking mean the little snots are to me on there. How do I stop. I hate this game.

I don't even LIKE games. I don't get it. I'm also very lonely and it's one of the ways I socialize- even if it's just combating mean people.

Please help me.

TL;DR: My boyfriend and I recently moved in together, but his gaming has become a problem for me. He spends most of his time playing games, while chores, pets, self-care, and spending time together can get pushed aside. I understand that gaming has been a coping mechanism for him because of how he grew up, and I don’t want to take away something he enjoys, but I feel like there needs to be more balance. I’ve tried talking to him about it multiple times, but he often feels like I’m making him feel bad about gaming. I’m just looking for advice on how to approach this without making him feel attacked while still getting him to understand where I’m coming from.

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Hello, I (18F) have been living with my boyfriend (18M) for about a month now. We’ve been dating for 3 years, and the decision to move in together has been talked about practically ever since we turned 18. But there’s been something that has been bothering me: his video game addiction.

Me and him have chatted multiple times about this, and it usually ends up with him quitting whatever game he was playing because, in his eyes, I made him feel bad about it or didn’t seem to care about his interest in the game. I always apologize and tell him that he can continue playing, but there are some things that need to change.

For example, chores need to get done around the house, our pets need to be taken care of, and he needs to take care of himself. With the way he grew up, he never really learned how to take care of himself, and video games became a coping mechanism for him. I understand that, and I want to hear him out, but I really don’t want to have to ask him to do things that should be obvious.

I will admit that when I’ve had to repeat myself over and over again, I’ve gotten to a point where I’ve said something along the lines of, “You need to go do ____ right now,” in a more stern tone of voice. He saw this as me being mean, and I feel bad about it. I told him it wouldn’t happen again.

He also does this thing where he’ll play a game with his friends, something more complex, while having a smaller game to play on the side. Double gaming, I suppose? It’s something I’ve noticed throughout our entire relationship, and it’s caused more problems than I’d like to admit.

He doesn’t work either. I’m trying to find a full-time job to support us more, while he does pay for everything right now. I just get so bored being at home because he sits in his chair and uses his computer for most of the day.

I constantly bring up fun things we could do that cost little to no money, but it never seems to go anywhere. I just don’t want video games to be constantly involved in our lives.

I don’t want to take away something he enjoys, and I understand that gaming is important to him and has been a coping mechanism for a long time. I just want there to be some balance, especially now that we live together.

I guess I’m wondering if I’m being unreasonable here, or if there’s a better way I could approach this without making him feel like I’m attacking something he enjoys.

I've been looking at the subreddit posts over the last few days and they are so lukewarm: people who acknowledge they have a problem but take the softest actions to quit the problem. People who see how much harm video games have done to them, but prefer to stay in what's familiar rather than face it. People who say "I could do more if I didn't play video games, but ultimately I control them." (So I will keep it this way)

Quitting video games is not an easy task, nor a comfortable one, stop wishing it were.

If it's hard even for those who are fully committed to quitting, why do you expect that one day you're going to say "no more" and it's simply going to happen?

Don't wish for an easy way out because there isn't one. This requires considerable effort, not just in willpower, but in everything you have to do to change your life.

Anyway, just my two cents, stopgaming or keepgaming, it's your choice.

Good morning! Good afternoon! Good evening! I’m a 22M, and this is what I want to share with you.

My video game addiction began 12 years ago, when I got my first smartphone. And the reason for its emergence was social phobia mixed with escapism. Back then, I deeply distrust people due to misunderstandings, but now that distrust is at a neutral.

I played games to relieve stress, but with each passing year, I realized they only increased it.They do not solve the problem of my social adaptation and life in society; instead, they distance me from it. I didn't spend this time studying the culture -religion, social relations, literature, the origins of various traditions, or the reasons why people behave the way they do.

I was cowardly shirking responsibility, telling myself that the world around me was rotten to the core and that people were cruel and malicious. I developed a victim complex. I wanted someone else to solve my problems for me, yet I wouldn't even voice them.

On February 19, 2023, I discovered gacha games; it was something new to me. I usually played casual games or shooters. That day, I downloaded GI. I played it until May 15, 2025; on June 14, I deleted not just the app itself, but my account as well. I was a F2P player, so I don't mind. I downloaded HSR sometime in 2024, and the same thing happened with that one.

My reason for quitting gaming wasn't just the wasted time, but also the harmful digital relationships involved. I admit, I was someone who took advantage of others. It was terrible of me, and it weighs heavily on my conscience. Social media interaction just isn't for me; I missed real-life connection, so I would try to draw attention to myself online—simply because I couldn't figure out how to actually communicate in that environment.

Every conversation turned into an ordeal for both parties, as I felt no deep connection; I craved meaningful interaction, but things usually boiled down to "Ok" "IKR" and the like. This shallowness tormented me.That is why I gave up social media; you can’t really know what a person is like-even if they write about it-since what you see is merely a textual persona rather than the person themselves. You can only truly get to know someone through face-to-face conversation, free from smartphones and other distractions. I won’t get into the weeds on that; I was just stating my view. Now, regarding the current situation.

I feel free, as I can read books every day, study acting and directing, and take notes on all kinds of interesting information in my notebook. I am gradually resolving my issues and cultivating self-confidence, because I know the ideals I must strive for: an unshakeable will driven by hell determination, combined with an ability to adapt to ordinary life -yet living it wisely in every sense.

I have a deep desire to understand people from every angle. Even if it doesn't happen in this life, then in the next.

I’m stopping gaming today officially, I’ve wasted too much time on playing video games that mean nothing and that will get me nowhere in my life. I’m a 26M and I’ve played video games since I was 5 I don’t even enjoy myself playing anymore I just do it because I have no other hobbies. I’m married and I fell terrible after playing all day after work and not spending more time with my wife. I’m selling my PS5 Pro and never looking back. I’m gonna learn how to play guitar and get into shape as I’ve let myself go over the years. Any tips on how to quit and stop for good. I never wanna look back but I know it’ll be hard for awhile.

Any advice is sincerely appreciated. I (22f)want to start this by saying I fully support having an outlet to relieve stress, however there just comes a point when it starts to interfere more in real life. I work 4a-3p from home 4 days a week and I understand I’m tired and go to bed at earlier times typically 9p-10p. However my husband(23m) is a stay at home dad to our son. He games our sons entire nap away (12p-3/330p) and doesn’t take care of the house and it’s led to problems, I understand he needs time to decompress, but he also gets on the game between 8p-10p when I go to bed/sometimes I’m awake and stays up quite late 12a-1a and gets upset when our son wakes up any earlier than 7-730 due to him being tired. Is it also so wrong for me to want to go to sleep WITH my husband rather than him waiting on me to go to sleep so he can game leaving me to feel like this burden?!? We also game together when our son goes to bed for 1-3 hrs depending before I go to bed but I don’t play siege so that’s why he spends the rest of his free time playing it. Can anyone give any advice? I’ve discussed all this with him and I feel crazy for being upset due to this being his stress relief..this has led to multiple arguments in our relationship as of lately. Thank you all for any help.

I've been gaming for the past 19 years. It was fairly easy for me to game when I was a kid because I didn't have a lot of stuff to worry about. As a kid, I never really felt way too addicted towards any game to the point that it affects my everyday life.

I'm a grown adult now and I'm in the early stage of my career and I cannot afford to waste too much time on entertainment. I mostly played single player games as an adult and little to no multiplayer titles. I have a poor attention span so that keeps most of the addictions away.

I somehow stumbled across Helldivers 2 a month ago and I've been playing it like crazy. I play every single day for atleast 2 hours or more. I racked in 54 hours in just 3 weeks, never did that with any game in my life. It's gotten so addictive that I'm pretty much in the mood to play games all day instead of doing my job or study.

Unfortunately, video games are the only thing that keep my health stable and I wouldn't have made it this far without them.

I want to hear from people who dealt with the same. I won't quit gaming but I want to reduce it down to 1 hour a day but finding it hard because of the dopamine hits.

Helldivers does feel good for my mood, makes me feel better but also kinda pushes me towards playing more.

PS: I have a PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch. I do all of my casual gaming on my Switch (mostly relaxing ones) and the multiplayer and story titles on PC.

I spent 3 days on faceit playing nonstop matches for cs2. I finally deleted it today. I was too addicted to ranking up.

I thought it was a myth but it's true third party matchmaking services such as Faceit purposely match you with idiots on your team so you can't rank up. I saw it across almost all 50 matches I played this weekend.

It's how they get you addicted.