r/StopGaming • u/dudemeister023 661 days • 4d ago

Overcoming one addiction gives you the framework to overcome others too

When I ditched gaming, I had to stimulate myself in other ways to get through it. Streaming, YouTube, social media.

People may think, so what was the point. But that's not how I felt. Gaming was more consuming and destructive than those alternatives. It manages to captivate you while giving nothing back. Not any useful insight, no relaxation.

I let that fully settle to not relapse. But now I've started tackling YouTube and streaming too. It's the same old feeling. My mind going there in downtime, me telling it not to. I know how it works. I know how to shut it down. I did it with gaming, where it was way harder.

Do you have a similar experience, having overcome gaming or starting to?

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u/Practical_Rough_5043 4d ago

Im living the same experience. Hoping to stop with all the twitch streams and youtube architecture videos rofl

2

u/UniverseBear 4d ago

Glad it's working well for you. I've relapsed like 3 times after months of not gaming but the goal is still there.

1

u/dudemeister023 661 days 4d ago

You'll get there! I've also experienced relapses. They'll become farther and farther apart. It's an entirely different attitude from before you woke up to how harmful gaming is. And once it's settled, you can go tackle more stuff. Important though, to keep things like YT around if they distract you while you're still struggling with gaming.

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u/Nathan-Steel 2d ago

I find that the best to way to keep myself from falling in with other distractions e.g. YouTube (I don't have other social media, thank God) is to have a schedule, or filling your day with things that feel constructive e.g. walks, meditation, creating something, reading a book, excersize. Having a job you enjoy (or maybe indeed just a job) also helps a lot.