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From when I was a mere child to my mid-teens, I used to play video games.
From Pac-man and Pokemon and Mario to Grand Theft Auto Vice City and San Andreas and Final Fantasy X – you name it; I’ve probably played it.
I was a typical gamer kid – go to school, come back, play video games – usually alone, but occasionally with friends, and then go to sleep.
Rinse and repeat.
When I was 14, I thought this was the life.
I figured, when I grew older, I’d be playing video games. In fact, I thought I’d have more time to play video games because there would be no one to stop me.
Fortunately, as I got older, I became busy with other aspects of my life and “forgot about” video games.
That being said, I have some old friends from that time who still play video games in almost all of their free time – when they’re not at work and when they’re not mindlessly watching some or the other TV show.
And not just them – there are a lot of young men like this. The male version of “cat lady”.
No hobbies, no interests, no personal growth – nothing but high scores in various games.
With the dawn of games like DotA – the e-cocaine of games – the ones that have no story, no plot, and no end; you start playing one match, then another, then another – I’ve seen people sink in thousands of hours into video games.
Life is not a dress rehearsal – there is no reset button.
Video game addiction is a serious topic that is destroying many young men and needs to be talked about, but is often ignored (just like its victims) or just humorously dismissed.
Often, I receive private messages from men who tell me that their lives are being destroyed stolen by porn and video games.
Last week, I wrote about how and why you should quit watching porn. For this article, let’s talk about how you should go about quitting video games.
The 4-Step Plan to Get Rid of Video Games and Break a Video Game Addiction
Step 1: Delete the Games
This is a simple step – just delete all the games on your computer.
If you play online games, delete your accounts.
Delete everything – your save files, your steam account, and block the websites.
If you don’t have them, you can’t play them.
Step 2: Get Rid of the Console
If you have a gaming console, say a PS2 or whatever, sell it or give it away.
If you have a computer, downgrade the hardware so it’s usable for everything except video games.
If you don’t have them, you can’t play them.
Step 3: Find Alternative Entertainment
Whenever you try to break any addiction, the real fight is the dopamine withdrawal that comes with it.
You need to find alternative sources of entertainment to “fill the void”, so to speak.
You could go out more, take up real-life sports, start getting into reading novels, or a variety of other hobbies.
Personally, I’d pick novels (I used to love those as a teenager) – scroll to the bottom of the book recommendations page to find the entertaining books section and pick out something you think you might like.
Step 4: Give It Time and Let Yourself Grow
Will your entire life change in a day of not playing video games? No.
In a year? Probably. (Especially if you also stop watching porn.)
When you are not bombarding yourself with so much dopamine, your body naturally wants you to go out and get some.
This new ‘desire’ will “fix you” over time – you will get in touch with people, find yourself going out more, make new friends, and build a life worth living.
If you were an enterprising person, you’ll have the drive to start that business return.
Your “world” will change.
Currently, your world contains video games, porn, TV shows, your work, and other people living the same way.
Over time, your world will change from that to things that give you meaning, your hobbies, time in the gym, good books, your work (plus some side income), better friends – the things that matter to you that you finally pursued.
And once you get used to your new world, you’ll look back at your old self and wonder, “What the fuck was I thinking? Why didn’t I quit earlier?”
But you need to give yourself that chance and the time to grow.
Hope this helps,
Your man,
Harsh Strongman
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