Hi, I would like to discuss a topic with you guys. I want to be a pro gamer. I am approaching that goal, and with competitive gaming starting to receive enormous exposure (Staples Center sold out within and hour), it seems like I will make my dream come true. However, I have been gaming for as long as I can remember. From age 12 to 16 I played World of Warcraft, which meant that instead of physically hanging out with friends, my brain got used to being on myself playing games, hanging out virtually with my friends, was the way I spent my days. Right now, I have 3 friends who game but I also have a new group of friends of about 5 people who have nothing with competitive gaming but support me in my goal to become a pro. Whereas I can easily entertain myself alone, playing games, having a goal to improve, these friends depend more on eachother to get entertained. They will often take initiative to hang out somewhere, whereas I don't do this as often. Now, 3 out of my 3 dofferent girls sex experiences were terrible. 1st girl I overthought, got scared as seeing my girlftiend naked didn't boner me. First thought that came to me was, holy shit am i gay? I should instabone? 2nd girl my dick hurt when she sucked me (problem I had with first one also) and issues made relation not last long. 3rd girl she tool initiative and went on top after a short 65% boner blowjob. 10 seconds after that my dick was limp, while she is 10/10 horny and looks. So I wonder. Can we assume that we have ed because of watching porn since I was 12, more often than others as I spend a lot of time bhind the pc compared to others? Is gaming addictive, or is this a myth? After having played the game fpr 5000 hours or so, I only enjoy winning and imrpvoing at the game, not the game itsself. Is my dream of becoming a pro a dream supported by addiction? is my drive of becoming a top player (which is realistic) just a normal healthy drive like other sportan, for example football players who even though their activity is physically healthier, also 'play a game for hours a day non stop in order to differentiate from competitors'? Has playing games as my general free time activity reduced my lust for other things completely? I was always on top of my grades, until I went to >insert< school aged 12. I lost the drive to get the highest grades as years passed, opting gor a minimalistic strategy. Not sure if I can correlate this to gaming? Does playing the game, which. I kind of consoder my work, prevent the creation of dopamine when I do activities such as hanging out withbfriends? I hang out with friends at least twice a week, but sometes I rather just play game but i still do it because i feel like i should. I go to uni and passed my year but with vert low grades. I go to parties but I don't really have that much drive to talk to women. I am a confident land good ooking guy (even though this might be considered impossible for gamers, read up on esports progression!) with the opportunity to have a normal live of party, girls and friends. I do this but not as much, as i still prioritize becoming a pro over everything as long as the rest stays at a decent level? Is this addiction, which goes at the cost of my interests, or is this just sheer healthy dedication for a new, explosive phenomenon (which is competitive gaming/esports) and is gaming addiction not such as thing, as the rest of my live is still going fine (friends work school), even though I prpbablu enjoy 'normal activities' less than other people. This ia on my mind 24/7. Please share your thoughts with me, objectivally. Sorry for hasty spelling, fucking Samsung G3
Perhaps it is worth noting that I quit WoW easily at age 16, probablu because i got bored of it. I went on to League ofegends but quit shortly after. After seeing the enormous potential of competitve esports that this game company created, I came back with a goal to become a top player, where i am now. Please share your thoughts! The effects of a gaming lifestyle is the only thing I cannot rationalizr by myself but which I do need to have rationalized for myind to make healthy decisions regarding the subject.
look, anything can get 'addicting' unfortunately some addictions have the ability to lower your self-esteem and confidence. some have the ability to raise it. For example, if someone is addicted to sports, or working out and eating healthy, or all of them - this would raise your confidence - eliminate stress because its directly impacting your 'real life', you'll feel proud about it, especially since its looked Up upon if you do these things in society. video games are deff terrible if your staring into the screen intensively for hours at a time. ive been in that situation with Halo before, i was pretty good, but in the end i couldn't take looking at a screen until my back hurt.
I know the feeling of being near the top of a game is amazing, I used to spend hours and hours on a game each day, and now that the msn gaming zone has closed down I'm pretty much a nobody now. I used to try and recapture that feeling with other games, but I'd worked so hard in dedicating myself to that one game, it was pretty much all I could do. Once the game goes, you've got to seriously consider whats in store for you. I essentially have no friends to hang out with, had plenty online while I was playing though, met some really good people too, but its all gone now. Video games are definitely addictive, once I gave up video games, its what pretty much caused me to get into this PMO. They do make the normal things in life less appealing, and for me that is the worst thing ever. Hanging out with people becomes boring and tedious, the things that should feel most rewarding become so plain. In my opinion the online world is great, but that's what it is, it wont be there with you forever.
No. Here are 55 recent brain studies on Internet and video gaming - all found the same brain changes as seen in drug addicts. List of Internet & Video Game Brain Studies http://yourbrainonporn.com/list-internet-video-game-brain-studies Here's my full list of internet video game addiction studies: Internet & Video Game Addiction - http://yourbrainonporn.com/garys-research-addiction-video-game In one study they looked at the brains and the psychology of "pro gamers, and "gaming addicts" - and the pro gamers were NOT addicts. I don't know if playing does, but addiction certainly could. Or simply training your brain to need a certain level of stimulation to be aroused. Know that gaming addiction is correlated with poorer grades, diminished frontal cortex functioning and altered anatomy, poorer working memory. But that's addiction...not necessarily playing.
I have been playing games since my childhood, I have no doubt that a generation sitting in front of screens pressing buttons has some effect on the brain. But the same can be said about any generation, at any time in human history...the environment will always be different, this is something that cannot be rectified, and it is not inherently bad or good. I would not say I was addicted to games as a child, I loved playing them as my main hobby, but as a child you are forced to go to school and I also played sports and hung out with friends...so it was never out of control. Virtually everyone I knew played games...many girls and guys. When I got older and had more autonomy (late teens) and when it comes to gaming and addiction...during my most depressed, anxious and point of lowest-self esteem was also the time I was playing video games 10 + hours a day, it was a self-medicated addiction. At this same time I would PMO non-stop during this period. While I didn't know about PMO then I still recognized my gaming addiction. Having made massive steps to eliminate it (job, school, friends, exercise, everyday life errands), I now only play on average one Xbox/PS3 game every 2 months (meaning complete it in a week and don't touch my collection). And perhaps 4-5 times a week, for about 2 hours in the evening, I just browse the internet and listen to music and play a MOBA casually with a couple online friends (usually before bed, a decompressing time). Even this, I go without days at a time if I end up going out instead, or have some other things to do and it doesn't even come to mind. What I'm trying to convey is that my addictions (both PMO and gaming at the time I abused it) was because I was unhappy, and I think I turned to those as ways to cope. ironically, these coping mechanisms suck more and more life out of you that they make you feel more unhappy in the long run. I attacked the core of my unhappiness (exercise, diet, spirituality, meditation...LIFE) and these things became easier... very slowly. There was a point where I had to PMO everyday, or log into a game everyday. Now I couldn't care less about both those things, I'm more focused on the shit in my life now, thinking about job opportunities and software applications along with enjoying the simple things in life (food, music, driving, friends, interacting with strangers in my day-to day etc.!) Although its a lifelong process, there is no goal, its the journey to keep yourself as content as possible with yourself and those around you. This post makes me remember where I was 3 years ago, if I told myself then I'd be the way I am now I wouldn't believe it for one second. I was a shell of a human being then... If you love to play a certain game, and you're good at it, you lead a life that encourages working within that foundation (practice, balancing your real life) then go for it. In fact, what Gary said is true. Professional gamers communicate with sponsors, fans, they make money, meet people, travel, go to events, purposely create a daily routine at the gym...in essence, lead a good life! It's gamers who do nothing but game (or in the case of PMO people who do nothing but PMO, or people who do nothing but drink, or people who do nothing but smoke...you get the idea). The problem is that these addictions are a slippery slope, because you partake in them in the first place b\c of a sense if discontent - hence why addictions become addicting. When you eliminate the root, you have no need for them and you wouldn't turn to them in the first place, b\c that discontent was never there/now is gone. TLDR: Gaming is addictive when there is discontent in a person and it is there reason for playing. Pro gaming CAN BE, if you are a discontent person that plays a lot of games and is good at it. If you are good but happy with yourself, then no.
[/quote] Hello Gary, thank you for responding to my thread. Sorry for going off topic but I suppose the topic is rather interesting after all. You state that the pro gamer in that study was not addicted, compared to the gaming addicts. What makes the difference? Is it the fact that I still have the ability to have a 'normal life', whereas gaming addicts are considered people who would rather have a 'normal life' but simply do not see how they can get one, and drown away their depression by gaming? Also thank you to the other respondants, Red_Raja especially. The only thing I have trouble with is how to approach my current lifestyle to people, girls included. I am not a professional player yet but it's likely to start happen in either 3 or 6 months. The difference between telling a girl I play in front of thousands professionally or telling them I am a 'high elo player who plays for hours a day but hasn't acehieved something yet' it pretty big. Basically, when I get in contact with a girl I have to tell them that I am a guy who plays games for most of his free time while also being someone with 3 failed sex experiences, thus kind of a virgin. Not very attractive so I think it's safe to say that my confidence is lower than it could be if I didn't have this lifestyle. I hope I can make it happen. I say 'I hope' as I can never be certain. I hope I don't find out to be naive after all, failing to persue my career and ending up with a desetentized look on the world. I also wonder what the future will look like. I expect games to be everywhere, but how will people's brains react to this? Will everybody become slightly desentized to others things, while they play games on their futuristic mobileconsole hours a day? With the rise of competitive gaming via mostly League of Legends, professional gamers can get looked up on. But what happens to those who just barely not make it? In case of physical sports, your lifestyle of practising hours a day will be looked up on no matter if you make it, but right now stting in front of a computer is not considered physically nor mentally healthy for you. If you guys have anything to share, go for it. Thanks thus far. That's good to hear. I suppose and hope that's true. The biggest reason I want to becmoe a pro is to show others that it's not just for stereotype nerds.
I doubt it would be another way to get ED. However, it probably affects our brains reward-circuitry and hits us with dopamine-rushes the same way Internet porn does. This, I think, would make sense. And as a layman, I think it is highly questionable to spend so much time sitting still staring at screens (computers, lap-tops, smart phones, tablets, tv) as people do today. Many of us sit in front of them both when working and in our spare-time. Can’t be good for a number of reasons – psychologically, physiologically and emotionally.
