On addiction

I reckon everyone's addicted to something. Thing is though, they don't always know what they're addicted to.

Me, I'm pretty sure I have a handle on all my addictions. There's the popcorn, the computer games, the sci-fi and fiction shows. Also caffeine, which I manage with a combination of coke (the drink), coffee and chocolate. Pizza too but the expense of that means I don't indulge too often. (Maybe next Monday !). That's kinda a lot of addictions, maybe I'm just habit bound :-)

What's triggered this post in particular ? I tried to get on World of Warcraft earlier (definitely addicted there!) but was frustrated by not being able to connect to the servers. Same happened yesterday and it looked like there were a few more problems lingering on when they got them back up again. For those not inducted into gaming circles, a server outage is usually accompanied by an avalanche of posts from the more heavily addicted demanding that the servers go back online. They need their fix and throw the teddies out of the pram when they're denied it.

I don't think I'm quite that bad ... Ok, when my internet went Bang a couple of days ago (twice!) I was trying all I knew to fix it but that was partly because I didn't want to let down the people I was in a group with. Today, I've gone to catching up on the SkyPlus stuff again (Reaper and Dresden Files)

I think one thing that allows me to keep my particular gaming addictions under control is seeing what it can do to other people. Because I know a few people who have become so under the spell of the game that the game changes who they are. I think that's where playing the game to enjoy jumps the bridge into being Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I have tendencies there but that's where I get some advantage from the Old Bones. If I sit at a computer too long, then my back and shoulder start to freeze up, which is a definite sign that I need to start moving around some more :-)

That's a lot of talking about me up top there ... How about addiction ? The worst thing about addictions is that they creep up behind us when we're not looking and sneak in to take control. The need to feed them provides a compulsion that makes us ignore what we're supposed to be doing. For me, that means occasionally I'll go deep in game so much I'll still be in there way past when I should have had a bit of dinner. I'm not rake-thin, so I can handle a few missed dinners. However, I also neglect other things like making sure the house isn't a tip. Which it is ...

It's not just World of Warcraft that has the addicted people, it's the other games too. Eve has periodic downtime and occasionally longer breaks when they're changing something. The players get fair warning that the game will be offline for a day but they feel the Need to play that much that they don't know what to do outside of the game. I've been there before but hopefully I've stepped back far enough to have a little more control over it.

Maybe greeting not being able to log into That Game with writing a blog post about it is a sign that I'm getting in too deep again ? Dunno there. We shall see. I'm back to work next week, so not so much time on my hands. At least being addicted to World of Warcraft means I'm not buying a game a month to satisfy the game addiction I have :-) So even with the subscription it works out cheaper. Plus I'm a fan of the new guild I'm in. Hopefully they'll continue as they have been, without being adversely affected by a vote that means it'll be easier to get characters coming in to the guild.

There's a lot of potential addictions out there, including games, narcotics, bad habits and all the other things people get addicted to. I like to think I avoid the really dangerous ones while keeping a handle of the more innocent ones that have me. I have a need for coffee but realised last night that I hadn't had a cup since last Friday (probably cos of having too much coke!). I don't smoke, drink alcohol or indulge in recreational drugs, which just so happens to leave more cash for what I really want to do.

What's my advice to those caught in an addiction ? Try to recognise what you have. It's not necessarily a problem, unless it's taken to excess. That's when the addiction starts to own you. Who's the boss in your life ? You Are !!! Don't let the addiction usurp your position as boss of your own life. If your friends start trying to tell you that you have a problem, they're trying to do you a favour. They've seen the addiction before you have and they're trying to help you out. They want the old you back, the one from before the addiction became the boss.