WoW Is Holding Me Back

It's pathetic and I don't understand what keeps sucking me back in, really.

I don't know how to stop! I've shut out all websites I know and uninstalled/unsubbed. What else can I do except power through with willpower? At what point will you just stop caring? A year?

I'm sure many people share the same feelings and experience as you... I know I definitely did. Emphasis on did - (yes, there is hope for you yet!)

First of all, WoW is intentionally designed in many aspects to get you addicted and keep you playing; there is plenty of information about this already out there and it has been discussed ad nauseum, so I won't get into it again here. The important thing is that you recognize this fact, and keep it in your thoughts when you reflect on your habit.

Second, WoW was fun for you at some point... just as it was fun for me. I started playing during Burning Crusade, and I'll never forget it. I loaded it up during a free week on a whim, while two of my college roommates watched me play- I had no idea what to expect, but suffice it to say that we were all blown away and as they say, the rest is history. Those first few months playing with my friends were so amazingly fun- the questing, random exploration, obtaining mounts, running dungeons. We bit into it hook, line, and sinker. Then once we were able to raid, it became a whole new beast.

We played it relentlessly up until about midway through Wrath, until we all started getting burnt out... and yet, we still played. It had become a constant and regular part of our lives, like we were on autopilot. Like you, there were moments of fun, but mostly just endlessly playing because... reasons.

The point is, coupled with the addictive aspects, you have a huge nostolgic value attached to this game; deep inside you know it was fun at one point, and you long for that fun to return. On a surface level you just keep returning to it hoping that the flavor comes back - part of you knows that it won't, but you keep trying anyway, just in case, meanwhile driving the other part of you crazy because it doesn't understand why you keep playing even though you no longer enjoy yourself.

WoW checks off many things that bring satisfaction: achievements, working as a group, leveling up, acquiring loot, building skill... all wrapped up in an EASY TO DIGEST package.

You can literally compare it to any other truly addictive substance; take heroin, for example. The heroin addict shoots up and experiences an incredbly awesome and warm dream state... and chases that feeling forever more, even though it never comes back.

SO WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

You must first recognize it for what it is (reflect on the above)-- and then FIND A REPLACEMENT ACTIVITY IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU TRULY ENJOY. And make sure it's not a game. Find another hobby, something social. Try a few things until you find something that you kind of like, and then DIVE IN. Go all out. You'll eventually get to a point where you look forward to doing that activity regularly, and it will overtake the number one spot as your favorite hobby and thing to do. Even better if you can get a couple of these types of things going.

And all of the sudden you'll realize, "Woah, I haven't thought about WoW in a long time!" You'll be free.

But until you fill that void, the siren song of WoW will forever fill your thoughts. Believe it.

/r/nowow Thread