Addicted to WoW ?!?

Its Just a Game...

A short time ago, I  read a article from the Ensign entitled "Just a Game?".  The article was written by Charles D. Knutson from the BYU Compter Science Department, and Kyle K. Oswald from LDS Family Services.The article focuses on the addictive nature of massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs), with an audience focus to Mormon Church Members. It is however quite informative to anyone that is struggling with an online addiction, and to concerned loved ones.

So you may be asking yourself, "Am I addicted to WoW?!?" or maybe "Are any of my loved ones (brother, sister, parent, child, friend, etc.) Addicted to WoW?!?" The article gave a great self-test for those asking these questions:

They Just Might Be Addicted

A good measure to use when determining the value of a hobby is if it adds to or takes away from your sense of balance. Healthy activities help you feel revitalized, refreshed, and ready to tackle your challenges. Destructive activities leave you feeling drained and empty inside and less able to cope with the struggles of real life. Destructive activities also tend to leave you feeling compelled to continue rather than feeling in control of your decisions.

Although there is no specific test for addiction to online gaming, the following are factors that, taken together, may indicate an unhealthy involvement or addictive tendency.

• • Do you play compulsively?
• • Do you play for long periods of time (often longer than you had planned)?
• • Once online, do you have difficulty stopping?
• • Do you play as often as you can?
• • Do you sneak or violate family rules in order to play, even when facing punishment or loss of privileges for doing so?
• • When you are not playing, do you obsess about the game, plotting and planning your next opportunity to play?
• • Do you sacrifice real-world things for your online world?
• • Is your gaming negatively affecting your relationships with family members or other non-gamer friends? For instance, if you are a parent, does it cause you to neglect your children’s needs? If you are a child, does it cause you to distance yourself from your parents and siblings?
• • Do you consider other online gamers (even those whom you’ve never met in real life) to be among your best friends?
• • Is your school or work suffering because of the time and energy you spend gaming?
• • Are you having a difficult time deciding to serve a mission because of the extended break from the game that will naturally result?
• • Do you neglect personal hygiene?
• • Have your sleep patterns changed since you became involved with online gaming? Are you staying up extremely late or getting up in the middle of the night to play?

There is a solution to this! There are great resources available through LDS Family Services to help those struggling with addictions of any variety. One of these is the Addiction Recovery Program, which is an similar to the Alcoholics Anonymous program, adapted to help those struggling from many different types of addiction.

For anyone out there in need of help there is always hope. This video probably puts it a little better than I can.

Additional Information About the LDS Addiction Recovery Program