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Gaming & Pornography - fuel each other?

Discussion in 'Self Improvement' started by Deleted Account, Jun 10, 2019.

  1. What do you guys think about gaming? I've used to be or actually still am - just like with PMO but to less degree - gaming addict and when I think about and after reading many articles and people testimonies for example Article 1 & Article 2. I started to think that gaming for me and many others is just as bad as PMO addiction. Yet I keep convincing myself that gaming is fine, I get those insanes urges to play something/anything since if I don't watch PMO then I should treat myself, that's insane - or atleast read about some game or check out twitch.tv
     
    Deleted Account likes this.
  2. helpinghand4all

    helpinghand4all Fapstronaut

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    Gaming, media and the shows, binging on any one related with porn for me.
     
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  3. For my video game hobby I specifically avoided highly addicting types of games my whole life. Unlike porn the dangers of gaming addiction were well communicated even decades ago.

    In the more recent years I faced the problem, that my choice of video games couldn't compete with PMO in regards of dopamine release, so the time spent on the hobby decreased a lot. But it also means that in moderation without PMO it can work well.

    Getting inspired by the products of human creativity is also what is my primary goal with this. Some play only for "beating others online" or for reaching worthless artificial "achievements" or "trophies".

    Though for myself I noticed that neural pathways built by working towards virtual goals and by overcoming hard challenges could also be accessed in real life, where they helped me getting into the right mindset: from "this is impossible" to "challenge accepted!"

    In comparison porn didn't have any useful effects at all.
     
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  4. WalkingForward

    WalkingForward Fapstronaut

    I'm very convinced that gaming is not nearly as bad as porn.

    I think there are both pros and cons of gaming. Some games where there is a puzzle element can be quite good mental training for using our intellect for problem solving. Gaming can train our reaction times and I also think gaming can train our ability to focus. Gaming can also be a fun way of spending time with friends.

    But a big con of gaming is that it can be very addicting. And if you have gotten addicted to gaming, you have to, at least temporarily, stop gaming or put restrictions on your gaming. The pros of gaming, that I mentioned, can be attained by other means.

    Edit: what I do is that I only allow myself gaming after/if I have studied enough for the day. And I don't play games late at night.
     
  5. properWood

    properWood Fapstronaut

    They do not fuel each other, but they have a common source. Some time ago, a long time ago, before you became addicted to the two you had an emotional trauma that you didn;t know how to handle; you escaped the pain of said trauma by resorting to porn and games.

    Could be loneliness or boredom that you are avoiding through these behaviours, and my recommendation would be to just sit with the urges for a few minutes, 5-10. If the urge is still there after 10 minutes, then give in. Those 10 minutes will not be the happiest of your life, because you'll have a lot of uncomfortable feelings; sit with them. After several such sessions, you'll see that the urges begin to go away, little by little. Avoid to replace one habit with another one, if you feel the urge t PMO, don't replace it with alcohol. Your emotions need to be processed. After some time, you;ll feel less lonely, less bored and you'll find pleasure in simple activities such as reading a book or running an errand.
     
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  6. I'm dealing with this right now. I never game for long periods anymore but at certain points in the past, I did spend alot of time gaming. it seems like PMO, my weed habit and my gaming time kind of run together. I had a friend in college who did a sociology paper on how sex, drugs and video games stimulate the exact same region of the brain. My longest streak was 27 days and I've reached this point a few times over the past year. I've also gave up weed for 50 plus days last summer. When I go on longs streaks I usually give up weed with PMO as weed tempts me to PMO sometimes. I noticed when I give up weed and PMO I have zero desire to play video games.

    I'm currently on day 21 and I'm doing No PMO/ No Sex / No Weed/ Hard Drugs / Alcohol / Netflix / TV/ Unhealhty foods and I'm really proud of myself. I've been working out alot and getting out so I dont abuse youtube and nofap, lol. I've been really bored and over the past week I found myself intersted in video games. I've been playing 45 minutes to 1.5 hour video game sets. I am very sure this is because my brain is missing the dopamine from weed and PMO so this is the next best thing.

    Video games are addictive as hell. If you spend mutliple hours almost daily on any form of recreation youre addicted. When people post video game threads and suggest that gaming is addictive or possibly harmful in some way the gamers go nuts and get super defensive and make all types of crazy excuses like it, "relives stress" or "this is how I connect with my friends" but it sounds pretty silly. Any form of recreation can be addictive but I sure video games have the propensity to be more addictive than the average form of entertainment.
     
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  7. Kenshin Himura

    Kenshin Himura Fapstronaut

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    I strongly agree that gaming isn’t anywhere near as bad as porn. I can easily go weeks without touching a controller. Even when i play, it’s not on a daily basis. Staying away from porn is an every day struggle. Just reaching 1 week seems impossible sometimes.
     
  8. I believe multiplayer games when you play with friends on the same console are fine, but any kind of multiplayer online games literally replace part of your life, just like PMO. Relieving stress and connecting with friends, sure..
     
    WalkingForward likes this.
  9. I'm currently in a struggle about gaming myself as I've been looking to cut down on things in my life. On one hand gaming is my "original" hobby starting with my old Game Boy, which I still feel closely to. However, I feel like the type of gaming I get the most out of is hosting a board game night where multiple friends come over and we hang out around a table an interact throughout the night. Single and multiplayer video games seem fine to me, but in the end you're still kind of alone as you're just by yourself physically. For myself I still feel like I may have somewhat of a video game addiction because I've tried to see if I could quit for around 30 days and I just wasn't able to do it. I'm not so addicted it hurts my productivity in life, but on the other hand whenever I finish a game any more I don't feel as if I've accomplished anything. I still somewhat care about video game stuff because groups of my friends still really care about them, I suppose.
     
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  10. In my psychology, they're deeply connected. I quite P 92 days ago, Video games 88 days ago, and last M'd 83 days ago, thus all abstinences were started within 10 days of each other. I think the success I've had is due to quitting all three at the same time. My issues with all three run together throughout the timeline of my life as well.

    I think P is basically evil. M might have more moral uses than P,but is generally to be avoided. Video games on the other hand, are a kind of neutral thing, like alcohol or guns. It depends on how you use them.

    For me, quitting VG was essential. My favorite games were RPG's with lots of social stuff; including romance and nudity (like the witcher 3, Mass effect, other smaller games I forget). And nowadays, you can't ignore the adult games market, especially with steam allowing all those 18+ VN's. I only ever played one of those, but I was more into other games marketing to my fetish problems. Even W3 is a trigger to me; Geralt makes me want to be like him, but I'm a couple of years from that body, and far, far removed from his accomplishment and appeal. Thus, I'm back to M'ing, maybe feeling more motivated to lift later on.

    Socially, I've never used games except with close friends. So I can't really comment on that.

    The effects though, have been quite different. Video games cloud my mind and give me easy access to 'work' and 'accomplishment' that I avoid in the outside world. This is the reason I've quite, and I was hoping to see a great result in terms of my productivity. But I haven't; I barely am any better than I was before, still a shut-in who accomplishes nothing. I don't really have a desire for real work. I don't really desire VG anymore, but instead I just compulsively do other nonsense.

    Whereas, my desire for P is very, very low. For M, it's there, but only because of CPPS flare-ups. For me, the desire for real intimacy with a real woman is paramount with 83 days of NF under my belt.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 12, 2019
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  11. Fightyourlowerself

    Fightyourlowerself Fapstronaut

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    In my personal experience they are not connected. In fact when I used to play games it would distract my mind from the urges.
     
  12. Jonny1992

    Jonny1992 Fapstronaut

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    Well in my case,

    Youtube or Reading Comics is connected woth Porn addiction. When I read Comics, many in these mangas are triggering, many people call that „fan service“.

    Fairytale fore example is like a softcore porn.

    And on youtube the thumbnails or in Videos you find sexual triggering content. I don’t play that much games, but I watch lets plays. And on many games the womens are just sexy :/.

    So yeah, I see a connection. When I have alle three things under control. Porn doesn’t strike me that fast.
     
  13. MM47

    MM47 Fapstronaut

  14. Marcelo48

    Marcelo48 Fapstronaut

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    For me is more internet and porn fuel each other. that's why I quit a lot of stuff like social media, and a lot of youtube and leddit. Certain games are fine by me, others like MMOs RPGs not so much, but I just don't have time for that stuff anymore.
     
  15. Yea maybe even worst than pmo. it's time consuming you wast a lot of energy on it, you wast your life away.
     

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