My relatives having a " COH intervention " for me

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I told my friends to go away, if you dont like it then dont come back. I'll make new friends. By the way, I'm out of high school, living by myself, no social life except at work.

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Um...I'd reflect on that statement a bit. First of all, you won't make more friends, because the kind of friend you want is one that'll understand if you don't hang out with him/her while you play. And sure, you can make friends in CoH, but seriously, you're losing the friends that will help you move!

Let me tell you about moving. It's a lot of hard, stupid work. Packing stuff up in boxes, putting it into a vehicle of some sort, then putting it back somewhere else, always breaking something, always losing something. CoH friends can't help you there, only your friends and family can. And if you push those away, you're stuck moving yourself! Ever move a solid oak kitchen table by yourself? I found three brand new religions hauling that up some stairs by myself.

Go to the intervention with an open mind. Remember these are people that care enough about you to want to help. If they didn't like you, they'd have stopped talking to you a long time ago. Good luck!

Everyone's got their drug of choice.

Everyone has something they're fanatic about, except some things are more accepted than others. Gaming doesn't happen to be as accepted as sports and things.

My quote still stands regarding addiction, however.

off topic: come from UO with a name like that? Me likey.

I almost jumped right to posting a link to Nick Yee's site but decided to read the rest of the posts first (well, most of them). Glad to see that someone beat me to it as his site is not only fascinating but astoundingly thorough.

As a side note; if you ever actually say "lol" to somebody while talking face to face with them, it's time to un-plug.

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Its almost to the point now where I have a hard time telling the differnece between real life and video games.



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I'll bet you one hundred dollars that you can't superjump from the top of your house to the house across the street....

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Well, I just had a huge argument with a few of my friends. They are telling me I need help. I'm like so what if I only get out two or three times a month, I like this game.

I'm determined to have another level 50 superhero. My friends told me that I must be psychotic to want to stay inside and play this game.

All I know is this: Time is the only thing keeping me from reaching my goal, to get another level 50 superhero. I'm so focused on that, maybe I cant see straight, I dont know. I dont care.

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Why am I thinking that this guy is just yanking everyone's chain?

Of course, anyone who has the time to churn out three level 50 characters in six months without exploiting has got to get a life...

Not only do you need an intervention, but it sounds like you need professional help.

Life is a game to you? Well, unfortunately, life is not a game... it's completely real and what you do to the people around you affect them profoundly.

If you have people around you who "feel" you need an intervention (even if you play and hour a week), then you need one. Obviously they see something that is "destructive" to your life... and feel you should be doing something else.

It's your parents and you're living at home, they ABSOLUTELY have the right to tell you HOW to live. That's a hard pill to swallow, and something you probably won't understand for another 10 years, but it's true.

The only way to get out of that situation is get a job that pays enough for you to live on your own (I highly recommend a College Education...). Doing that means getting off your [censored], and doing something... playing games do not pay bills (for most of us). You can go to FullSail University in Florida for $58,000 if you're THAT interested in games... it's going to be hard to afford that working less than 60 hours a week, so you better get started.

You see what I'm saying... life is tough, and it doesn't get easy by escaping in games. You may play and play and play, but real life is there still going on without you. You need priorities in your life... and games is not the top one... EVER. It should be closer to:

1. Family
2. Friends
3. Work
4. School
5. Pets
6. Staying Fit
7. Eating right
8. More friends
9. yadda yadda...

You see, games are even near the top, and they shouldn't be... they're entertainment and that's it... they're extra...

Do NOT listen to any BOGUS ADVICE in this thread telling you "It doesn't matter..."

Either succeed in school (so you can get a better job when you do start working) or keep a job, try and get laid regularly, a couple times a week spend some time with "real" friends, don't commit crimes or hurt others.

As long as you're doing that stuff then everything else is cool (in my opinion) but if you're [censored] the above stuff up it's prolly not too healthy, maybe you should reexamine your priorities..

you're not going to be on your deathbed wishing you had got lvl 50 with your third alt, but you sure as hell will regret not having a wife or friends, etc etc.

Use common sense, and be honest with yourself.

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My relatives and friends believe I am in a self-destructive spiral from playing City of Heroes too much and they have decided to stage an intervention just for me.

My question to you all is should I even go to this? They tell me I have an online gaming disorder. I am the only one in my family who plays a massive online game.

I think they are all wierd, they think I am wierd. I'm tired of people telling me what to do with my life. What should I do about COH?

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People are always quick to do things like this when THEY think the time you spend DOING WHAT YOU ENJOY could be used better by DOING SOMETHING THEY ENJOY...

I'd go just out of respect, but I'd also tell them not to expect any changes... I mean, it's your time, do what you enjoy doing... If they really cared about making you happy and not making THEMSELVES happy, they'd realize that you're having fun and enjoying yourself...

Tell them you'll go, but only if they have a few chicks dress up like the hot little numbers in The Carnival

to be honest with you, I am having a hard time not laughing

im sorry, but thats just kinda rediculous

Humph. My grades have actually gone up since I started playing City of Heroes.

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There's only one documented case that I know and that's the 86 hour one. He would have died anyway if he was *awake* that long, as your brain does in fact shut down after about 48 hours. It is irreversable brain damage after about 50.


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I would just like to point out that the above statement is absolute bunk, and the fact that I am typing this sentence is proof.

I have a sleep disorder called "obstructive sleep apnea". Basically, when I fall asleep, my throat can close up, and choke me, causing me to wake up again. When I had the testing done for it, the ECGs showed that I never fell asleep. The choking woke me before even the beginning of sleep patterns in my brain. As a result, I was effectively "awake" for over three years straight. By your statement above, I should be either a drooling pile of former humanity, or six feet under.

And now, for the Public Service Announcement:

If you find you are tired all the time, wake often, and are told by your friends / family / significant other / coworkers / neighbors that you snore loudly, or seem to choke in your sleep, schedule an appointment at your nearest sleep clinic as soon as possible. Staying awake won't kill you, but the choking can, as well as causing other complications. There are both surgical and non-surgical treatments available. And I promise you, that first morning, when you wake up from your first night of real sleep in nobody knows how long, it is an experience you will remember for some time to come.

I'm surprised you aren't dead. Drew Hayes of Poison Elves fame has this and very nearly is.

I'm not talking about an apnea condition - I'm talking about forcing yourself to remain *fully awake*. While you rest you're doubtless getting better 'sleep' than some people do going to college or working hard at an office 12 hours a day.

Your brain in particular might have adjusted to this condition, but it's by no means normal. Technically speaking you indeed should be six feet under. You sir, may be a medical miracle... Did you gain water weight in your feet? Just wondering, because that's what happened to Drew. (well, across his whole body, but feet first as they're farthest away from the heart.) It's a good sign that your heart can't handle being oxygen deprived by the choking.

But no, my ex worked with a professor who was doing dream and sleep studies. It's quite true that enforced lack of sleep will push your brain past the point of recovery. Maybe it only happens in certain people, but ... that's the research I was told.

Some drugs aid this process - e for instance, which can literally turn off the brain's ability to sleep, become thirsty, etc. Had a friend who lost a girlfriend because her brain stopped telling her to be thirsty after taking e...

Video games fortunately aren't that bad....

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Its almost to the point now where I have a hard time telling the differnece between real life and video games.

I am driving down the road and sometimes I get mad and want to ram the other car, like the Grand Theft Auto game and I realize that would be stupid but it almost happens.

You see my point. Its like its okay to hurt other people cuz its all a game. Life is a game to me.

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If you are being serious seek help. You have issues and need professional couciling.

From your other posts extremely attacking others playstyle, anti-social behavior, posts in this thread I think maybe you need an intervention. It appears you aren't getting anything healthy at all out of a social game. The only time you even refer to those who play around you is in the terms of wishing you could "in-game kill them" or to insult how they choose to play. If you are just a troll baiting for responses, that just reiforces what I said above.

Hi Jett,

I love this game, and at times, I would like nothing more than time to play it. However, I have a demanding job, a wife, family and a mortgage. You'll get those too in time.

And as much as real life can get you down at times, there is also nothing in this game that can really measure up to it. I just came back from a week trip to see Victoria, British Columbia. Seeing the Butchart Gardens for the first time with my wife in tow was definitely better than beating up on some level 42 Archvillian for the second time.

Life is full of 'content' - really good stuff. This game, as you can read for yourself in these forums, is not.

As in all things, this game is enjoyed best in moderation. Continue playing the game, but go out, see the world, make friends, find the love of your life, have a successful career and continue to learn.

Best of luck,

Scratch

Doesn't anyone read anymore? He said he wasn't serious....

He was making a point... I hope.

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I'm surprised you aren't dead. Drew Hayes of Poison Elves fame has this and very nearly is.

I'm not talking about an apnea condition - I'm talking about forcing yourself to remain *fully awake*. While you rest you're doubtless getting better 'sleep' than some people do going to college or working hard at an office 12 hours a day.

Your brain in particular might have adjusted to this condition, but it's by no means normal. Technically speaking you indeed should be six feet under. You sir, may be a medical miracle... Did you gain water weight in your feet? Just wondering, because that's what happened to Drew. (well, across his whole body, but feet first as they're farthest away from the heart.) It's a good sign that your heart can't handle being oxygen deprived by the choking.

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Well, the remaining "awake" wasn't exactly a choice. When I would close my eyes, and reach the edge of consciousness, that is when the apnea would kick in. The sleep clinic technician said that she saw some "Level 1" sleep activity in the ECGs, for a very short period of time, but never saw even a hint of level 2 or 3 (level 3 is the deepest sleep, and the restorative stage). I didn't really gain extra weight in my feet, but I am somewhat overweight (which is part of what contributed to the apnea). The really worrying part was the cardiac arrythmia that was a result of the choking. If I recall correctly, my oxygen saturation levels were dropping well below 70% during the apnea episodes, and I was experiencing over a dozen irregular beats (tricardia (sp?)) a minute at the worst parts of the night. That is the part that I was told was more likely to kill me. I honestly hadn't realized how bad it was, just figured that I wasn't sleeping well, and the snoring was harmless. If it hadn't been for my wife insisting on the testing shortly after we got together, I very well might not have been here now.

I went the non-surgical route, for now, and have a CPAP machine. Basically, it's a mask that I wear over my nose when I sleep, which slightly raises the air pressure in my airways, holding them open during the night. Yeah, I look a little goofy wearing it, but I sleep well, the irregular heartbeats have stopped, my blood pressure has come down, my energy has gone way up, and lots of other good stuff. Again, I say, if you snore loudly, wake often, are constantly tired during the day, or choke in your sleep, go check it out. Then you can say that City of Heroes saved your life.

I play quit a lot. And still somehow manage to help around the house, work 36+ hours a week in the military. (Which doesn't include days I get called in unexpectedly.) Do my collateral duties, spend quality time with my wife (who now plays), PT (exercise for those non-military brats ), go out, and experience the great palce I'm living in.

Although, some days I really just wanna play. :P

I can say I prolly log as much time on CoH as I do at work a week. Does that mean I have a problem? No. I can get up, get off (the computer), and get out anytime I want.

Screw interventions. :P

erm... stupid European here.

What the hell's an intervention?

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erm... stupid European here.

What the hell's an intervention?

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An intervention is when your family / friends / church mates / coworkers / whatever take you aside, usually into a large group of them, and explain that your behaviour (drinking / drugs / gaming / sleeping around / whatever) hurts them, and to try to convince you to slow down or stop. The usual reasoning is that most people are unaware that the behaviour hurts others, and simply explaining this, and giving an outsider's point of view, will convince the target oif the intervention to stop.

Mind you, I don't know how well this works. It seems to me that if it gets to the point that an intervention is necessary, then the person has probably already been approached repeatedly about the activities, and is aware that others at least do not approve.

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All of my interventions were a surprise. Did they tell you about it?

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I was about say something. Kind of a crappy 'interevention' if it's pencilled in one's datebook. You have to have the sting of surprise to get the addict's attention. Otherwise, the addict is prepared with their rationalizations and malicious counter-attacks.

I am in denial. I cannot face reality. I escape to this COH game and pretend the world does not exist. I want to be actually inside a video game!!!

I hate the world I live in. Just leave me alone. I went to the intervention and everyone just sat there not saying anything. I dont know, maybe they dont like me.

Finallly my sister spoke up and said I need help, probably need to see a doctor. I slammed the door as I ran off and said you people dont know what you're talking about!!!

I mean , they have no idea what its like to CONTROL a superhero. They have no ideal Its very addicting to play GOD

Confused much?