Useful slogans for times of difficulty Slogans are short, easy-to-remember sayings to help get us through the tough times. When the voice of addiction is testing our defenses and wearing us down, silently saying a slogan helps us regain perspective and grounds us in self-care and recovery. One day at a time. Keep it simple. Easy does it (take it easy on yourself and others.) Don’t game, go to meetings, ask for help. Any day that I manage to not game is a success. We can do together what we cannot [...]

Cravings and Urges Once we’re off games, it’s normal to get frequent restless, listless feelings of wanting relief from discomfort or emotional pain. Such cravings often lead immediately to an urge to play video games. Over time, these happen less often and feel less intense. One of the best ways to deal with an urge is to talk it through with another gaming addict in recovery. Open, honest sharing seems to drain urges of their power. In the early months, we frequently reach out to others at meetings and by phone to overcome urges to game. Even without the [...]

The Voice of Addiction An addiction disorder is powerful and persistent. The voice of addiction has the ability to make the most absurd rationalizations seem reasonable when trying to talk us back into video games. We have found it a tremendous help to learn to recognize its voice and to know that we do not have to believe its lies or do what it tells us to do. When bombarded by urges to game, the addiction seeks to break down our defenses. It reminds us of good times we had, of gaming friends, and of release from care and [...]

Learning from a relapse Addiction is powerful and persistent, working to lull us back into the false sense that we can safely game again. Many of us will give gaming another try and relapse back into the old insanity. Relapse does not have to be a disaster. Our friends and sponsors in the GAA program understand, as they have been there themselves. They gladly welcome us back, offering understanding and acceptance. We treat a lapse into gaming as a learning experience. It more thoroughly teaches us of our powerlessness to effectively control our gaming and [...]