WoW Addiction Story (WoWS) form
You, your spouse and World of Warcraft
It's starting to get light outside. The first streaks of sunlight coming in through the blinds and the clock reads 5:30. I am startled when I hear her voice behind me, "You didn't come to bed again?"
I close my laptop and go crawl into bed. "Honey," I say, "Please call me at seven, OK?" With reservation in her voice, she agrees, once again. God, I love this woman, I think I am addicted to her. Even more than to my girlfriend, an '05 RoadStar Silverado motorcycle. Even more than to my whore, the MMORPG, World of Warcraft. I should be, I married her!
Seven o'clock rolls around and the house phone rings. It's my wife calling to wake me up from my hour and a half nap. I get up, roust the children. I send the teen off to high school, and get the boy ready for 3rd grade. I walk the boy to school with the dogs, two Bichon Frise's, then walk back home. The man that just walked past me, looks like a Gnome.
As I get close to the door, I can feel it... my heart rate increases. I walk inside and unleash the dogs. I head straight for the laptop, open it and log on to World of Warcraft. The dogs are thirsty and want some water, but their water dish is empty. They can wait a minute, I just have to check my mail to see what auctions have sold.
Now need I exchange pleasantries with the people who are members of the guild I run. One of them needs help in dungeon. I'm on it!
2 hours later we finish up the quests they needed to complete, and I can put my Level 60 Paladin to rest for a few hours. I'm going to be late to work if I don't hustle. I shower, shave, pack up the laptop, gear up, head to the motorcycle for my short commute to the office.
I have a couple of meetings, work on the computer, and talk to my wife frequently throughout the day. When I arrive at home at 7:30 in the evening, I get my normal warm greeting...
The puppies run to me; My son hugs me and starts his tale of school day activities followed by his progress at leveling his 26 Paladin (just like Daddy!); My wife greets me warmly with a kiss and a hug, followed by pleading eyes asking me for some help completing a couple of quests. I have a couple bites of dinner, then head back to the living room to play again.
I admit it. I am a World of War-crack addict. My wife just recently started playing after a year of putting up with my intolerable absence from our evenings together. She has recognized that being the primary bread-winner in the family, and having no other vices, this is how I relax and stay entertained. She graciously allows me this. Why does she permit this behavior? I'll tell you what I think...
I don't drink, smoke, or use drugs. I go to church almost every Sunday and tithe weekly. We have family business meetings once each month to make sure we are on the same page of the book, so to speak. I help he keep the house, and I make sure the laundry is washed and dried. When she wants to talk to me, I stop playing and TRY to focus on her, making sure I respond appropriately to her questions and statements. When we need groceries or anything that requires a shopping trip of some kind, I stop playing and go with her.
I take her out to eat a couple of times each month so we can have some time where it is just the two of us. We talk several times each day and are each others best friend. I put her in bed each night (before I go back to playing the game), and make sure the left-overs from dinner are put away. We have sex at least 2 times each week, watch movies together, and enjoy cool stuff, like cars and technology, together.
In April of this year. 2007, I am taking a three-day motorcycle trip with one of my best male friends to Yuma, Arizona. I will not have my laptop, or internet access, or World of Warcraft... How will I survive?
I don't care who you are in this world - if you want to have a good relationship with your spouse or significant other, you have to be willing to compromise Compromise, COMPROMISE! Remember that while you can't read your spouse's mind, your spouse cannot read yours either. You must make sure you communicate and do so regularly.
Be nice, have fun, and enjoy each other's company!
Relapsed, doh!!
Last month I deleted my toons (level 80 warrior three years in the making, 80 hunter, 76 paladin, and various others), deleted my account, then deleted the game... It felt good at first then I get this insane urge reinstall!!!!! My downfall was that I couldn't quite force myself to destroy my cds... O_o Anyways, I'm starting from scratch and trying to limit my playing time somewhat. Though I lost this battle, I think deleting my gear and living a week away from WoW did open my eyes somewhat into what I've been missing out on.... hopefully I'll try quitting again soon.
I want my life back
My spouse is a recovering drug addict. We have 2 very beautiful kids together. Ages 2 and 3. We have been together 5 years. Growing up as a child I remember doing many outdoor activities none of which my children get to participate in often. Our home is 4 enclosed walls of no communication amongst my spouse and I. Our communication is always filled with him being very competitive and argumentative.
We both are 32 years old and have sex maybe once a month with very little passion. And I am a very attractive woman with several proposals to go out from other men. While he comes home from work he goes straight to the bedroom and hides in video games while I come home from work and immediately tend to all the duties of the house and children. Its severally lonely and depressing. Its selfish in so many ways as well to my children and myself. One thing about addicts though is that they are the only ones that can help their problem no one else.
I am a self-sufficient woman and hope for his own good he wakes up from this stupidity and waste of life. There are no truly significant reasons someone should be playing at a screen for hours on end. Its unattractive and loathing for the other individual who has to live with it.
Quiting WoW Set you Free!
I've been sober from WoW for about year now. It was the hardest thing I've done in my life, but at the same time, it was best thing I've done for myself. The game was slowly destroying my marriage, my relationship with my daugher, my career, and my health. I gained about 30 lbs during playing!!! After the initial withdrawal symptoms which lasted about a month, I had this amazing feeling of liberation... It's huge not having to feel chained to WoW and be dependent on WoW for fun. It's huge not having to feel pressure to get better gear, mounts, or levels or whatnot to attain that feeling of "achievement". Anyways, in retrospect that "achievement" is really only just empty titles and useless gear that's outdated in the game... If your addicted, then get help from your friends, family, online, whomever. It's worth the struggle to quit.
WOW IS NOT WORTH IT
I went out with a girl for 2 years and she was and still is obsessed with WOW. Early on in our relationship before i knew how addicted she was we ended up having a little boy together. As the relationship ( if you can call it that) progressed i found i was doing everything for our son she finished college got home 5pm strieght on WOW till late at night. I tried everything too get her off that thing but she couldnt think of anything but that game. Gave it 2 years and just got so fed up of her mood swings and lack of help with our son due too this game that i made the hard choice too move out. In the end she had our son taken off her and hes with relatives at the mo. She cant even bear too go outdoors now rather live her life through this game vertually every evening raiding. she can be a really nice girl and i know deep down she loves our son but this games has completly taken over her life. i live in hope one day she,ll come back into the real world and leave this fantasy land were it belongs
