TeenHelp - xbox addiction

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i am addicted to my xbox and i mean like really addicted.... any money i get I spend it on xbox games, my xbox does something that isn't normal and I just like go into complete panic mode. I probably spend like most of my waking hours when I'm not in class etc on my xbox.

Re: xbox addiction

Hey Lydia,

Is it possible to take your xbox in to see if something isn't working properly? Sometimes with video game systems dust build up can happen, just with a computer hard drive and laptops. You can do that right at home, you get a compressed air and it acts as in a spray but it's only air. This helps to clean dust build up over time.

If you feel playing xbox is interfering with your life you could always stop and go for a walk or even play a board game. Do you have friends you could go out with? You could always clean a room in your house or organize some things.

Taking time away from your xbox may be challenging but if you're doing other things that are also fun and enjoyable it'll be easier.

Take Care.

Re: xbox addiction

Yeah its still in warranty so I know if I need to I can get it repaired. Its interfered with my course alot.. like some nights I'll be on it till like 2am and then sleep and then be tired the next day and will sometimes fall asleep in class and such like. I spend most of my benefits if not all of my benefits on things to do with my xbox.

Re: xbox addiction

I think a lot of people tend to play on their Xbox or similar a lot. When I was younger I spent a lot of my time playing PC games, I'd sit playing 8 hour straight sessions online without barely bothering to get much food or drink and it affected some of my family relationships too. It could be said that I was addicted to my PC but actually I wasn't, I was just using it as an escape from my real-life troubles. Playing games and spending time with others online was far more pleasing and joyful to me and was a great way of escaping life in general. A lot of people tend to use consoles or computers as a way of escaping into a while new world because it takes them away from whatever problems they're going through in their daily lives.

If you're going through a rough time at the moment or are seriously stressed about something, the chances are you're going to look for your Xbox as a way of stress relief and/or as an escape from whatever negative things you're going through at the moment. If you can, see if you can try and reduce the time you play on your Xbox but do this very slowly. You said you play on it until around 2 AM some days, see if you can try and cut off your time by half an hour for a week, even 20 or 10 minutes less each week. Eventually after a week you may have cut off a serious amount of game time from your usual play time. If that method doesn't suit, see if you can set your alarm to a much earlier time before you go to college, put your alarm across the room and then when it sounds, it'll force you to get up and walk across the room. You can use this time to prepare yourself for college and once you're dressed and ready to go, you'll also have more time to spend playing before you actually leave and so you don't lose track of time whilst playing, make sure you set your alarm about 10-15 minutes before you need to set off. Once you get into some form of routine, your body will adjust and you may start to feel more tired at night time and possibly even get a better sleep. :)

Re: xbox addiction

Hmm maybe something to help would be where you make when to go to sleep like instead of 2 am go to sleep at 12 at night and the time will fly I know and you will not notice it is already 3. Its happened to me before. So get one of those watches that have alarms go off every hour and then just watch the hour each time or set it specifically to the time you want to get off. So hope this helps don't quit it completely just cut down the time.