My Internet and Gaming addiction

[KenLEF]

Hello there! My name is Ken, I am a 17 year-old french student currently studying in Vietnam. I believe I might have an addictive personnality, it's causing me a lot of trouble because I get distracted easily by the internet and (to a lesser extent) video games while on my computer and since most of my homework is done on the computer it makes even harder for me to avoid this addiction and focus on my studies, the worst part is that I have a bachelor test this year but I can't seem to focus on my homeworks.

I tried telling my parents but they refuse to believe me. This hasn't only affected my studies but has also affected my life a lot on a daily basis creating a cycle of issues: I refuse to go outside, to do any physical exercise, to socialise, to sleep at a normal rate (from 2 am to 6 am on multiple occasions) and it's also causing me to become stressed and exauhsted in class which in turn is also affecting my grades and the way I'm socializing with my friends (I usually keep to myself, and when there is too many people I tend to stress out a lot, probably a social anxiety disorder, but that's another issue).

I'm trying my best to improve on this but I just can't since I get distracted way too easily and lose all notion of time or my surroundings when the addiction kicks in. It's also having an effect on my thinking where from times to times I would just downright get lost in my own thoughts while thinking just about anything and again lose notion of time. This issue has also affected my self-esteem, I lose more and more hope that I will ever be able to pass the test and as result I feel less and less motivated to put any effort into it as well, but the problem is that this test is extremely important as well. Am I really in trouble? Or am I just overreacting too much like my parents are saying. If not then is there anyways to remedy this?

Thanks in advance, :)
Ken

[MsNobleEleanor]

Hello Ken and welcome to TeenHelp.

At your school is it possible to talk to a guidance counselor or a counselor? I am unsure if they have them where you are studying. It might be helpful to talk to someone about the way you are feeling, expressing ourselves can be really helpful. You could also ask them for any local support for Mental Health in your area.

Instead of quitting playing games, could you try something else? For instance, you can do your homework and once you are finished play some games as a reward, but place a time limit to it so you can go to bed at a time that you aren't tired in the morning, thus will help your focus in classes.

What I do is reward myself for things like: doing something good, working on something that was hard, or times when I've had a hard and challenging time. This helps me to de-wined and relax. You can do this for yourself, instead of looking at it as a negative experience, look at in a positive way.

In order for it to work you would need to do your homework and go to bed at a time that you feel rested in the morning. This would mean less time spent playing games, but you can do your homework and finish it all and then when you don't have classes or no homework you can play games.

A thought that I am wondering is, do you have an arcade near you? You can go there and play games, meet some people, and be active (I know those dance games are a great way to get exercise). If you are around something that you feel so passionately about, like gaming, a crowd of people wouldn't bother you as much. You can relate to those who do go to the arcade because you all have something in common, games. This is just a thought.

You are welcome to use TeenHelp to reach out and talk to others. If you ever need to talk to someone TeenHelp has volunteers (like myself) who are either in the Chat Room or LiveHelp. The Chat Room is where you can chat to others and receive support. The LiveHelp is talking one-on-one with a volunteer and it will show Online.

I have a few Resources that might be helpful for you:

Living With Anxiety
This site has a large number of resources to make it easier to live with anxiety, including helpful videos, techniques to control anxiety and choosing a medication.

Mental Health Matters
Mental Health Matters provide a large database of articles on many different mental health issues, along with therapies and medications to treat them.

StressingOut
StressingOut is a website about the consequences of long-term stress and the impact it has on your life and wider mental health, including depression, anxiety and poor self-esteem. The website contains a number of good articles as well as a downloadable eBook about tackling everyday stressors.

iSleep Easy Free
iSleep Easy Free is an app that uses meditation to help you get a restful sleep. Available for free on Apple and Android devices through their application stores.

MindShift
This application aims to help people with anxiety to cope with every day life with a range of tools including assessing your mood, helping change the way you think, and letting go of fears. Available for free on Apple and Android devices through their application stores.

I know a gave a few links, there is more found on our Resources page under Mental Health. Here are two more links for addictions.

What are addictive behaviours?
This page discusses the definition of addiction and attempts to draw a thin line between good habits and addictive traits. If you worry about yourself or someone else, this web site can help determine early warning signs of addiction and give you a general idea of how the process begins.

Recovery Record
This application supports you to recover from an eating disorder. It helps you to monitor your feelings and learn methods to cope in your day to day life. Available for free on Apple and Android devices through their application stores.

I know this is a lot of information. I gave some links that could be beneficial for you but not everything will work for you, finding what does help and work is what matters. If you have anymore questions you are welcome to post back or send me a PM (Private Message).

Take Care, Ken.