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1) I think I’ve got a problem - but how can I tell ? Read each question and answer carefully. Strive to be honest with yourself. Twenty questions.
Do you often re-live gaming experiences or think about future ones?
Do you hide or lie about your gaming?
Do you get very angry when someone or something interrupts a game?
Have you ever taken a break from gaming and binged uncontrollably upon your return?
When upset, do you soothe yourself with games or plans to game?
Do you find yourself gaming or thinking of gaming soon after waking?
(Do you plan travel with access to games in mind? OR (Do you plan your life around your gaming?) (options to decide later)
Do you set limits with gaming and then break them, playing hours longer than intended?
Do you lose hours of sleep to gaming?
Have you called in sick or late to work or skipped classes to game?
Have you sworn off a game, uninstalled it, and later returned to it?
Do you feel guilt and shame around your gaming?
Does gaming contribute to arguments in your relationships?
Has gaming taken the place of any hobbies or sports you used to enjoy?
Do you forget appointments, responsibilities or deadlines in work or school when gaming?
Do you become irritated or defensive when people suggest you might be gaming too much?
Have your hours spent gaming increased over time?
Have you ever looked forward to some real-life plans but then changed or skipped them to game?
Have you ever avoided contact with real-life friends or family so you can game?
(Have you ever neglected self-care (cooking, eating, bathing, cleaning, shopping, exercise, etc) because of gaming?)
b) How many did you answer yes to ? c) If you lie to yourself - Maybe you’re not ready to face up to your situation. d) Feel free to write about your feelings regarding each question.
a) Use this chart to fill in where you’re spending your time. b) This is only useful if you’re completely honest. If you lie - you’re only deceiving yourself. c) Write down your feelings and reactions to what you see.
b) Where do you have more balance and where less ? What have you neglected ? c) Write down your reactions. d) How do you feel ?
Do you want your life to change ?
4) Bonus points for doing a new chart - One that is healthy. Living in the new chart is your goal - if you’ve cut out gaming and other addictive behaviors or unhealthy activities.
a) Changing our Activities and substituting healthy activities for addictive ones is where we can start recovering control over our own lives.
5) After Doing the Self-Assessment ( Questions + Time Charting )
If you feel ready to sort out your life now - please know you are welcome to visit a fellowship of folks - who like you are working to improve their health.
Come to a CGAA meeting to listen. We’re all trying to stay out of games so we can live happier lives and make progress in the REAL World !
6) Additional Resources for Re-Organizing Our Time
Keeping Track of Our Victories - Large and Small.
I suggest that a person who is rebuilding their life consider putting up a personal goals board. I use two of these - One for the Big Life Goals I want to Achieve and another for what I'm achieving weekly. I like to keep track of my Daily & Weekly Victories. Here is where I record my modest achievements. I give myself a Star for each achievement and can see my progress. There are some good examples of what people call a "Bullet Calendar" over on Pinterest. Here's one example Example of a "Bullet Calendar"
This is are the kind of things I'm tracking. You can make your own version perfect for your needs.
Cleaned Today :
Attended A CGAA meeting:
Exercised Today:
Socialized today:
Writing today:
Went out to see Arts, Theater, Performance:
Self-Care Today:
Days without Gaming:
7) More Resources for to Get a Handle on Managing Our Time. * If you attend CGAA meetings, begin to work the program of Recovery, and work with a sponsor, these will be of help to you as you seek to recover control of your life and break away from gaming addiction.
* Here are some additional resources you may find helpful as you seek to re-organize your use of Time !
Free Plain Personal Organization pdf designs posted for CGAA members use.
* Please note that the mention of these planner resources is meant only as a suggestion of possibly helpful resources. CGAA receives no outside funding except from members.
For my Peers and Comrades in Recovery, and for Those Who are About to START their Recovery, the idea of the "Self-Intervention Starter" is for those persons who are just realizing they have a problem and are working to convince themselves to begin a program of recovery.
Taking Inventory of where we spend our time is one step to make things plain and clear. Likewise, the Life-Balance Wheel can reveal those parts of life being neglected.
For those who feel the need to be Deliberate and realize the need to carefully and determinedly set their INTENTIONS each day, you are welcome to the use of these planner pdf's. These planning pages are plain and copyright free. A person who is just starting recovery may feel an strong need to be deliberate in finding new healthy activities such as; exercise, cleaning, working the C.G.A.A. program of recovery, making time to socialize, getting outdoors, and more.
1) I think I’ve got a problem - but how can I tell ? Read each question and answer carefully. Strive to be honest with yourself. Twenty questions.
Do you often re-live gaming experiences or think about future ones?
Do you hide or lie about your gaming?
Do you get very angry when someone or something interrupts a game?
Have you ever taken a break from gaming and binged uncontrollably upon your return?
When upset, do you soothe yourself with games or plans to game?
Do you find yourself gaming or thinking of gaming soon after waking?
(Do you plan travel with access to games in mind? OR (Do you plan your life around your gaming?) (options to decide later)
Do you set limits with gaming and then break them, playing hours longer than intended?
Do you lose hours of sleep to gaming?
Have you called in sick or late to work or skipped classes to game?
Have you sworn off a game, uninstalled it, and later returned to it?
Do you feel guilt and shame around your gaming?
Does gaming contribute to arguments in your relationships?
Has gaming taken the place of any hobbies or sports you used to enjoy?
Do you forget appointments, responsibilities or deadlines in work or school when gaming?
Do you become irritated or defensive when people suggest you might be gaming too much?
Have your hours spent gaming increased over time?
Have you ever looked forward to some real-life plans but then changed or skipped them to game?
Have you ever avoided contact with real-life friends or family so you can game?
(Have you ever neglected self-care (cooking, eating, bathing, cleaning, shopping, exercise, etc) because of gaming?)
For #20, very excited to see cleaning included in this. I think for the folks who come here who are younger, if they are lucky and haven't been kicked out of their homes, they are still in households where their responsibilities are very limited.
For middle aged women who show up here, at least in the US, even if we work outside the home, the practice is still that women are still largely responsible for cleaning and general upkeep of our households. (Yes, I know that assumes heterosexual relationships. In same sex couple relationships these stats change markedly, with much higher levels of "chore equality" being the norm, unless parenting enters the mix.)
Thanks for your observation ! I tried to find a free 24 hour week planner but that's as close as I got. Seems I'll need to design my own version which presents a FULL 24 hours. If a few days then, I'll add the SEVEN 24 HOUR DAY INVENTORY PAGE !
- Major
Last edited by Skald on Wed Aug 08, 2018 6:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
'Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here ?'
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
* THIS IS IT ! THE MOMENT OF TRUTH ! CAN YOU TELL YOURSELF THE TRUTH ? UNFLINCHING HONESTY ! THIS IS YOUR MOMENT ! SEIZE IT ! REVEAL YOURSELF - TO YOURSELF ! DO IT ! DO IT ! DO IT NOW !
YOU CAN DO IT ! - OR WOULD YOU RATHER WAIT FOR TEN YEARS TO GO BY ?
Do you often re-live gaming experiences or think about future ones?
Do you hide or lie about your gaming?
Do you get very angry when someone or something interrupts a game?
Have you ever taken a break from gaming and binged uncontrollably upon your return?
When upset, do you soothe yourself with games or plans to game?
Do you find yourself gaming or thinking of gaming soon after waking?
(Do you plan travel with access to games in mind? OR (Do you plan your life around your gaming?) (options to decide later)
Do you set limits with gaming and then break them, playing hours longer than intended?
Do you lose hours of sleep to gaming?
Have you called in sick or late to work or skipped classes to game?
Have you sworn off a game, uninstalled it, and later returned to it?
Do you feel guilt and shame around your gaming?
Does gaming contribute to arguments in your relationships?
Has gaming taken the place of any hobbies or sports you used to enjoy?
Do you forget appointments, responsibilities or deadlines in work or school when gaming?
Do you become irritated or defensive when people suggest you might be gaming too much?
Have your hours spent gaming increased over time?
Have you ever looked forward to some real-life plans but then changed or skipped them to game?
Have you ever avoided contact with real-life friends or family so you can game?
(Have you ever neglected self-care (cooking, eating, bathing, cleaning, shopping, exercise, etc) because of gaming?)
I answered yes to all 20 questions. This is the first fellowship out of 10 others I have attended where this was true. Very happy to know I'm in the right place. Thank you.
For my peers who are seeking to get a handle on setting a new, manageable schedule and maintaining good health and recovery, here's another Time Planner with Clock Faces. Because I tend to visualize my day and use of time in 12 hour time blocks, having the analog clock faces is helpful to me. I made one schedule for my weekdays and another for my weekends. Posting these weekly planners up on my wall helps keep me on track with my healthy aspirations.
For someone who is working to re-establish a healthy schedule, feel free to print this worksheet. I suggest starting by allotting 8 hours for sleep, time for work, time for self-care, CGAA meeting time, and then add in new healthy activities which will be replace your former game time. Finding new healthy activities is important for all of us in recovery.
'Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here ?'
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
