I used to be a WoW player a while back, during high school, and quit shortly after Frozen Throne came out. For probably 2-3 years I was playing upwards of 10-20 hours a week, and just kinda fizzled out from it after a while. I slowly started filling my time with other hobbies and college prep, and at some point realized I just wasn't playing enough for it to be worth it.
But in the middle of my WoW lifespan (middle/end of Burning Crusade), it was a huge addiction for me, and you couldn't have gotten me to quit without physically restraining me. I certainly commend you for quitting cold-turkey, I definitely do not have that kind of self-restraint!
What really helped me break the addiction was to find another way to be just as expressive and socially-connected that could "wean" me away from it, which was making Fractal Art and getting connected to the artist community at DeviantArt. You can't just leave one habit without replacing it with another, so make sure to find a healthy replacement for the time previously consumed by WoW!
Eventually fizzled during Cata. My second kid was born and I definitely had no energy to keep playing, even at a casual pace.
BC was my apex. I, too, had severe issues trying to quit. Cold turkey didn't work for me. This part of my life hurt my career the most. I had a fallout with my missus. It was a very dark time in my life.
Replacing WoW is like replacing any other addiction. The 12-step program describes this as the 'void inside you'. And let me tell you, it's freaking real. I'm glad you found a way out via DeviantArt.
To be honest, I struggled a lot until I started to help other fellow developers by blogging and having an overall online presence. So, thank YOU for helping me find a healthy replacement.
Thanks for reading and good luck on your travels :)
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I used to be a WoW player a while back, during high school, and quit shortly after Frozen Throne came out. For probably 2-3 years I was playing upwards of 10-20 hours a week, and just kinda fizzled out from it after a while. I slowly started filling my time with other hobbies and college prep, and at some point realized I just wasn't playing enough for it to be worth it.
But in the middle of my WoW lifespan (middle/end of Burning Crusade), it was a huge addiction for me, and you couldn't have gotten me to quit without physically restraining me. I certainly commend you for quitting cold-turkey, I definitely do not have that kind of self-restraint!
What really helped me break the addiction was to find another way to be just as expressive and socially-connected that could "wean" me away from it, which was making Fractal Art and getting connected to the artist community at DeviantArt. You can't just leave one habit without replacing it with another, so make sure to find a healthy replacement for the time previously consumed by WoW!
Thanks Casey (@OrchidSSG) for your awesome reply.
Eventually fizzled during Cata. My second kid was born and I definitely had no energy to keep playing, even at a casual pace.
BC was my apex. I, too, had severe issues trying to quit. Cold turkey didn't work for me. This part of my life hurt my career the most. I had a fallout with my missus. It was a very dark time in my life.
Replacing WoW is like replacing any other addiction. The 12-step program describes this as the 'void inside you'. And let me tell you, it's freaking real. I'm glad you found a way out via DeviantArt.
To be honest, I struggled a lot until I started to help other fellow developers by blogging and having an overall online presence. So, thank YOU for helping me find a healthy replacement.
Thanks for reading and good luck on your travels :)