15 Warning Signs You're Addicted to World of Warcraft

Posted on Wed, Mar 31, 2010 @ 07:00 AM by Bill Dube
Tagged with: Games, Teen Addictions, World of Warcraft, WoW

If you notice any of the following behaviors in yourself or your friends then we suggest you seek help immediately.

1. You No Longer Go To The "Bathroom" or "Kitchen"

Many addicted players will choose to urinate into bottles and eat only food that does not require any kitchen preparation.

If you find that your contemplating purchasing a WoW Pod then you may have a serious WoW addiction problem. The WoW pod comes with gaming chair/toilet with a working kitchen that is integrated with the game system.

2. Your Only Friends are Members of Your Guild

WoW players form guilds in order to help each other with tips, bank useful items and money to share, and generally band together, becoming close online friends. While there is nothing wrong with having online friends, average Internet users blend their face-to-face social lives with some time used for chatting, emailing, and keeping in touch with friends made online. MMORPG addicts often slowly narrow their social lives to the point that eventually they remain in contact with only their RPG friends, and specifically their guild friends.

Notice during a period of a few days those people you communicate with, both online and in person or on the phone. In the event you find that your mix of social contacts is leaning heavily toward WoW friends, you have a symptom of growing addiction.

3. You've Experienced Weight Changes

It is well documented that today's children, teens and adults are often vastly overweight. Many of the causation factors that lead to both obesity and malnutrition can be readily traced back to WoW.

Obesity arises in WoW players (who have a predisposition towards being overweight anyway) who give up normal daily activities that burn calories in order to sit at their computers and play instead. Often, they find little time to prepare healthy food and end up eating only junk food. These quick and easy food choices tend to be full of fat, sugar, preservatives, and who knows what else.

In turn, malnutrition can arise in WoW players that tend to be slim naturally and have little taste for junk food. Instead of seeking out normal sustenance in the kitchen or during normal mealtimes they just choose not to eat. Malnutrition tendencies also tend to affect those with obsessive/compulsive personalities or whom have nervous natures.

No matter which body-type or personality describes you, it is a signal you have become addicted to WoW when your weight changes without intention or other valid health reasons ó and in many cases of weight increases, the amounts can be enormous.

4. You've Abandoned Activities You Used to Enjoy

Before WoW, you used to go drinking with your buddies, out to concerts, and even played the odd game of soccer. Now, the only times you move your eyes from the screen are to go to the toilet or get some sleep.

People with major addictions find that they slowly stop spending time on other activities and spend more and more time on their addiction.

In other words, if your friend would rather play WoW than watch the next Iron Man movie then it's highly possible he has a problem.

"There's a command in World of Warcraft that tells you exactly how long you've played with your active character and how long you've been playing at your current level. All you have to do is type /played into your chat prompt to find this information. If you're a regular player of the game, I think you should go and do that now."

5. You've Ignored Responsibilities

Before you started playing WoW, you paid your bills on time, the landlord never sent you late notices, your grades were great or your career was going well and you were on the fast-track for promotion. Now, if you do manage to pick up your mail, it's full of late notices, your landlord is beating on your door daily to try to get the rent, your job is considering laying you off or your grades have plummeted to the point you are on academic probation.

Even worse, your marriage or relationship may be suffering because you are completely unavailable to your partner. If you are a parent with a Wow addiction most likely the parenting skills you once practiced have flown out the window. Your wife and your children may not even know the person you have become.

Today, World of Warcraft is often cited as a main cause in the rising level of college drop-outs. Not only are students playing so long that they skip classes and their grades suffer, but many are actually so addicted they simply drop school entirely, refusing to leave the game to do anything productive. Unfortunately, Mom and Dad don't continue paying school expenses once they learn you've been dropped and your life falls apart with no source of income to support your addiction to WoW.

6. It Requires More to Get That Thrill You Seek

At first, players of most Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games find that playing for a while is fun and once they become hungry, or it's time to do something else, they happily stop playing, having experienced the thrill of play for a limited time. Unfortunately, just as with drug addicts, WoW addicts find that more and more of the game is required to reach that thrill-level they want and need.

If you started out playing for an hour here and there and now find yourself spending every free hour playing and find it difficult to stop, you are certainly addicted.

7. You're Experiencing Sleep Deprivation

World of Warcraft players commonly play marathon sessions, staying up into the wee, wee hours of the night. Some skip sleep altogether for one night or even for long periods of time. Even though they may realize the lack of sleep is impacting the ability to concentrate, even on WoW, the ability to stop playing simply is not strong enough to stop them from harming their health in order to keep trying to level up again before ending the session. Of course, once level up is obtained, more times than not the player wants to see what this new level offers.

Supposedly Yahoo! News China reported that a Chinese girl died of sleep deprivation after days and days of constant play. Her funeral was even held online so her WoW friends could attend!

8. You've Developed Legal Problems

Whether it is a traffic fine that was not paid or long-term failure to pay credit card debt, legal problems develop when important business is not addressed. Many WoW addicts neglect anything other than continuing to play. They simply don't think of what needs to be done and can even end up arrest and jailed in cases such as certain traffic fines. Once the due date passes, there is a warrant issued for Contempt of Court and, sooner or later, the police appear at the door with handcuffs.

Another situation which can result in legal problems over Wow is the increased tendency toward violence shown by some addicted players. One case in Florida began as a request by a mother for her son to stop playing Wow because he was drinking and becoming too noisy, the end result was a family brawl resulting in injuries and the arrest of the WoW-playing son.

If you've previously had a clean record and now find that you're getting registered letters about legal actions, law suits, or get arrested because of failure to take care of business, you're definitely seriously addicted to this Massively Multiuser Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG).

9. Your Physical Appearance Changes

Many WoW players were once neat and well-groomed who have become real slobs because of this addiction. Going days without basic personal hygiene such as showering/bathing, shaving, washing hair or brushing teeth, really hard-core addicts of this RPG wouldn't think of stopping long enough to get a haircut, do the laundry or change the linen.

Signals that it's time to stop before you become addicted include going to work without shaving in order to save time for gaming, re-wearing clothes you know are dirty and wrinkled, and the beginnings of a disheveled appearance. Do something now to avoid joining hard-core WoW'ers who have fallen further into self-neglect.

10. Your Marriage or Long-Term Relationship Ends or is Threatened

One woman wrote: "My husband played WOW in the hospital delivery room while I was in labor having our son!! I now have 2 kids and find myself alone many nights taking care of them. It has put such a strain on our marriage, not to mention he is sneaky about it, spending money, buying gold and characters without my knowledge, etc. I absolutely despise this game and everything it has done to our lives. There are many documented cases of relationship neglect resulting in divorce, break-up of decades-long romances, and affairs with other players met in the World of Warcraft.

If your partner is hinting they may well leave you if you don't stop playing WoW so much, then you need to listen before it is too late. While you may not understand the reasoning while under the influence of WoW, after you stop and get over the immediate feelings of withdrawal, you'll likely see the other person's point. No love relationship can survive unless both partners are present, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

11. Your Job is Threatened or Terminated

Falling asleep at work is a big taboo at any job. Doing less than average work, either in quantity or quality, can easily result from too many hours of WoW and the resulting loss of sleep. Some employees have been found playing for hours on their boss's time. Often, workers use all their vacation and sick time, and continue to call in as no-show's as online gaming addiction deepens its hold on them.

Should you find yourself in the boss's office for a counseling session on use of company time and equipment or the quality of your recent work, and you have been playing the MMORPG more than in the past, you are clearly becoming addicted. Get off the computer, get a real life and try hard to save your career!

12. WoW Impacts Your Finances

There is a monthly fee for playing World of Warcraft. There are also purchases made for virtual items like gold and other useful WoW tools both in the game and at other sites like eBay, although the practice of marketing virtual assets for real money is questionable. Plus, there is a big market in mugs, t-shirts, and other paraphernalia associated with WoW.

Have you noticed an increase in spending related to your gaming? While you may notice only a small increase, this aspect of the addiction can grow quite rapidly, causing real trouble if not nipped in the bud. Do something before you begin noticing you've placed a line-item in your budget for WoW-related expenses.

13. You've Become Overstressed

Stress over the virtual life or lives lived in WoW has resulted in many illnesses, both mental and physical, as well as documented cases of suicide, such as the Chinese youth that jumped to his death because of WoW addiction.

Accidental death due to over-stressing the body has also been documented. Signs of stress can include increased heart rate, headaches, muscle spasms, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, over- or under-eating, as well as many other signals. Any who experience signs of stress while playing or even while thinking about playing should seek other ways to use their time as well as seek medical attention.

14. You Have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome is a repetitive motion disorder caused by excessive computer use or other motions repeated with the fingers and hands over and over again for hours on end. It can often appear in those who work many hours on computers for their careers. Many people who work jobs which do not result in this problem end up experiencing carpel tunnel due to hours of endless WoW play.

Signs to look for include pain in hands and wrists, hands feeling "like balloons" but with no swelling apparent and tingling sensations. Surgery can be required to resolve this problem so if you are becoming addicted, stopping WoW play can avoid this expensive, painful problem.

15. You ask random people in the street "Where is Iron Forge?"

When you start mistaking the real world for that of WoW you have a major problem on your hands:

 

• You try and buy a "mount" from a car dealership
• You ask your mum to bring you a "mana" potion
• You try to pay for groceries with gold, silver and copper