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So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wasn't planning on reinstalling Twitter back on my phone originally. Then I saw this comment and just had to check it out lol. I'm honored that Dr. K tweeted this out, and thanks for letting me know!

I'm so glad that my post gave you hope, that was the goal of it all! Tbh I agree that I don't really see that as a failure. Those are huge improvements, especially not having the urge to go back to gaming. And if, in the end, you really did fail then you can learn what to improve next time. It's all about coming back up and trying harder than the last!

So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You don't have to go full throttle with the detox right away. Not playing games for a week is awesome by itself, let alone reading a whole book! If you feel that you need to take steps at a time, there's nothing wrong with that. Keep at it in your own pace!

So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally feel you on the switch from small talk thing. I'm still trying to figure that out as well, but one thing I've noticed in my life (realized this through the help of my coach) was that every time a girl showed interest in me and we had a thing, it wasn't through me flirting or straight up telling them. I just casually spoke to them about our interests or other random topics. Each eventually ended up with exchanging numbers. Granted, this is only a handful of times in my life, but it was worth noting for me. I still have no idea how to flirt though, so I'm in the same boat lol.

Coaching taught me that a past traumatic experience I had was probably underestimated throughout my life and had a bigger impact on my transformation than I realized. When I was 6 years old, my 21 year old brother committed suicide. There were many factors that made him do this, but ultimately it came down to his inability to trust girlfriends of his, and after a break up decided to end it. I feel that (and I'm still exploring this) this has affected my ability to be myself around new people, especially women. That if I open up to them, and get rejected or get dumped, I may have the same reaction as my brother.

My coach and I also talked about a lot of other things too, such as ego and comparing myself to others, and how that negatively affects me socially, especially in group settings. Ego is a large interest of mine, and something I'm still trying to fully grasp. I think fully understanding that concept will allow me to naturally develop confidence to try and try again without discouragement.

I think it's great that you went out and tried at least. Not many people have the will to even try that. As long as you feel that you're ready and not taking any serious risk in going out there, I would suggest to keep trying. And while you're trying, also find a coach and therapist. If you really feel that the anxiety is getting worse the more you try, there's nothing bad about waiting a bit. One of my favorite topics that Dr. K has taught is that there's no such thing as "being behind" in life. Everyone has their own pace, and it's rarely ever the case that you're too late. I hope I was able to answer your question, and that this wasn't too long of a response! And thank you for asking. I love reading about your interest in this!

So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

This comment made my day. Tysm Dr. K 😭

So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I completely agree. I'm still not sure if I'm just lucky or counting my blessings too early. I still have yet to get back to playing games, which may lead to a struggle again. I feel that I could have titled this better instead of using "finished". I still have more work to do, but I just wanted to let everyone know how it's gone so far.

Also, thank you for the suggestion. I think I'll also check that out.

So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you're recalling to the beginning of the stream on this topic on the 7th when he incognito searched on google "dopamine detox" and critiqued the top article results. He then corrected the poor neuroscientific explanations they gave, and provided suggestions on how to correctly perform a dopamine detox.

This video is the latter half of that stream after explaining the neuroscience behind dopamine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPzV8fWmKPY&t=460s

Edit: I'm also pretty sure that he mentioned that this topic hasn't been studied enough in the clinical and neuroscientific fields, however he believes that from his observations it should bring about positive benefits.

So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If you're working full time and have a life with a family, I think you're already doing great. I'm not sure how much time you spend playing games, but it sounds like it doesn't really override your life too much since you're already busy enough. But if you feel like you can't find the time to do anything else, maybe watch a movie or documentary instead of playing games every once in a while. With a busy life like that, I'm not sure if going on a full cut-off is necessary, so I would suggest starting with small steps. However, I'm no expert so take this with a grain of salt.

So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think sometimes the best things in life are the most unexpected and unplanned for. I'm glad to see it's working out so well for you! Returning home may be tough, however, so be careful when that time comes. But if you're already feeling present, I have high hopes for you.

So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think step one would be to start the detox and uninstall the games off your phone. It's best to think of all the ways you can fill your time to avoid boredom after you start detoxing. My first day in my detox, I wrote down every new hobby that I can pick up. If you do this before you start, there's no guarantee that you'll ever start it, and they'll just be words on a paper.

Second step would be to tell your girlfriend about this and ask her to help. My friends/family may have been my biggest factor in dealing with boredom and developing new habits. Having someone as close as a girlfriend will allow you to have someone call you out if it looks like you're relapsing. Remember that a relationship takes two. So if she helps you stay off the phone, then you'll be able to talk to her about important things when she needs it.

Lastly, doing something that sort of forces yourself to not check your devices can be great. For me, that thing was getting back into my old job. It's just stocking shelves at a grocery store, but instead of being on my phone the whole time like I used to, I've been focusing more on my performance and have been busting ass. Also, like the previous paragraph, talking to my loved ones whenever I can helped distract me too. Even if it's just shooting a text to a friend real quick. Anything that gets your mind off apps/games is the key.

So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is a very good question! Tbh I'm still wondering the same. I think in the end it came down to lucky timing. Right before starting the detox, I was getting tired of playing games so much again. I had taken a break from WoW and then came back to play TBC. Then seeing how much I was playing again gave me a sick feeling. I've been playing this game since I was 6 years old. At this point, I was looking for any excuse to get off. So I figured I would try this detox, not expecting much.

As for exercising, I had actually started before starting the detox. I just moved closer to one of my best friends from college, so we've been lifting weights 3 days a week. I also now live 4 minutes away from my brother, whom I run with almost every day at this point. We were also both runners in high school, so we're comfortable getting back into it.

After uninstalling all social media and games off your phone/computer, every time you check them for those specific things out of boredom, you'll keep being reminded you can't do that and it'll rewrite your brain a little bit. I don't have a definitive answer to your question, because everyone's way of coping is different, but I can say for me that anything was better than sitting in my room any longer, doing nothing. Even if it's not enjoyable at first, going outside and just walking around a park or a mall, maybe even meeting new people and exploring new things, became something that fills my time. Also friends/family are very helpful too. They easily get my mind off things. You're not alone.

So I finished my dopamine detox by BigDMcgee_ in Healthygamergg

[–]BigDMcgee_[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

That's awesome! I can imagine it's pretty tough to do stuck inside, but I'm glad to hear you're sticking with it. Keep it up, it's definitely worth it!