Reply #18: Its like Alcohol

[Marrah_G]

Some people can do it in moderation and some cannot. I have been a gamer for a long time, former member of power guilds, etc. I have seen marriages break up, people drop out of college, people lose kids, jobs, houses, etc. All the very same things that happen with many alcoholics. Then you have functioning addicts also, who get away with doing the bare minimum in life so as not to take away game time.

I love gaming, but people need to realize it can be addictive, just like a drug.

It was not unusual for my fellow guildmates to stay up for 48 hours straight, especially on the first few days of a games release or expansion. There is an unexplainable rush to get the first <insert random uber item here> or the first to max out levels, the first to get into whatever dungeon is the new uber one. Always a rush to be first, to be the best.