Come On Back

I used to play video games regularly. In fact, you could say that I was addicted to them. Despite this, it wasn't too long before I realized that after a very short time of playing video games, my ability to concentrate on real life issues would be impaired to an alarming degree. What's more, I also discovered that I was much less even-tempered and tended to be more aggressive towards others. Surprisingly, this didn't seem to be connected to the type of game I was playing, in other words, playing non-violent games didn't make me any less aggressive.

Another noticeable downside to gaming was that after having played for a reasonable length of time, I would often find myself feeling drowsy and lethargic after finishing a gaming session.

My most worrying symptom however, was the continuous need to play more video games. I began to understand what an addiction must feel like. I am convinced that the video games I played had taken a profound hold on me to a possibly dangerous degree. It affected my personal relationships, my work and my social life. Looking back, I find it hard to believe what a mess my life had become. Fortunately for me, I have an understanding and supportive partner who helped me work through my problems and I came out the other side a stronger and enlightened person.

I am still a video gamer but, after setting myself some rules and making sure that I adhere to them, I'm now a happy gamer.

I believe that people who matter, such as physicians, parents, partners, teachers etc., should start taking some positive action to understand, and deal with, these most insidious side-effects of gaming in order to stop this problem from becoming a national epidemic.

Video games are a great source of enjoyment but need to be played responsibly. Take a look at New Xbox Games for tips and ideas on how to play safely as well as some gaming bargains.

AP - An Omaha man has filed a lawsuit accusing his ex-wife and former father-in-law of hiding a recording device inside his daughter's teddy bear in order to spy on him.