How to DEFEAT Internet forum addiction

I am going to be truthful here and this is a pure but truthful fact, I was actually addicted to the forums I used to visit. I was actually thinking of the posters as if they were real people and I was thinking more about them rather than my OWN LIFE.
My health actually suffered but here are some steps to take.
Make sure the Internet is in a PUBLIC PLACE, like the living room never the bedroom.
Learn a hobby which involves your hands like making objects or knitting.
And try to change your everyday existance, for the Internet should be a ally not a enemy. I have noticed how drained and tired I feel when I waste my time online and do any of you too???

I am guilty of this to some degree, Angeress, and I must thank you for posting this. it certainly has made me think about how much time I spend here, which has been a big issue in the past. However, I know that I am able to control it, and I can plan to only spend 20 minutes each day here if I need to.

THank yuo for your insight,
Kevin

Yes, I can identify with what you are saying. There have been too many times when I've let my online life (ie forums and chat) have too much effect on my real world. There have been days when I should be happy or busy, but instead I'm depressed or thinking about what happened online.

Yes, I completely understand how you must feel. In fact, I'm going through the same problem only thing it's related to downloading games & softwares. Yes I'm obsessed with softwares and some of the cool things that you get to do with them. I've screwed up all my exams the past one year because of this addiction and I'm seeking an immediate drastic measure to take to stop my addiction. Whenever I try to study, I fail to focus because I'm constantly thinking of the things that I want to do online.

lols people. this is too funny.

ironic

i think one question is why you're doing it -

having spoken to a few people who spend too much time online, ive noticed a lot of them can be more open online than they can realtime, - maybe its something you can do online, that you can't do offline?

my thoughts are yes, going some place public to go online might help mix one comfort zone with something less comfortable?

but the most important bit is figuring out what's causing the internet forum addiction and e.g. if it is being able to be more open and/or connected with other, intimacy, affection, attention, or even just feeling ok with socialising, building genuine interactions with people realtime so you can do that, and don't need the forum addiction any more.

i know whatever it is, you'll probably find its pretty scary (i know i find changing my problems difficult like that.)

...if you want to talk about what it is for you here, i'm listening.

I am sort of addicted to forums. I am going thru a depressive episode (on an AD) and I need to occupy myself somehow. It is either forums, watching mindless TV or sleeping. I need some sort of distraction yet I don't have the energy to do anything right now. I have noticed that it is not good for me sometimes because I worry about what I post even though it was completely okay what I wrote. Yet it plays in my mind in repetitive thoughts. Isn't that strange.

dmj

Angeress wrote:I am going to be truthful here and this is a pure but truthful fact, I was actually addicted to the forums I used to visit. I was actually thinking of the posters as if they were real people and I was thinking more about them rather than my OWN LIFE.
My health actually suffered but here are some steps to take.
Make sure the Internet is in a PUBLIC PLACE, like the living room never the bedroom.
Learn a hobby which involves your hands like making objects or knitting.
And try to change your everyday existance, for the Internet should be a ally not a enemy. I have noticed how drained and tired I feel when I waste my time online and do any of you too???

It started with Atari, and I never looked back.