Death by xbox-risk of hyperfocusing

[Anonymous]

I read this article and thought of all the hours I spend hyperfocusing: I had no idea it could be fatal!

http://m.yahoo.com/w/news_america/xbox-addict-dies-blood-clot-111934041.html?orig_host_hdr=news.yahoo.com&.intl=us&.lang=en-us

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[Geoduck]

This is just insanity! How can these parents think this is the norm by any means? Blaming the x-box is just weird. They should be blaming the idiots that hired their son for that study that had him sitting that long.

12 hours sitting playing computer games isn’t hyperfocus, it’s an addiction. I don’t know any parent that would stand for their kid, even and adult child, to sit for 12 hours in front of any thing. That’s just crazy!!! For me, if my kid sits more than a couple of hours playing a game, I’m thinking we have a problem. More than 3 or 4, definitely a problem, and 5, we’re taking the computer away and seeking help for an addiction.

Mine usually get one hour, a few times a week. I have 3 that are 12 and under. The neighbor boy spends time on the computer, but it’s limited to 2 hours and not daily. He’s 11.

I grew up in the Seattle area, and knew lots of programmers and gamers, even have a brother and several friends who work for Microsoft now. My brother has ADD, like me, and played quite a bit on our home computer, but never for 12 hours at a time! In fact, I don’t know anyone who spends that much time on the computer. Seriously, I know quite a number of people into gaming and programming and nobody does it for that long.

It’s normal for kids to want to move. I don’t know any kid that can sit that long. Maybe a young adult, but even then, I’ve never met them. Usually, they want to be out meeting people at that age for other activities. Well, that’s only natural, right?.

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[Carrie]

World of Warcraft is guilty of “killing” many as well. They play until they drop.

Im a young adult and have played video games days on end. Zelda, the Twilight Princess, Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls, and World of Warcraft. Guilty as charged! But those addicted to alcohol, drugs, food… I beg not to be any different. But at least I am smart enough to sleep, eat, and go to the washroom. Yes at times I wait until im almost bursting to go to the washroom… and dont eat for a bit… But I dont neglect it. I also have spent more than 12 hours a day in front of my PC. Yes… It has interfered with my life! Yes it is an addiction. Now you have met one person who does hahaha And yes im working on it!

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[Anonymous]

I’ve spent 12 + hours at the computer before as well >_<. i will sometimes even skip meals and get dehydrated and wait to use the bathroom until I can barely hold it. i’m not always sure where hyperfocus ends and addiction begins. i read that article and it is definitely a tragedy .

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[Geoduck]

How can you sit for that long and not at least go pee? I’m assuming this guy didn’t get up at all.

Now that I think about it. I’ve been here for a while, am thirsty, and I gotta pee. Guess I’m a little guilty of it too. Wonder how long I’ve been sitting here…

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[Anonymous]

I’ve done this as well. I think my first shooter was Medal of Honor, the WWII game. It’s meant to take 15 hours of game time to finish, which for normal people is a week. I got to the tower in one day (downloaded the game the night before, started the game at 10 and didn’t stop until 7). Had a terrible headache, only stopped to pee from the adrenaline.

Stiff legs–not fun, but you feel like you just can’t stop-gotta get to the end, slay the dragon, kill Hitler, save the world!

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[Anonymous]

As for the washroom issue I may have an answer. Some of the addicts probably restrict their fluid intake (dumb, dumb, dumb. we need water!) so that they don’t have the same urge to go to the washroom. Others may use adult diapers to ‘help’ out.

A colleague of mine has a brother and sister who work in a casino up here in Ontario. One of them is in security and he sits at a computer all day and watches the gamblers. It is a well known fact that many of the diehard gamblers won’t leave their seat if they think their machine is about to win so they wear diapers so they won’t have to leave it if nature calls. I mean, you wouldn’t want to go to relieve yourself and come back and find out the person who sat down at ‘your’ machine won on their first pull.

If the gambling addicts will wear Depends, maybe the computer addicts will do the same so not to miss out on their games. Personally, I couldn’t get that ‘in’ to a computer game because I have a really, REALLY short attention spam for any kind of game even with the help of meds. 😳

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[bleachboy10]

I hyperfocus on everything almost all of the time. if I’m driving I calculate what every vehicle is doing based on every action I see them take or not take, speed up and down and analyze and anticipate what they will do. I never knew that it was probably ADHD tho. I didn’t notice I did it ’till I started not driving and still did it and would tell driver what cars are gonna do and it annoyed them when I was right.

I’ve gamed with friends 24 hours or more, LAN party! played alot of Diablo, Warcraft and some others, loved it!! we do it on a long weekend or holiday. A few times I’ve done it alone, just me and the game, Mt Dew or coffee maybe icecream and skittles, All Night Long, all night..! but just because you can sit hyperfocused for hours doesnt make you addicted. i dont like gaming for a couple of minutes, I prefer hours, like 6 or more. to me it’s like watching a movie marathon without getting bored. but its a holiday thing to me, its like a social vacation!

If I am watching a movie/tv, I will hyperfocus sometimes and then blurt out what is gonna happen next or the ending and I cant help it and peeps get mad at me. I have to work really hard on not doing this.

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[Tiddler]

When Civilisation 2 came out, I sat for 48 hours straight playing it, getting up to go wee and phoning in sick. Several of my friends did the same thing. One of them was a lawyer.

Fortunately, we all saw sense and limited our gaming time to sensible levels that didn’t interfere with stuff we actually needed to do.

My kids are allowed 30 minutes a night and the have to work for it. They get an hour and a half at weekends.

They are bouncy, full on kids but in front of a computer screen they are zombies and, yes, they could easily spend 12 hours a day on the damn thing if I let them, I’m sure of it. They both get enraged if they spend too long on it and I make them switch it off – tears, yelling, ‘but just one more turn/I just need to get this bit done and then I’ll stop…’ etc etc.

Just horrible how mesmerizing it is and how it affects them. We went out yesterday and came back in time for supper and bed and they both started crying when they realised they’d missed their computer time. They were then given a choice – whinge about it and get no computer for a week or go to bed without complaint. They’ll get their 30 minutes tonight, but sheesh! What a performance!

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[Tiddler]

Also, I loved that game so much that my cat was almost named after the creator, but my ex got his own way and he was named after a Starwars character! Geek alert!

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[Geoduck]

My mom names her cats after Star Trek characters. Her computer addiction is Mah-Johng, though. Wonder what kind of geek that makes her. LOL! A very well-rounded geek, I guess.

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[Author]

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