Computer Addiction

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Yes, I'm coming on the computer to seek help with my computer addiction. "Well start by not coming on here!" But it's really not that easy. I just can't help going on the computer, pointlessly searching the internet and going on Facebook.

I've tried to go a whole day without doing so, but I've only ever managed 21 hours. The worst 21 hours of my life.

And no I can't "go out and see friends" because my days off of college are different to theirs, and all I do round theirs is go on the PC and play games anyway. The PC has drawn me away from my drawing hobby; I just can't get into it. Also I'm not that good at understanding books, no matter how much I try.

And I like walking outside but I'm always scared to do it; I just haven't gotten over it. And even then it doesn't take up a lot of my day.

What can I do about this addiction and get into something better??

I seem to have a problem getting off the computer, I can spend several hours a day online.

Mmm, there's certain software you can download that you can program to lock you out of the internet for certain periods. Or you can use a timer, and just set certain periods where you allow yourself to play, and then NO MORE!

How about thinking about something you'd really like to do off line and just doing that instead.

Maybe better self awareness would help. I know that sometimes I can be cruising online not doing anything particularly useful or even amusing, and those are the times I know it's time to snap out of it and get off the computer. You can really get lost in just doing nothing, it's weird.

I really would view it as a potentially 'good' addiction.

Perhaps pay attention to good quality computer time vs. poor quality computer time.

I'm kind of pretty security conscious anyway, I think because I kind of realize that when I really get into my own thoughts I'm less alert of surroundings and thus more vulnerable.

Perhaps riding a bicycle? (please remember the helmet)

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Then there's the whole paradoxical method of dealing with a habit or addiction. For example, I've read during speech therapy for stuttering, the patient will sometimes do an exercise in which they consciously stutter. Kind of like if they can consciously turn it on, they can more easily consciously turn it off. So, I conclude, if I allow myself to stim privately in my bedroom (I sometimes play with a soft T-shirt and imagine sports) and zone inward, I can more easily zone outward when out in public. Maybe.

And then, I have patchy social skills, excellent skills in some areas, apparantly not in others (and like anything, it's hard to be aware of what you're not area of!). So, I think the very patchiness throws people off.

Now, if you're hanging out with friends, even internetting and gaming, to me that's social. I'm kind of the viewpoint that most college groups (like kayaking, or Democratic politics or whatever) don't really do much other than have the formal meetings!

When I was in college, I met most of the people in the dorm, but had a heck of a time telling the good-natured joking from rather mean-spirited teasing and labelled, and in truth, they kind of blurred one into the other. And I needed a lot more alone time than the dorm provided. But, I think a lot of people did, aspie and non-aspie alike.

It did seem that many people were 'over-peopled' and did not really have an interest in meeting new people either in classes or groups.

So, it takes a while to meet people, and I tend to think the Internet's better than just being alone (and I have learned social skills from the Internet, as well as politics, sales, etc)

Good luck with everything! Congratulations on being in college. Keep talking with us here.

I found that changing my log-in passwords, then writing them down, then losing them really helped

(alternatively, place them with a friend, or in somewhere very hard to access)

As for getting back into drawing; force yourself to sit down with pen and paper, whether you feel like it or not for an hour and see what happens.

What about it has you concerned? Why are you distressed about it?

Hmm... I just feel as if I need to do something with my life. I have a cartoon series / comic planned out in my head, its all there, I only design it while bored in college, but I just don't feel motivated to properly get on with it and stick to it

And its probably bad for me. I may have screwed up my life expectancy, my eyes for the future, I have a theory that its the reason why my social skills are worse than they ever were before, and I feel that it may be making me dumber