escapism, the main addiction for trans people

[fleshpull]

I definitely fit in here. lost 5 years of my life to wow.

[Mahsa Tezani]

I definitely fit in here. lost 5 years of my life to wow.

I just play GTA: San Andreas.

Not much into video games. Boyfriend probably would say something about me playing them...We argued about me going back to short bangs today. Like jeeze dude, you're 50...Lucky I am with you to begin with.

[Graverobber9]

I barely play games anymore cuz I need to focus on school, socializing, and my music but I do love RPGs (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Pokemon) and Zelda. I'm totally a geek but I mask it well in public (though I don't try to).

[Mahsa Tezani]

I am dating an organizer of fantasycons and he plays RPGS.

How's that for irony?

[fleshpull]

I just play GTA: San Andreas.

Not much into video games. Boyfriend probably would say something about me playing them...We argued about me going back to short bangs today. Like jeeze dude, you're 50...Lucky I am with you to begin with.

That was the best of the series, i couldnt get into GTA4 as much for some reason.

[Tossu-sama]

I'd say my way of escapism has never been movies, television or games (the last one mostly 'cause I never had gaming consoles as a kid, poor me) but I read a lot when I was younger and I've always had very vivid and overactive imagination which has gone ADHD in the past couple years, seeing as I currently have over 90 original characters who all have unique background stories and such. And they vary from normal humans to werewolves and aliens.

[King Malachite]

I am definately an escapism addict.  If I am not playing video games than I'm fantasizing about the anime "Sailor Moon".  I like to play strong male characters as they are my alter ego.

[Felix]

That and chronic, depression fueled, masturbation.

Your avatar is familiar to me but your boardname is not. I feel like I cared about you or at least engaged in meaningful conversation with you at some point in the past. Hmm.

Anyway I just wanted to say that I'm sorry your masturbation isn't good for you. I do occasionally have a rough day where I'm either too paralyzed with depressive or panicky inertia to do much other than compulsive and simple things, but for the most part, sex is really fun and empowering for me whether anyone else is involved or not.

I think I have issues with escapism, but luckily I have more nightmarish things to try to escape from than being trans. I'm thin-skinned and overly imaginative.

[♥ Dutchess]

My escapism was dating.... I figured if I had someone to keep me occupied I wouldn't think about it, boy was I wrong

[maya]

I think escapism is simply a wish for a more welcoming society... But it doesn't necessarily mean you're unhappy. Writing stories and drawing gives me so much satisfaction - creating new worlds and characters is the most amazing form of escapism for me, so I try to do it whenever I can. But still, nothing compares to a good time with friends and family

[Ash]

Not so much now as I have sorted myself out but in the past I was addicted to escapism. I did play loads of video games (Morrowind especially and now Skyrim) but I loved to create fantasy worlds for myself. I spent so much time writing stories and just literally wandering around pretending to be somewhere else.

[Beth Andrea]

I realized I was using Tetris (on my phone) as an escape mechanism. A couple years ago, I made a new year's res to not play it, although at the time I didn't know the role it served...I was just disgusted with myself for playing it so much. (Haven't played it since.)

Shortly after I stopped, I had a significant mental/emotional breakdown, and when I came to, I'd realized I was trans.

Now I'm trying to break the habit of Minesweeper and Spider Solitaire...but since I'm dealing with myself in straightforward ways, I don't expect another breakdown.

But yes, getting SO involved not only takes time away, but it prevents one from being aware of, and dealing with, one's REAL problems.

imho

[Felix]

I realized I was using Tetris (on my phone) as an escape mechanism. A couple years ago, I made a new year's res to not play it, although at the time I didn't know the role it served...I was just disgusted with myself for playing it so much. (Haven't played it since.)

Shortly after I stopped, I had a significant mental/emotional breakdown, and when I came to, I'd realized I was trans.

Now I'm trying to break the habit of Minesweeper and Spider Solitaire...but since I'm dealing with myself in straightforward ways, I don't expect another breakdown.

But yes, getting SO involved not only takes time away, but it prevents one from being aware of, and dealing with, one's REAL problems.

imho

I love Minesweeper and Spider Solitaire. Tetris too. I don't think I've ever gotten compulsive with those games, but I have a friend who played Tetris on his phone and had a problem with it. It kept him up at night and he always had to just play one more game. He finally deleted it and it was an act of will and he experienced huge relief.

[Beth Andrea]

I love Minesweeper and Spider Solitaire. Tetris too. I don't think I've ever gotten compulsive with those games, but I have a friend who played Tetris on his phone and had a problem with it. It kept him up at night and he always had to just play one more game. He finally deleted it and it was an act of will and he experienced huge relief.

Just like Bilbo..."he gave up The Ring willingly..."

...Except I can't delete Tetris. It just says "that function is not allowed." IT HAS MY PHONE!!! 

[bballshorty]

Lost a good 3-4 years to a certain RPG I'm too embarrassed to mention now T.T I also daydream a lot and miss out on life. If I have woken up earlier, I would be in a much better position than I am now, but right now I'm just glad I woke up before it's too late.

[Anima88]

You know now that i think about it, that is entirely true. Ive been getting really really into my writing and drawing again, its like a well of creativity woke up in me, and i gotta follow the rabbit hole down.
I dont think it distracts from the dispohoria anymore, becuase i found through mediation i could find creativity, and also through it i could look deep inward and find the parts of myself ive hidden.PT

[Beth Andrea]

I noticed that when I played Tetris on my phone, time, anxiety, and depression go away. My entire world for the 15 minutes of the game is turning blocks, zooming them down, go on to the next level...turn more blocks, zoom down, go on to the next level...etc etc.

At the start of 2011 one of my new year's resolutions was to stop playing it...and within a month I had a major mental breakdown. All the depression etc that I'd blocked came out in one blurred, dizzying month.

I haven't played it since then, until just about a week ago. I realized it's a better "medication" than most anti-anxiety drugs I've taken. For immediate relief of severe (situational) anxiety, that's what I do (if I have the time...if not, I'm popping pills).

[AmyRenee]

I'm starting to wonder if maybe or not my massive game collection (and love of reading) can be attributed to such a desire for escapism so that I always had something to do to take my mind off of the important things.  I always try to keep myself feeling busy so that I'm not thinking, because thinking ends up leading to massive bouts of depression.

[Beth Andrea]

I realized I was using Tetris (on my phone) as an escape mechanism. A couple years ago, I made a new year's res to not play it, although at the time I didn't know the role it served...I was just disgusted with myself for playing it so much. (Haven't played it since.)

Shortly after I stopped, I had a significant mental/emotional breakdown, and when I came to, I'd realized I was trans.

Now I'm trying to break the habit of Minesweeper and Spider Solitaire...but since I'm dealing with myself in straightforward ways, I don't expect another breakdown.

But yes, getting SO involved not only takes time away, but it prevents one from being aware of, and dealing with, one's REAL problems.

imho

I just noticed that I posted the same thing twice in the same thread...once in April (above) and once in August (below).  Oh well, I'm glad it doesn't happen TOO often...

I noticed that when I played Tetris on my phone, time, anxiety, and depression go away. My entire world for the 15 minutes of the game is turning blocks, zooming them down, go on to the next level...turn more blocks, zoom down, go on to the next level...etc etc.

At the start of 2011 one of my new year's resolutions was to stop playing it...and within a month I had a major mental breakdown. All the depression etc that I'd blocked came out in one blurred, dizzying month.

I haven't played it since then, until just about a week ago. I realized it's a better "medication" than most anti-anxiety drugs I've taken. For immediate relief of severe (situational) anxiety, that's what I do (if I have the time...if not, I'm popping pills).

[Felix]

I noticed that when I played Tetris on my phone, time, anxiety, and depression go away. My entire world for the 15 minutes of the game is turning blocks, zooming them down, go on to the next level...turn more blocks, zoom down, go on to the next level...etc etc.

At the start of 2011 one of my new year's resolutions was to stop playing it...and within a month I had a major mental breakdown. All the depression etc that I'd blocked came out in one blurred, dizzying month.

I haven't played it since then, until just about a week ago. I realized it's a better "medication" than most anti-anxiety drugs I've taken. For immediate relief of severe (situational) anxiety, that's what I do (if I have the time...if not, I'm popping pills).

Honestly, it might be better to try to manage a video game than whatever else might make you feel better. Sometimes I can't get to (or get back to) sleep because my head is full of stupid garbage going round and round in pointlessness, and if i turn to the gameboy i feel safe pretty quickly and it often takes far less time than my internal miseries can steal from me. ymmv of course.