so basicly all my life i have ran away from my GID, first by constantly watching television as a child, then ever since i turned 18 and started playing wow i have been sucked in, until about 2 years ago i ignored my dysphoria, i would just get so bothered with it that it would stress my thought processing and instantly get thrown into thoughts of some new spec/class in wow and would escape into that world as a coping mechanism.
i guess i was just wondering if anyone else views themselves as an escapism addict, and if it bothers them or just something they don't think of?

To some extent. I get caught up in things a lot. Anything that gives me a goal, no matter how small.

I don't consider myself to be addicted to escapism, but it definitely helps me ignore my dysphoria. Sometimes I get thinking about stuff, like how long it's going to be until I can finally start transitioning, and how I'm going to come out as trans at work, and how I'm going to pay for surgery... and I just think about it so much that I have to distract myself with something else or I feel like I'll explode from the stress. Another thing that helps is if I pretend I've already transitioned, you know just visualize myself as already looking male. That's mostly good when I'm alone because as soon as someone refers to me as "she" or "her" or by my birth name, the illusion is shattered and I start thinking about how uncomfortable I feel being physically and socially female. I don't really have any other techniques of avoiding dysphoria.

Quote from: Caleb Lance on March 15, 2011, 02:37:38 AM
To some extent. I get caught up in things a lot. Anything that gives me a goal, no matter how small.

I had it same.
Games, cars (wrecked one per year), motorcycle (wrecked in two months  ), I even want to buy hang glider (luckily for me not realized)
And dreams (I had a dream that I found magic cream which change body from M to F and reverse and have a clinic where this cream will be used  )

I've just recently realised that I started making up stories around the time I tried to fit into the role I thought I was supposed to fit in - which was a female one. In these stories though I could always take the role of the main character, who was always male. This has always helped me to get away from stuff. I think you can call this escapism, too. 

I've always used my music and my writing as a huge way of letting things out, the only one that's ever really worked. I love reading, but if there's things on my mind I can't even focus. I hate most video games, and I'm touch and go on movies. Music's the only non-chemical thing that can help me, regardless. I'd lose my mind if I couldn't sing, honestly.

An escapism addict? Actually that kind of fits when I think about it. I play video games quite often and when I'm not I am watching or reading something. I fell into the habit of distracting myself from my life and it's problems and frankly I'm ok with it since I have no fix to said problems, and dwelling on them is just bad for my depression.

I have this squirrel in my head. She runs and runs, she never lets up. Before my "big change", it was all about the change. Now, I'm driven to do other things. Amazing things. I love it. Escapism? I love turning it into something real.

Cindi

Does spending too much time on THIS site count? I really shouldn't spend so much time here.

constantly watching television as a child, then ever since i turned 18 and started playing wow i have been sucked in

If that's caused by GID/dysphoria, then about 90% of the population is TG.

Sometimes for some people escapism is the only break in life they get.

Quote from: kiaraja on March 15, 2011, 02:29:58 AM
so basicly all my life i have ran away from my GID, first by constantly watching television as a child, then ever since i turned 18 and started playing wow i have been sucked in, until about 2 years ago i ignored my dysphoria, i would just get so bothered with it that it would stress my thought processing and instantly get thrown into thoughts of some new spec/class in wow and would escape into that world as a coping mechanism.
i guess i was just wondering if anyone else views themselves as an escapism addict, and if it bothers them or just something they don't think of?

I am an escapism addict though not just because of my GID i guess I have many reasons for escapism like family strains, the narrow minded town i live in or whatever is depressing me at the time.

instead of tv and video games I use music as escapism. I get lost within their lyrics, researching them (if they're big enough) or talking to them (if they're a smaller band) online and of course seeing live gigs.

I also create personas and dress up (cosplay) as a form of escapism

I think my greatest form of escapism though is travelling to cities and just getting lost in the rich culture and diverse living that it has to offer. I'm Always more confident in the city because anyone can be anyone an nobody seems to care.

I'm not allowed to be as escapist as I want to be, because my kid tends to need me, and so I'm always on call even when she's at school or at respite. Constant constant vigilance and stress.

I have in the past gotten into wow and other roleplaying games, and I read lots and lots, and lately I spend time on the internet a lot. I'd sleep a lot if I had that skill.

I am just on here because my boyfriend won't let me out of the house to go do stuff.

Did I mention he doesn't live here?

Quote from: espo on August 26, 2011, 10:02:52 AM
Sometimes for some people escapism is the only break in life they get.

I totaly disagree. Escapism will casue you to MISS the "breaks".  Every "break" I ever had in life was becasue I worked hard and positioned myself to take advantage of an opportunity when it came. Sometimes bad things happen to people (accidents, disease, etc.) but luck is generally created by our actions or inactions. Spend all day playin WoW or Halo and you probably will not get as lucky as someone who is using their time to work or learn.

Quote from: JessicaH on November 17, 2011, 08:24:20 AM
I totaly disagree. Escapism will casue you to MISS the "breaks".  Every "break" I ever had in life was becasue I worked hard and positioned myself to take advantage of an opportunity when it came. Sometimes bad things happen to people (accidents, disease, etc.) but luck is generally created by our actions or inactions. Spend all day playin WoW or Halo and you probably will not get as lucky as someone who is using their time to work or learn.

Was Espo talking about that kind of break? I took it to mean a chance to rest and relax, rather than break as in a stroke of luck. Maybe I misinterpreted it.

Quote from: JessicaH on November 17, 2011, 08:24:20 AM
I totally disagree. Escapism will cause you to MISS the "breaks".  Every "break" I ever had in life was because I worked hard and positioned myself to take advantage of an opportunity when it came. Sometimes bad things happen to people (accidents, disease, etc.) but luck is generally created by our actions or inactions. Spend all day playin WoW or Halo and you probably will not get as lucky as someone who is using their time to work or learn.

Fully agree, escapism in which ever way expresses itself is very damaging, akin to a drug or porno or alcohol addiction

Jen61

Yeah, I can say that escapism may have kept me from seeing the truth. let's see here, I am or have been a gear-head, motor-head, music-junkie, computer-geek, off-road driving, guitar-playing, electronics nerd, alcoholic, husband, father, contractor, basically someone who balances 35+ projects and work and family and in the closet cross dressing... Now I am 37 with 3 kids and a wife of ten years and completely miserable. We own both our vehicles, a home, a travel trailer, ATV's, tons of camping gear, almost every tool a man would want and a large garage workshop to hold it all. My wife was very happy with the man she married and for the life we had created together.... However, I am not a man... And will never be happy as a man.

I told my wife a month ago that I have been hiding from myself, and that I am a woman. Now she is very angry with the man she married and would like to divorce despite what we have created together...

I have only realized in the recent weeks that being a Trans-woman would make me happier than owning all this crap and faking it as a man. 

That and chronic, depression fueled, masturbation.