How do u balance the VMK addiction with real?

[SunFlowerSky]

I have only been on vmk for about three weeks, but have seen significant decline already in productivity and enthusiasm for normal activity. How do those of you who have been on for a while achieve balance? I mean, I'm ready to cash in the 401K for credits, buy another room and move in!
Sunny

 

[roxygr1223]

what other life???

no, jk, it grows old after a while for me...i left vmk for like a year than came back again, but i go through spurts

 

[Disney Dreams]

I mean, I'm ready to cash in the 401K for credits, buy another room and move in!
Sunny

OH OH! Can we DO that?!?!

Welcome to VMK.

I had never played another interactive on-line game when I discovered VMK and I am here to tell you that it has a way of grabbing you and pulling you in. It sounds as if you have been bitten. I hate to tell you the truth, but it only gets worse! Welcome to the club!

I know it doesn't really answer your question, but perhaps it helps to know that yes, there is an addition and no, you are not alone.

Now repeat after me, "I am a VMK Addict."

Seriously though, it can be a tricky balance. I know I don't do it so well many days. "We can leave for dinner in 347 peeople, as soon as I get in the host room!" Many say it's "just a game," but the more you stay, you will discover it is about the friends and the smiles moreso than anything - and VERY hard to pull away from some days.

Again, welcome!

 

[Belle1997]

Try and win a best guest, quest, game room. That does it for me.

Especially try and run a game room. Not very easy to do. Will take that addiction right out of you

Or I can send Goofy and Big A over to your guest room so they can break it free of charge

Get 10 treasure magic detectors and all of them be duds.

Play fireworks over and over trying to get green car and you can only get a score that gets you a pink car
By the way many new players do not know that green is the hardest because they think it should go in order.

That are my helpful tips

 

[aengus]

acceptance is the first stage to recovery

 

[Sugar]

Especially try and run a game room. Not very easy to do. Will take that addiction right out of you

That works for you?

It doesn't for me! I end up running my games for 4-5 hours at a time! Where's my coffee?!

But yeah, to answer the OP's original question: We are all terrible at balancing our addiction. We need counseling. Is there an AA for VMK? VMKholics Anonymous?

Sugar

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Do you mean there's actually a life outside of VMK?


I know. It's very addicting. I've been playing since September '05 and I've never missed more than a couple days at a time of at least signing in.
There are times when I'm bored out of my mind, so I have to take a break and do something else.

Many times, I just force myself to get up off of my but to do something else. Of course, that's never when there's a quest going on.

Oh! Try to run a trade room. That can get extremely dull. Or frustrating.
That may cure you for a while.

 

[PurpleDuck]

".. balance with real?"

What is this "real" you speak of?

I have been playing since June of 2005.. I have no "real" anymore.

I joined VMK to try to push the withdrawal pain away, from not getting to the real parks for so many years. I found I made so very many wonderful friends on VMK, that now it is "the real" (almost).

To prove just how bad this became my reality world.. I finally got to go to WDW last December. While in one of the many "meets" with friends from VMK, I uh, well, hmm.. embarrassed myself royally!

You would think I would be ecstatic to be in the real parks again! Of course I was too! We were there for 2 weeks (computer-less). One of these friends I was in a meet with, proceeded to tell me what new things were available for sale that weekend in VMK. I was so surprised at the sheer volume and "coolness" of the items, the following escaped my mouth before the brain could engage.. "No! I am stuck here for 2 weeks without access!"

OMG! Thankfully they were very good friends, from way back in 2005, and understood I meant no ill will towards either finally getting to meet them in real, nor for being in the "real parks"!

Umm.. you "might" want to escape while you still can

 

[KrazyPete]

This thread is like trying to have an AA meeting in a bar.

 

[threeboysmom]

This thread is like trying to have an AA meeting in a bar.

I was just thinking the same thing!

We're the blind leading the blind...

Drinks all around!

(I've got it so bad that I'm signed into VMK even when I'm out running errands... Go figure...)

**Welcome to the Wonderfully Addicting World of VMK!**

 

[Candlz]

I mean, I'm ready to cash in the 401K for credits, buy another room and move in!

Dude! If only! Maybe we could swap teleporters and visit each other!

As far as balance - couldn't even begin to tell you...

I notice I get a lot more done before VMK opens... then I have a business call 2 days a week at open time - which is when I do credit runs for all my peeps


For me now - It is about my friends - I can't believe how much I would miss them... So silly!

 

[Disney Dreams]

This thread is like trying to have an AA meeting in a bar.

Cheers to that! Errr, wait, I mean...

sigh

Say it with me everyone: Hi, my title is Jegrezo and I am a VMK addict.

Pass the pretzels.

 

[aliceblue]

Well, you can always balance out your addiction with another addiction.

I was never into pin trading but had to do something with those extra VMK pirate pins from the mystery boxes, after using the codes. Now I split my time between my addictions. (Which adds up to twice as much time as before, I fear!)

 

[Anne Bonny]

Don't worry, you're not the only one that has an addiction to VMK. I've been playing since March of '07 and already I have a bunch of rare stuff (including a black cowboy shirt I recently got from trading some black ears)...seems like the more rare stuff I get the more I can't put it down.

Really the only time I get bored with VMK is if no new stuff is being released for a while, and if that happens I usually just get on for my daily credits and quests... and to visit friends too.

It's funny this came up because just yesterday I told myself that I was gonna have to get control of this addiction because it's severely crippling my school studies...Not to make anyone worry that is. But yes sometimes it can really "take control" of one's life. I'm having a hard time balancing VMK and real life as well, so you're not the only one.

As far as a solution goes, I can't say much because I'm struggling with the same thing, but good luck and hopefully we all can get over this (if it's severe enough that is)

 

[pixiewytch]

Luckily I have children so that leaves me no choice but to get off of vmk and enter the real world.

If I didn't I would probably be on constantly sitting on six digit numbers of credits like the rest of you lucky dogs.

 

[GoofyGeggy]

I find my addiction to real life doesn't get in the way of my VMK addiction as much as it used to...



On a serious note, I recommend forcing yourself to not play right away - whether that's in the morning, or after school/work. Enjoy the company of family, or the solitude of the television for a while...then play.

Of course, that's not too easy when there are a billion (okay, nine) quests in the Q-button... but that's beside the point.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

You could always move to the UK, then you can't log in until 3pm, so only lose your afternoons and evenings to the game, instead of the whole day! Works for me!!

 

[KingQuackATac]

:

(I've got it so bad that I'm signed into VMK even when I'm out running errands... Go figure...)

Yeah, I've noticed you before standing in the Pirate lobby not doing anything. At first, I would get excited and say, oh boy, I can play a quick game of Pirates and then you're just standing there.

Come on! I'm trying to get a quick game in here before my boss gets back from the bathroom.

Uh oh, I hear the door, quick minimize VMK pal before he sees it.

I wonder why my VMK pal icon was deleted from my work computer the other day? Oh well, it's back again. My boss is out of town for four days. Addiction is being fed. Boo Yeah!

This is just sick isn't it? Hey where's that meeting?

 

[smiley76]

It's totally addictive (although I did take a 3 month break once). I was planning my life around VMK events. One afternoon I almost called another parent to pick my daughter up from school because I had to leave to get her 10 minutes before the start of a pin trading event.

Luckily I came to my senses in time and let it go. So now I kind of make deals you myself. Like "you can play vmk if you wash and fold two loads of laundry OR you can only play if you've started dinner.

Doesn't ALWAYS work, but it helps a bit.

 

[LastGracefulPirate]

Wow! It is so nice to know that I'm not alone in my craziness! I also just found VMK about three weeks ago. I'm hooked! It's bad! My family looks at me like I'm crazy! I feel like I'm trying to hide how much I play from them.