The users of the site provide some excellent lulz fodder, too: Write down the attributes and characteristics of your Higher Power. I knew deep within that of myself I didn't have what it competely took to overcome my problems but with faith and reliance on my faith I could.Ī) In your journal, write down what makes you believe that your Higher Power can take away your gaming issue.ī) Than, write down any reservations that you have, regarding your Higher Power's ability to take away these issues.Ĭ) Think about who your Higher Power is. However, from previous 12 step experience, I knew that my Higher Power would help me overcome both problems. I had tried to some degree to sever ties with the person, only to end up talking again, and the same attempts failed with regard to the game. Is it difficult for me to admit that I am different from "social" gamers?Īnd that's just the first step! She's going to mention a higher power, isn't she?Īnyway, I knew that I needed a power greater than myself to overcome this self-defeating behavior of continuing to talk to someone who was abusive and also continuing to invest large chunks of time in game, which I could not afford. And we must make, as gracefully as possible, surrender to the inevitable fact that we must stop gaming. We must be willing to accept the bitter fact that we cannot game like other people. We must admit that we are licked as far as gaming is concerned and that we need help. We must accept the fact that we are helpless before the power of gaming. We must admit that our lives are disturbed.
Our denial kept us from seeing how powerless and unmanageable our lives had become. This step states the membership requirement of O.L.G.A. Within her site, you could find such gems as: Liz decided she would begin a lulzy program called On-Line Gamers Anonymous and create support groups for the recovering MMORPG addicts and their families. (Ironically enough, FFXI is probably the most time-consuming MMORPG out there.) (The sequel has one of these, too, but nobody uses it in either game.) Even in other MMORPGs, such as Final Fantasy XI, a notice told players to not forget their friends, family, school, and work - one could only assume this spawned from Shawn's suicide. In EverQuest itself, Smedley had the developers implement a timer so people could set their own limits. Liz Woolley created this site after her son's death. After talking with multiple psychologists and SOE's president, John Smedley, Smedley had this to say: Was it shame? Was it for the lulz? The world may never know.Īngry at EverQuest's developers, Sony Online Entertainment, Liz wanted to sue. On the Vallon Zek server, he created a character that looked like him called "ILUVEYOU" (he is so much of a retard that he could not spell "love" right) and used it for three hours, and then left the server, never to return. On Halloween, the possibility that Shawn had an e-girlfriend arose. With the assistance of EQ players, Liz was able to gather information on what may have caused him to become an hero.
But she had decided "that damn game" had killed him. Since she wasn't a basement dweller, Shawn's mother had no fucking clue what any of it meant. Shawn was surrounded by pizza boxes and notes strewn everywhere pertaining to the game. Soon, he purchased a gun, which his mother did not know about until after Shawn went linkdead IRL.Īfter breaking his door's chain lock with a crowbar, his mother found him dead, and the game was still running. From there, Liz sent him to a voluntary group home for addictive behavior. While living with his mother, she noticed Shawn had seizures often when playing the game for long periods of time. Then, he decided he'd rather pay the monthly fee instead of paying the rent and was evicted from his apartment. His mother, Liz, noticed once he quit his job. Apparently, he seemed to do fine for someone with learning disabilities while playing every other game. Before EverQuest, Shawn was diagnosed with ADD and epilepsy but controlled it by medicine.