LogFAQs > #974096669

I don't think gaming less in and of itself is indicative of anything meaningful. The real question is why you're gaming less.

Is your interest diminishing because most modern games kind of suck, and you've played older games so often that you're kind of bored of them? That would be pretty valid. Are you losing interest because of circumstance (there always feels like there's something else you could be doing/watching/experiencing)? That's more replacing one interest with another (like reading), so it's not really losing interest as much as it is changing interest.

Don't look at what you're doing specifically, as much as what you're doing in general. Would you say your engagement with life as a whole is decreased? Or are you just playing fewer video games but engaging with other things?

And even if you aren't engaging in general as much as you used to, that doesn't necessarily mean it's a case of depression. It could be a case of lower energy as you get older (it happens). Or that the demands of the rest of your life are taking more of your focus so you have less time/motivation for personal leisure activities. Or you could just be stuck in a rut (repetitive behavior can desensitize you to enjoyment of behaviors that you used to enjoy more). Or you might just be growing out of gaming as a hobby (it happens sometimes).

Basically, ask yourself what you're doing with all the time now that you used to spend gaming. If you're replacing gaming with other things, you're probably fine. I'd only really start worrying about depression if you're not really replacing it with anything at all.



pedro45 posted...

otherwise, i have been reading a lot more. I feel like that's a good thing, to read, but I think back to questions doctors ask like "do you lack interest in hobbies" or something along those lines

Reading is a hobby.

So is watching TV/Internet videos (even if that's more passive than gaming). Or being more active on social media. Or even just socializing with actual humans if you're one of those sick freaks who has somehow managed to meet people in the real world and engage in a "social life".

We can talk about how healthy those particular hobbies/activities are (that's an entirely different discussion), but transferring your attention to other things isn't the same as losing interest in everything, which is more the case when you're talking about depression.



pedro45 posted...

I should be seeing my doctor within a couple months, so I'll bring it up to him.

If it's something you're worried about, definitely bring it up. Best case scenario he tells you there's nothing to worry about and maybe just exercise a bit or try to get outside more. And if there is something to be worried about (which can include stuff like diabetes or low-iron/anemia and not just straight-up depression) , he can potentially help you solve it.