Slashdot Mirror
Getting Off NetHack?
thetan asks: "Like a lot of Slashdot readers, I've played a little NetHack as a teenager. Alright, quite a lot - but it was no big deal and I just sort of grew out of it. Now I'm not proud of this, but I got my gf hooked and she's been using daily for a few years now. After she tired of the game, I tried sating the monkey on her back with new fixes like Angband and ADOM. Now, I no longer want be a party to her addiction and self-destruction. She acknowledges the problem but is not yet ready to take that first step. What can I do to help ween her off? Could interactive fiction act as a methadone - or does it result in just as much harm? What other strategies have users employed to get clean? Does anyone know of NetHack addiction support groups or a 12-step? I'm desperate to get her back!"
As a former treatment professional, this is the first response I saw that made sense in terms of how addiction works.
People who are addicted to anything may have a chemical imbalance, but if they're addicted to something like this, it is likely she is using it as a crutch instead of dealing with other problems. Her life may be unfulfilling or she may just not deal well with reality. If this is a true addiction, and you aren't just using hyperbole, then she likely needs professional help. HOWEVER, she has to make the decision that she has a problem and seek help. If she is just doing it because you push her into it, she is doing it for you and not for herself, and a relapse would be easy.
Remember that now it is a problem for you, but not for her. It makes her happy and causes no problems for her, that she can see. You can't change another person. You can only hope they see they have a problem and seek help. If she never realizes she has a problem, then you won't be able to do anything effective and it may be time to move on.
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Best of luck.