How to Overcome Escapism 

I'm just a high school kid. I don't have much control over my life. I took a week away from gaming and realized, I have nothing in life. My indulgence in gaming was me making a purpose for myself and escaping my confusion. I want to become a better version of myself outside of games, but I don't know where my next step is.

When you turned to escapism as a mechanism to deal with school bullying, but now are an adult with severe social anxiety and agoraphobia. It’s the overwhelming uphill battle to becoming a contributing member of society that I escape from 😭 Going to the gym is 🚫🚫 going out the front door is 🚫🚫 seeing a therapist is 🚫🚫 but your story is very compelling 🙏🏻 thank you for sharing it

Me too I have crippling depression, bipolar disorder and borderlines. I watch anime when I'm sad and I buy merch when life sucks. Thanks for video

I've struggled with this for most of my young life, I can't thank you enough for making this video.

HOW do you keep making the most relevant videos possible? I was just thinking about escapism today and that I should stop drinking to relieve the boredom and instead fight the boredom with beneficial activities

This really helped me understand much more about how I avoid my problems and even what the problems are.. I still have loads of work ahead of me, but I feel like I can do much more. Thank you, keep up the good work. PS: I joined the forums as well earlier tonight.

I'm 26 and didn't finish my degree and working at a retail store making minimum wage. I'm signed up to go back to college this fall part time but I need to clean up my life for this to work. I spend too much time surfing, playing games and watching tv. It's hard to make the change even though I know what I need to do.

I've talked to a lot of people about problems similar to this but I felt that my actions were too severe to even talk to a therapist or my parents, Im glad that I saw this video before making the plunge into depression and despair. Thank you

Hey Cam! I was recently watching an advertisement about WoW Legion the new expansion and I got cravings to check it out. Then I thought by myself; What do I enjoy from a game like WoW? And its actually quiet obvious. I love to make progress and get better gear and items etc. Then I thought; How can I do these things in real life? And it I never really realised that life could be alot the same as a game like WoW. Things that I could do to make progress in myself and to get better are for example: - School; Just study and try to learn as much as you can. - Reading books - Gym (This is one of my biggest activitys I love the progress) - Dancing (I do hiphop) I am going to try find small disciplines in these things to progress each day. Do you have some other ideas maybe? greetings robin!

This is the kind of stuff people need to hear instead of "video games are evil and destroying society!! 😵🙄" Thanks for what you do 👍

Very relevant to more than just gaming but other aspects like social media. Had an issue that is now finally dealt with-point about removing yourself from your emotions is useful, TY x

thank you so much. I been watching your video for a few days and I decided to delete all my games on my phone. I been playing basketball a lot more working out harder and focusing more on programming. I'm enjoying my life so much more. Thank you.

6:10 the old guy is like "Them young kids nowdays talking in their phones .When I was your age I used to work 20 hours a day . Damn kids raghhhh"

I was so emotionally in tune with the video until the old man wandered behind you and was looking at you like "What the fuck is this guy doing??" hahaha. Great vid as always.

This video really helped me with a psychology assignment. Thanks for making it man

Great video man. You are doing great things for people.

why do we not learn this stuff at school? Very helpful video thank you so much

Another excellent video Cam. Great job 👍. This really is the crux of the matter.

Another great video Cam, you've helped me a lot, so I'll return the favour and donate a bit to help you with your clean water well cause :) Btw you've definitely been hitting the gym and eating right, your arms and delts are getting much bigger bro, keep up the good work! :) also... LOL at the guy who randomly walks up behind you at 6:11 and stares at you for a few seconds

Not gaming, but it's TV series for me.. I am sober right now, but, I don't know about the future, I will edit this comment, and keep you updated. Thanks for the video Cam. You're doing a really good work..

I remember I use to watch anime as an escape, it was my happy place, rather then dealing and recognizing my emotions, whenever I was sad I would watch anime to make me feel happy, but after I finished my emotions are still there, I was still anxious and sad and I didn’t even know until recently

I agree with realwizardry your videos always seem to come at the right time! I have a question about the video: you said that we are not our emotions. From your standpoint, what about us makes us who we are? Thanks Cam, always appreciate your videos.

Hey Cam. Thanks for the video. I'll check out your others too. I work full time, and any time i'm not working, i'm escaping. And while that's pretty bad, now i've gotten to the point of where i'm escaping while on the lock at work. I will start a conversation with a coworker and try to talk for an hour about things i don't even care about, simply to escape work. This is very negatively impacting my work performance. I want to be a good employee and make my boss proud, but I feel so strongly compelled to escape while at work, i can't help but text or search something not work related on the computer. When I'm not at work, i feel so mentally and physically drained, that i very rarely do anything that i want to do because it's too much effort. I don't even know why i'm writing this cry for help. I know change only comes from within.

Thank you for your message. I would like to support but I currently dont have finances. Sorry. Hope my like on the video would help. Thanks again for your message! ❤️

I watched evangelion, and when i finally understood that it was about how to overcome escapism i entered in some really depresive stage... because i was using anime as escape to reality, and that broke me...

This is the real video I needed

Great video and solutions, I will give this a try.

this is another video that i really need, thanks a lot Cam, hope i can donate soon :)

Your advice is amazing

Great video :) I read somewhere that you have once visited Poland. What were you doing here in the middle of nowhere? :D

Am I avoiding dream or living up to it am I improving or just proving. Am I avoiding or living. This topic resonated with me. Cause today messed up woke up for 8 check new ride saved up from now spending mindlessly on videogames or movies like when I was a teen. But today 12-4 played online multiplayer and I felt temporary joy but deprived & profound sadness at the fact got no workout in. Walk nor art or writing. Know now to limit time or unplugged put in front room so won't get distracted to touch it.

Exactly I hope every one could get out of video games addicting as a Fake escape from their problems

Great vid man. Hope you are well.

This is happening to me but instead gaming I watch Netflix or RU-vid for me it’s more than procrastinating I can’t seem to be happy or enjoy my life if it’s not a phone in my hand escaping my reality wishing I had something else

Thank you very much !

Preach my man!

how to do anything else but read and play when im wheelchair used stuck in the house> i play bc i must not bc i really want

What if you have a good life, you go well at school, have nice parents and friends ,you are independent and solve your problems. If you are gaming for fun and not just to escape it's still bad? Also yeah I would feel frustrated if I was waiting to game and then not though.

Escape Connection Growth Challenge + fun

When I think about how to solve my problems, I feel overwhelmed. It feels kind of like in cartoons, when a character's head blows up and a smoldering heap is left? Games, anime, TV, and internet browsing take away that feeling of overwhelm and replace it with a stillness, or an engagement. When you notice you're stressed about something, and you start to make an action plan, can you remember feeling overwhelmed by the problem or its solution? What did you do then?

I'm a college student. I'm stuck at home with my Gen-X parents, 2 sisters and my hellishly rowdy 5 y/o brother. Anime and video games are my escape in life because the real world is so fucked up right now. One of the petty problems in my life is my stress caused by my strict parents arguing at me, getting bullied, getting decent grades, etc. I hate my life. Anime is my new home world now rather than this shit world.

I was playing person 5 and one of the characters said that they play videogames instead of doing hw and another character said that that is escapism at it's finest or something and now I'm here.

Indulgence and social contribution are not mutually exclusive. It’s addiction that is the real problem, not vgs.

Do you know any good channels to quit tv series/movies addiction?

Lmao the old guy in the back got me dead

Taking break is not bad for us, but not taking too much and you have to get move on. Reviewing again what your reason do that.

Great channel

What do you do if you are unable to recognize the reasons why they are happening? I've seeke'd help about this but can never really figure out what it is that makes me so bored with life so easily.

Completely off topic but what brand of t-shirt are you wearing?

How do you avoid getting dark circles under your eyes? Great video btw xD

Has anyone found a way to have both a healthy life and be able to play video games? My wife is not thrilled with the amount of time I have played games during our marriage, so she feels neglected and that I disengage from reality. On my side of the equation, I realize that I did play an extensive amount, where I would basically come home from work and game most days and several hours on the weekend, to the point of not really wanting to do much else. It has been a month since my last comment and not sure exactly how long since I steadily played games, though I do enjoy the challenge of some of the games and a part of me would like to gain control of them. Is there a subreddit to join to chat with other gamers about this?

You should response to SolidRev who ask if he's a loser for playing videogame.

You look muscular mate. Looks like you've been working out lately

Games are so much easier than life. Just bin all your games.

6:18 Who is that creepy dude

why would i want to overcome escapism lol

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Go corrode.

Man, you should cut your hair. You would look great with a shaved head!