When most people think about video game addiction, they have a tendency to envision young children or teenagers in high school. Many refuse to believe that it is an actual problem or addiction. In realty, it is. Video game addiction is a mental condition that can affect the lives of adults just as easily as children. Former Colts defensive lineman Quinn Pitcock is a walking example of that.
In 2008, Pitcock retired from the NFL after an addiction to the video game “Call of Duty” took control of his life. The addiction was related to depression and ADHD, and Pitcock says he planned his entire life around playing.
“I couldn’t put it down,” he said according to the Orlando Sentinel. “If I visited family or friends, I timed it down to the last second where I could still play another game. I’d go to McDonald’s for breakfast, order a bunch of food, come home and play for 18 hours into the next day, then crash, sleep for seven hours and do it all over again.”
Now, Pitcock has overcome his condition and is playing for the AFL’s Orlando Predators. The former third-round pick says he left the game of football because he had no motivation to play, but that frustrated him. His awareness of the game having a hold on his life was evident, as he says he destroyed several games but ended up buying replacement copies.
“I broke about four games in half, burned them, microwaved them, put a torch to them, letting my aggression out to get rid of them,” Pitcock explained. “But the next day, I was at Target buying another game.”
Pitcock has made a few unsuccessful attempts to rejoin NFL teams over the last couple years. Even if he is never able to return to the NFL, his story can provide inspiration for kids who can’t put down their Xbox controllers. The problem is real, and it’s one that full-grown adults with legitimate fulltime jobs also struggle with on a daily basis.
H/T Pro Football Talk
Photo credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
