› Forums › Geocaching in Wisconsin › General › Serious conversation….the addictive nature of the game
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LightningBugs Mum.
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09/30/2008 at 10:03 pm #1727165
I am using the term “addictive” in the true sense of the word here, not in jest. We’ve had our own encounters with the whole 12 Step process because of loved ones, so we’re well aware of the seriousness of an addiction.
So……some folks love to run for a FTF and will describe it as a “rush.” Maybe others get that same feeling from a big numbers day or nailing beaucoup puzzles. The whole discussion in another thread about the FTFers suggests that zuma and Trekkin’ have company in that regard, for example. [;)]
I guess I’m interested in knowing, without specifics, but in general, at what point do folks decide that what they’re doing is crossing the line from a fun replacement behavior to a new problem? I have seen several series of “Geocachers Anonymous” type caches. That can’t really be accidental. Are we all in denial? Having previously been part of the “hard core” scrapbooking world—trust me, it exists, as silly as that sounds!—I have seen how becoming preoccupied with a seemingly benign hobby can lead to all kinds of problems.
09/30/2008 at 11:35 pm #1896575@Trekkin’ and Birdin’ wrote:
Are we all in denial? Having previously been part of the “hard core” scrapbooking world—trust me, it exists, as silly as that sounds!—
I thought this was a serious topic. 😉
09/30/2008 at 11:44 pm #1896576@Trekkin’ and Birdin’ wrote:
at what point do folks decide that what they’re doing is crossing the line from a fun replacement behavior to a new problem?
I would say to the point that other things, family, friends, and other commitments fall the way side to the point of neglect. This can been seen in almost any addiction regardless of type from people who get addicted to video games, having a new love affair, or picking up a hobby.
However, an addiction while technically not good can be a blessing. Take for instance if a person who was a serious couch potato, to the point of being overweight, eating poorly, and lacking a social life except those who enable the person to be a couch potato. If this person was to start on gecaching and become addicted to it and started to think and live caching, this would not be that bad of a thing compared to their previous activity. Getting out and exercising and being part of a social network like geocaching is far better than that of a couch potato.
Going into a new activity strong is fine but it is important to return to a proper balance. What ever that might be. 🙂
10/01/2008 at 3:01 am #1896577Very interesting topic. I had set a goal of finding a cache every day for a whole year; however, this eventually became an obsession. To prove that I was still in control, I chose to let the streak end at just over six months.
Once you are no longer to make this type of decision, you have crossed the fine line to addiction. The degree of addiction is, of coourse, a horse of another color.
10/01/2008 at 3:55 am #1896578@Trekkin’ and Birdin’ wrote:
at what point do folks decide that what they’re doing is crossing the line from a fun replacement behavior to a new problem?
When your tendency is to turn to creating new puzzles while your stack of things to do to make money and survive sits untouched. I have the unfortunate position (only as it applies to this sport) of being self-employed and in control of my own destiny. It is far to easy to turn from the serious matters of looking for and doing contract labor to the not-so-serious matter of creating a new puzzle cache, my own affliction.
This in when you have to decide to step back a little bit. I have 160+ caches in the field and, fortunately, most of them will need no attention for a very long time. There are a few that do need to be looked at and I for one appreciate the patience of all the valley players when it comes to disabled S|S caches!
10/01/2008 at 4:24 am #1896579I think you will find that certain people just have “addictive” personalities. Whatever they get involved in, the get involved to the hilt. Eventually those people get bored and then move on to something else. On the other hand, we have many members among us who found geocaching to be a helpful substitute for other more serious addictions, and use the game as a more healthy outlet for their need to “obsess”. For this reason, I always get a bit queasy publishing these “Geocacher Anonymous” caches. I have talked about this with a couple of my friends in this very situation, and they indicate they aren’t offended by the concept, but I suspect Groundspeak would archive them at the first sign of a complaint.
10/01/2008 at 11:50 am #1896580💡
Possible gauge might be:
Do you interupt your planned activity, looking for 5, 34, 60 cahes a trip, going to work, going to school, going to cook supper, when you notice a cache just listed and you have to get that FTF?Does obsessing about caching negativly effect your serenity?
Addictions might vary in how quickly they are lethal but addiction is addiction.
Peace
10/01/2008 at 12:03 pm #1896581Interesting comments. For ourselves, we keep a balance and watch for those moments when it could creep over the line. We’re empty nesters and don’t have other than normal expenses anymore, so this has been a great way for us to get out together and enjoy outdoor activity. Trekkin’ is a “collector” by nature, and this lets him collect numbers. PC’s comments are interesting, in that of course this can be a positive addiction, which is a bit different animal, but again, as Ratz says, addiction is addiction. Personally, I like to eat too much to skip dinner. 😉
Mathman, I am not kidding about the scrapbook thing. Seriously! In fact, in that world, obsessing over the equivalent of numbers actually has meaning……cash from publication. But I have at least one friend who will say that her obsession was at least partly responsible for the break-up of her marriage. It can get hard core, just like any passion.
Thanks for discussing this aspect of the hobby with candor!
10/01/2008 at 1:26 pm #1896582@Trekkin’ and Birdin’ wrote:
Having previously been part of the “hard core” scrapbooking world—trust me, it exists, as silly as that sounds!—I have seen how becoming preoccupied with a seemingly benign hobby can lead to all kinds of problems.
I scrapbook all of our geocaching adventures so I must really be on a road to trouble. I leave all of the scrapbooking go until snowy days in the winter and I guess that becomes my mock geocaching. Did 50 pages last winter. Help!
10/01/2008 at 1:31 pm #1896583Soooo, is there an effective way to gain control over one’s life again without giving up caching?
Or is the only answer that one must stop caching…Cold Turkey…..??????
I don’t know if I could at this point. Are there good drugs to lower dopamine levels (anti-caching rush drugs….) Dang – we could be rich! Rich! Rich!
Geez, it was easier to stop smoking!
10/01/2008 at 2:43 pm #1896584I let housework go now, I never did that before.
My bills lie in piles waiting to be paid.
If there is a new cache published, I will go for it if I know it is there no matter what time of day it is, even though I know my chances for FTF around here are almost nil.
I will lie to relatives/friends and say I am busy so I can go caching for the day.
My dog gets riled up, runs for her harness and stands at the door waiting for me when she hears the GPS fire up as I download my pocket queries (can dogs get addicted too?)
If I don’t go out and cache at least once a week I get crabby… seriously! 👿Yep, I am addicted – to a HEALTHY hobby that only makes me and the geodog healthier. It is a zen time for me out there in the woods and I LOVE IT! Thanks to Ecorangers for getting me totally hooked. 🙄 I think in all seriousness though it is like anything else. If you let it interfere in a negative way with your life, then it is a problem just like anything else.
Oh and by the way, 3 Hawks – you streak when you cache? 😛 😳 😯
10/01/2008 at 4:54 pm #189658510/01/2008 at 6:52 pm #1896586I can say that I am (was?) a cachaholic. I was so obsessed with hiding/placing caches that entire days were spent doing nothing else. My wife didn’t know to what degree I was obsessed and that’s really a good thing. I had devoted half of my office and half of my garage to caching construction. I was always on the lookout for anything that could be used as a cache container.
I was never a FTFaholic, so didn’t have that particular affliction, but the need to get into the field was always with me for several years. I turned to other listing websites because I wanted more, More MORE!!!!
When I stopped cold turkey 7 months ago, I wondered how long it would take to get caching out of my system. Turns out, the answer is about 2 months before I was no longer obsessing (that sure sounds like an addiction to me).
SO here I am now, thinking about new cache hides (but at a much reduced rate) and not yet acting on them. I never would have been able to hold off a year ago. I think about them now and again, but am not obsessing. I have spent probably 5 hours in the field in the past week picking up caches to archive and can honestly say that I wonder why I got so addicted.
10/01/2008 at 8:19 pm #1896587@rogheff wrote:
I was always on the lookout for anything that could be used as a cache container.
We know!!!
10/01/2008 at 8:21 pm #1896588@Johnny Cache wrote:
@rogheff wrote:
I was always on the lookout for anything that could be used as a cache container.
We know!!!
Yeah, and he does mean anything!
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