Need some social advice

[My-name-is-Jono]

I'm at school and in year 11, just started on holidays, and I need to stop playing computer games so I can focus on school. only thing is all my friends play computer games and i never get invited to any sort of events in real life so I just get so lonely which that puts me off school work. So I'm stuck in this middle ground and don't know what to do and just need advice or just an excuse to socialise so I don't feel so bad.

[MarkJT]

Jono, you do not have to be actually playing to have an impact and make friends at the soccer club. All sporting clubs run on volunteers so that is a great way to get involved if you cannot play.

As you missed the trials, does that mean you cannot play for that club? How about going to another club where there are no trials?

Google - GP's in the area that you live and you will find one.

Don't worry about apoligising for late replies - just when you can. There is no pressure here.

Mark.

[MsPurple]

Hi Jono. Do you know which GP clinic you used to go to? If you do you could google them and call them to make an appointment with your doctor. If you can't remember their name you can call the clinic and ask for the doctor you saw last time, they can search it up on their computer (I've done this before, many times, I have moved a few times).

Have you considered joining other clubs? Trying a new sport? I did karate for a little bit and there were a few people only just starting the same age as me. You can always ask if there are new starters of the same age before joining up

[My-name-is-Jono]

Thank u all for ur help

Over the past week or two I got into a volleyball social on mondays and tried to do things that made me happy but I just found myself going back to the computer and feeling so bad and isolated cause going out on my own didn't help as much as I thought it would

Im just so confused on what to do

[MarkJT]

Jono, awesome that you got yourself into the volleyball social. That is a great step into the right direction.

I want you to look at your achievements in doing what you have as a success. Yes you have gone back to the computer but lets think of this as taking two steps forward and one back.

How long did you give this a go? How many weeks? Are you able to repeatedly do the things you were doing and let yourself get used to it?

I am just wondering if you have expected to much to soon? This is a natural feeling so not in any sense of the word am i having a go at you.

What were the other things that you were doing?

Mark.

[My-name-is-Jono]

Thanks for the reply

Its been around two weeks and I started off well by going to the gym everyday taking my dog for walks, long boarding and going to the city but just got lonely cause I had no one to share the experience with. I went back to computer games cause I got people around the country I can talk/play with and the other activities died off, I'm scared it's also gonna over take my school work as it did last term and I got bad marks. It's just the only thing I have that makes me really happy 😕

[MarkJT]

Jono, how about the soccer club? Have you been back to support in other ways considering you missed due to injury? I really think that is a great avenue as whilst you other activities are great, they are also solo activities and we need you mixing with people.

Are there social gaming groups around that actually meet up at a location?

I encourage you to continue with the walks, the long boarding and the gym. All are physically healthy for you and physical health is very important to your mental health.

Mark.

[My-name-is-Jono]

There is one gaming event called RFlan happens every couple of months and people do meet up (around 700) but my parents dislike me going as its a 24h gaming session with the add cost of 50$. For the soccer club I haven't gone back and I don't really know my old team mates to well as they all go to different schools and we never really get together or anything, so I wouldn't really know what to do there.

[MarkJT]

Jono, sporting clubs run on volunteers in all different kinds of capacities. I would think that there is something you could help out with at the soccer club and you will get to know the people there pretty quickly. You are then in a good position to start playing again once able to.

Yes the first couple of times you go there will be difficult, it pretty much is for everyone when you do not know a whole lot of people, but in the whole scheme of things, a couple of weeks is not much and will go quickly.

You need to persist at this and then it will have a dual effect, one you will get socialising which is awesome and secondly it will lesson your gaming time.

Gaming is addictive that is for sure so you need to work hard on breaking the addiction.

Remember mate, you are not alone in this.

Mark.

[My-name-is-Jono]

Ill give the soccer club

I appreciate all of u guys giving support

Thank you

[finchh]

maybe talk to some of your friends and see if they feel the same way. If they do you might be able to organise to catch up in real life just on the weekends and begin to meet other people through that, with every one bringing someone along so that you get introduced to a wider range of people and invited to other things. basically starting a chain reaction.