Football manager-holics anonymous

Hello to all

Firstly, this is by no means supposed to be anything other than a thank you to everyone on the forums for their interesting and enlightening posts. A final farewell and a big thankyou!

I feel as though my FM addiction has led me to hit rock bottom, and have reached a decision that I must give up FM. I have been playing since the good old days of CM00/01 and have been an avid fan ever since. But I am now a man, married and holding down a full time job. I feel that I should have closed this chapter of my life a long time ago, but have been unable to do so until now. I hit my lowest point on Saturday when I forced myself out of bed at 6am to play FM, and didn't stop for 18 hours. By the end of this I had managed to win the Spanish cup, First division and Champions league with Real Madrid, but when I started signing regens thinking; 'he'll be good in about 5 years' I realised that I may never stop playing. I am also ashamed to admit that in frustration, I went on holiday in the 60th minute of the spanish cup final after going 2-0 down. Thinking the game was lost, I then found that I had won on penalties. If my addiction has led me to these lowly depths of cheating, I no longer want to be a part of FM.

I have therefore made a decision to no longer play or buy another edition of FM. I know people will think I'm crazy, but I have to let it go and move on. I have not yet been able to uninstall the game from my computer, but I will get there in time. I wish everyone the very best in the management careers, and hope that other's will still find hours of enjoyment for years to come with the franchise. I have been a long time reader but infrequent poster on the forums, and would like to thank you all for the interesting and sometimes comical posts/threads that I have had the pleasure of reading over the years.

A special thanks to Neji, Nomis, Peter evo and of course...Captain Planet! I have always found your posts particularly interesting and pleasant.

Best wishes for the future to all. I will always have fond memories of my FM days and of my time on the forums.

Nojabold.

We've all been there, but you'll be back

"I am also ashamed to admit that in frustration, I went on holiday in the 60th minute of the spanish cup final after going 2-0 down."

I didnt think this was possible:confused:

And as Nomis said, you will read FM2010 features and come crawling back.

And you dont need to completely give up FM, your problem is you dont know when to stop, you need to find a healthy balance.

I feel your pain, man. I'm also a grown man in my 40s and my addiction to originally CM and now FM has taken up far too much of my life. The problem is that it's so all-engrossing that it's so hard to save and quit and get on with life. If I do find real life gets me too busy and I leave my save for a week or two, I lose all interest in it since my squad and tactics slipped out of my mind for that short duration. So I start all over again.

On the other hand, when I consider that for the outlay of one computer game per year, I must have saved thousands of pounds on not going to the pub (so much) and not buying other computer games and DVDs. On balance, have I saved money or lost it in earnings never undertaken because my free time has been taken up by the game?

That's just money; when I consider the lost quality time building and maintaining relationships with women and friends, it has cost me a hell of a lot. Yet for all that, the game still gives me pleasure like nothing else, and so I don't plan to kick the addiction for the foreseeable future.

God knows, I've tried many times and across many continents, but I always come back to my favourite waste of time. What are the odds that you will too?

I agree with the above.

Whilst we have all at some point taken stock of our lives and uttered the completely shameful phrase of "I am giving up on FM", you never will. It's like saying I won't watch the footy on a Saturday anymore!!!!

You are more likely to see a pig flying over the wembley arch than any of us die hards give up this wonderful, life altering/changing, fantastic and completely necessary part of our lives. I to have been with the franchise since the early days..... the beginning infact and I to am now married with children and responsibilities. The thing you really need to think of here mate is that if you just put it down cold, what will the side effects be???

Sleepless nights (about how the re-gens would have turned out)? DT's leading to potential vomiting? Paranoia? All of this culminating in you being a dribbling, incoherent mess who is either to ill or to scared to get out of bed in the morning to go to that oh so precious job or be there for the family!!!

I think you will agree it looks a bit different when you weigh it up with these little nuggets in the mixture.

Do yourself a favour pal and forget you ever thought about leaving it and just crack on with that Real Madrid save.

*whispers* Go on try it....... you'll like it!!!!!!

We feel for you...we all feel for you!

Many hours, perhaps later reflected on that could have been better spent, have been dedicated to FM/CM in my household. Gone are the days when when a season could be knocked out in less than a day. It now takes me around three weeks or so to play a season due to work, family etc.....

Moderation and balance are the key to controlling your "addication"....

Someday they will be a ten step program for this problem!

when I consider that for the outlay of one computer game per year, I must have saved thousands of pounds on not going to the pub (so much) and not buying other computer games and DVDs. On balance, have I saved money or lost it in earnings never undertaken because my free time has been taken up by the game?

Wow. That quote just made me totally satisfied about missing time spent down the pub I can't believe I can be so convinced by a few lines about FM addiction, but whenever I am forced to make the decision about going out and staying in... I will be happy in the knowledge that staying in with FM and a few cans was the best thing to do. I will remember your statement, and use it to justify my FM marathons in future

Sleepless nights (about how the re-gens would have turned out)? DT's leading to potential vomiting? Paranoia? All of this culminating in you being a dribbling, incoherent mess who is either to ill or to scared to get out of bed in the morning to go to that oh so precious job or be there for the family!!!

I think you will agree it looks a bit different when you weigh it up with these little nuggets in the mixture.

Do yourself a favour pal and forget you ever thought about leaving it and just crack on with that Real Madrid save.

*whispers* Go on try it....... you'll like it!!!!!!

As for this.... it just makes me want to go and play it right now!

Why am I so easily manipulated? :o

OP, I salute you.

I know that I should be able to balance real-life with my FM life but I've always struggled. Reading your post helps me- I realise I'm not alone! I've often tried (and failed!) to drop FM altogether but I'm reaching a critical point now as I approach job promotion/ marriage/ family/ 30th birthday. I hope I can achieve a status quo!

I just got rid of the wife... problem solved!

i just got rid of the wife... Problem solved!

lmfao!!!

For the amount of time ive spent on fm i could of cured cancer and aids and the world would be a better place. Mind you if id of cured cancer then Jade Goody wouldnt be about to die so really me playing fm is making the world a better place:D

For the amount of time ive spent on fm i could of cured cancer and aids and the world would be a better place. Mind you if id of cured cancer then Jade Goody wouldnt be about to die so really me playing fm is making the world a better place:D

Infraction is on its way i'm guessing.

Infraction is on its way i'm guessing.

Hmm maybe, so long as it says for jade goody related abuse and not for spamming or swearing or anything im happy:)

Lucky for me im only 17 and dont start i.t course untill september so i have been taking advantage of playing fm!! But when that course comes around fm wil stop and work wil come number 2 in my life (going to west ham wil be number 1 )

Im about to crack 30, got a kid, not married but am de facto.

Full time management job (not football)

and I get up at 6am and play FM...

But I also get up at 4:30 when I work morning shifts so 6am is a sleep in.

The house is generally in a very tidy state and TV at that time is pretty poor (and I have Foxtel)

so there isn't much else for me to do so I either play FM (mostly) or just randomly kill people on grand theft auto,

just to fill in time until my son wakes up

But you have admitted you have a problem which is the first step...

good on ya and i wish you the best for your future ventures, be it FM or not

Just found this thread.

I'm a total FM addict.

Recently had a couple of weeks away from the game to get some perspective but I'm back again, as expected.

Fair play to the opening poster - he hasn't been back since opening this thread.

Great willpower or do we think he is still secretly playing?

C.

Just found this thread.

I'm a total FM addict.

Recently had a couple of weeks away from the game to get some perspective but I'm back again, as expected.

Fair play to the opening poster - he hasn't been back since opening this thread.

Great willpower or do we think he is still secretly playing?

C.

I'd put a fiver on that he is still playing the game and is still loving it

Even though I do think that nearly everything is more important than gaming, I wouldn't give up a game that I thoroughly enjoyed because I was addicted.

But I am now a man, married and holding down a full time job. I feel that I should have closed this chapter of my life a long time ago, but have been unable to do so until now.

Wait, what? So?

I'm 35, married, and have a career .. why should that prevent me from enjoying my favorite pastime? My wife watches "Gossip Girl"; I play FM. How is that any different?

Come to think of it, my mother plays on Pogo.com, and plays bridge and boggle; my dad enjoys crossword puzzles and sudoku; I play FM and enjoy board games.

Why does anybody still buy into that antiquated "games are for kids" crud? There's nothing wrong with games!

.. That's not to say that, if you're finding gaming to interfere with what you really want out of life, you may have an addiction .. the same as one may have a work addiction, an alcohol addiction, a sex addiction, a food addiction, etc., which interferes with what they really want. That fact does not make work, alcohol, sex, and food inherently bad things.