Former NFL Player Making a Comeback After Overcoming Gaming Addiction

randir14 · 06-12-2012, 05:04 PM

Former NFL player Quinn Pitock is looking to make a comeback after overcoming his videogame addiction, where he was playing games for up to 18 hours a day.

Quote:

In the summer of 2008, everything seemed right with Quinn Pitcock.

After a solid rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts, Pitcock was viewed as an up-and-coming defensive tackle for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

The reality was that Pitcock's life had spun out of control.
He spent most of his time in the pitch-black living room of his Indianapolis apartment, eyes fixated on a TV screen as his fingers feverishly pushed buttons on an Xbox controller.
"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," Pitcock said.

Four years later, Pitcock, who continues to battle depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and video-game addiction, is with the Orlando Predators.

Read more at the Orlando Sentinel

Pluvious · 06-12-2012, 05:31 PM

Pitcock said his depression manifested itself in an addiction to the popular video-game series "Call of Duty."

"I couldn't put it down," Pitcock said. "If I visited family or friends, I timed it down to the last second where I could still play another game."

His addiction worsened after his retirement. For three months, Pitcock routinely played for 18 hours a day before seeking help.

"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," he said. "But the next day, I was at Target buying another game."

I'd like to know his stats in Call of Duty with that much invested he must have unlocked everything and prestiged multiple times. And here I thought my 4-5 hours a day was bad... sheesh. 18??? Yikes.

Cygnus · 06-12-2012, 05:52 PM

Wow..he was addicted. Good he is getting another chance as NFL careers are not long...

dirtbag · 06-12-2012, 06:52 PM

Boo-fucking-hoo -- Videogame Addiction is for pussies!

dirtbag · 06-12-2012, 07:42 PM

By the way, am I the only one who giggled when they read his name?

Emabulator · 06-12-2012, 07:49 PM

The damn NY Jets probably kick ass at Battlefield 3...

KlausFlouride · 06-12-2012, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirtbag

By the way, am I the only one who giggled when they read his name?

You sir have an issue! Perhaps an gaming addiction you don't know you have.

Therapist_01: Mr. Pitcock can you show me, on the doll, where the xBox touched you?

angelofrage · 06-13-2012, 12:10 AM

Quote:

"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,"

I want to know how he can squeeze 25 hours out of a day!

Anenome · 06-13-2012, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angelofrage

I want to know how he can squeeze 25 hours out of a day!

He drizzles speed over the fries ^_^

Nilych · 06-13-2012, 05:51 AM

How can you claim to have an attention deficit, yet sit in one place doing the same thing for 18 hours? Everyone I know with ADHD is no good with video games past about 10 minutes.

Vulture · 06-13-2012, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anenome

He drizzles speed over the fries ^_^

Yes I am pretty sure they left out the drugs. Because w/o something to mess up his mind that many CoD hours a day is repetitive as hell and boring to the AD(insert DSM variant here) crowd.

Booda · 06-13-2012, 06:23 AM

Quote:

"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," he said. "But the next day, I was at Target buying another game."

This guy sounds like a complete fucking shit pickle. If a grown man is acting out as quoted above in any way I think gaming is the least of his problems. Sounds like he needs a therapist for depression/anger management & some rehab for the steroid abuse.

sai tyrus · 06-13-2012, 11:36 AM

Yeah, I don't feel much sympathy for him. He at least has gotten it together to possibly come back. So who cares? We all face and try to conquer our shortcomings. Oh wait, he's a professional athlete so he's somehow more important than Joe-schmoe.

Jadbalja · 06-13-2012, 11:46 AM

I'm not a psychologist, but sounds like the "gaming addiction" is an avoidance behavior, and not the underlying problem.

SaintBlitzkrieg · 06-13-2012, 12:00 PM

I game with kids online that have ADHD. (I personally think it is a crock of shit, just another excuse for people to use to get out of things), but they play fine, they just have a hard time grasping the objectives. Especially ones that you have to protect, having them sit in one spot in the game is torture.

Usually playing a game for some of them is a release more than anything, because they are allowing their mind to venture and dont realize they are just sitting there in the real world.

It just shows you the ultimate power of what a media source can really do.

Mr. Lake · 06-13-2012, 12:03 PM

RAGE!!!!

Nevermind the bullshit negative press this throws at gaming... what the hell is wrong with this human? I mean, I am only assuming he's human and not some form of man-sloth (which by the way boys and girls, stop going out into the woods to have sex with sloths). This is just puff-journalism to get Pitcock's name out there and generate some buzz for his return at the expense of our recreational interests. Honestly, if I didn't have to make games and had a pile of money I'd sit on my ass all day and play games too. I love games, but that's not an addiction, and science has yet to provide conclusive studies that point to it being as binding or destructive as alcoholism or meth.

Yes, addiction is real, and you can become addicted to just about anything you devote time to... hell, we have wierdos among us who are addicted to tanning. TANNING! The real problem - is how to help people who lack any ability to moderate or exercise self-control. Start with the person, not the thing that millions (if not billions) of people use daily in moderation without incident.

Rommel · 06-13-2012, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jadbalja

I'm not a psychologist, but sounds like the "gaming addiction" is an avoidance behavior, and not the underlying problem.

Yeah, video games were clearly the symptom of some specific mental ailment. Oh wait, he had one--depression, which can feature co-morbidity with both social anxiety and obsessive behaviors. I am not a huge fan of the medication of America, but get the man some pills.

SaintBlitzkrieg · 06-13-2012, 12:25 PM

I like to think the people who are addicted to tanning, dont want to be human, they want to be luggage.

automaton · 06-13-2012, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nilych

How can you claim to have an attention deficit, yet sit in one place doing the same thing for 18 hours? Everyone I know with ADHD is no good with video games past about 10 minutes.

Apparently some people who have ADHD can "hyper focus" on certain things like video games or movies. I know I have the shit and it is totally untreated. I used to be able to play video games for hours on end but its gotten to where I can't play for more than about 30 minutes anymore.

LilAbner · 06-13-2012, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nilych

How can you claim to have an attention deficit, yet sit in one place doing the same thing for 18 hours? Everyone I know with ADHD is no good with video games past about 10 minutes.

With all due respect, this is an ignorant statement. Those with ADHD can often "hyper-focus" on stuff if they're interested, and video games is often one of those things that many ADHDs love.