Are you addicted to one of the many popular online games such as World of Warcraft or Runescape? Even if t you don't think you are, some self-evaluation might just say that you are. World of Warcraft is one of the most addicting, it's addiction rate is just as high as cocaine and meth. No matter how fun you think it is you have to buckle down before you loose your friends and your life. If you haven't started I suggest you don't.
The first to stealing your life back from these electronic thieves is to find some way to limit you play time, even if that means giving your computer away, you'll be happier when you're free. Many games have parental control options that can be used to limit play time. One option is to have a friend create a parental control password so you don't know how to change you playtime. Another option is to make at bet with a friend that you can go without playing for a while. Lots of people (including me) find competition VERY motivating, not to mention there is a reward at the end! If you want to go to an extreme you could give your account away so you could never play again, that has it's pros and cons though, one con is that for most people it will be hard to do it, but it does mean that you can never play again, meaning that you can't go back to your old habits.
Once you found a way to limit playtime now all you have to do is occupy yourself until you no linger have the desire to play. The best way to do this is to get a hobby. Your new hobby should be something that is fun and interesting and fun, something that you can really geek out about. It could be advancing a collection, making art music or poetry, or even reading (=P). You could also get involved in sports or just hang out with (or make) friends. All you have to do is look at yourself and your interests. For example, I love music and I think bows are cool, so I play guitar and do archery. Even if you were so indulged in you online games, you could make fantasy paintings or write fantasy stories. Once you really get into your new hobby you won't want to play your game anymore!
