Has becoming addicted to a game ever affected your health?

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I'm currently playing Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and I can barely put the game down and when I do it seems stuck in my mind at least subconsciously. The game is incredibly hard so just learning to play is like taking a beating and I would consider myself too good at games. Anyway, recently since I beat the game on acolyte, I decided I couldn't put the game down and now it's on my mind constantly. It's even effecting my health sorta because the game is so cool I anticipate playing it so I get anxious and experience adrenaline flow all day long... it's very aggravating to try and sleep when your blood feels toxic... eww. I also get the adrenaline thing in fear of what's next. I'm playing the game slow and steady through each difficulty trying to prepare for master ninja, but just the thought of what it is makes me sick. I've also seen what master ninja mode is and can see certain parts being next to impossible. It is embarrassing though because I finally pinpointed that this game has been causing extreme anxiety and insomnia because when I play it the sick feeling goes away, and if I do something I was worrying about I feel quite a bit more at ease for awhile until I figure something else out that is scary or baffling.

I guess I'm just curious as to if I'm completely alone in this occurrence. It's the first time it's ever happened to me with a game... maybe it's because Ninja Gaiden is so scary. What I'm asking though is if being addicted to a game has ever affected your health or well being... not if you have been addicted to a game that has simply sunk many hours of your life.

I've had eyestrain and bloodshot eyes. How can this still be happening to me from time to time? I thought I've gotten out of video games!

I played Pokemon Blue till I puked as a kid.

I was addicted to games a few years after I got out of High School and I gained weight. still working to get the weight off.

Only my eye's health was affected. Playing the games do cheer me up though when I'm unhappy.

Every now and then when I find a game that I'm really into I forget to eat and don't sleep. But that hasn't happened in a while...

How could I have forgotten eye strain? My vision seems to get worse and worse over the years although I'm not completely positive it's from video games, but after playing for long hours I can barely focus on anything and have to do something else... like sleep. I also got my first visual migraine (I forgot its real name) from playing xbox 360 awhile back. I think I was playing a demo for overlord before it came out and a loading screen flashed a certain light pattern and that's when I got it. It's kinda a scary thing. My vision started slowly becoming blanketed in a shimmering pattern of bright yellowish squares and triangles (Reminds me of a cracked disco ball) and spread until I couldn't see at all. It took about an hour to cover my vision so I went to sleep and when I woke up I was fine. I sometimes wonder if it was something epileptic but I've never had a seizure and I've been playing games since I could hold a controller. It doesn't always occur when I'm playing games though... I've had it happen out in the sunlight so it appears to be random when it happens anyway, but it happens the most while playing games. I've maybe had it happen 8 times in the last 3 years.

As far as forgetting to eat and sleep. I always forget to do those things when I'm interested in anything

From playing Oblivion, FF, GTA, Sims 2, etc, I get the usual eye strain...bloodshot eyes, stinging, burning, tearing and all that stuff. Like my eyes will just start stinging and tearing at random. I can also forget to eat and sleep. Other than that I think about the game when I'm not playing to the point that I get obsessed. Needless to say, I wasn't allowed to take my consoles up to school with me

I play ALOT, but I've never had any health problems.

Yeah I played so much eating food was something not on my to do list even when I'm hungry.

I get eyestrain, and sore neck and shoulder muscles from poor posture. And when I go to bed, I keep seeing scenery from the game. I recently discovered Myst, and have gotten truly obsessed. I am playing Myst III now.

Well... I certainly know video games haven't brained my damage. (Wait what...? Did I actually just say that...) But I played SO much SSB and AOE as a kid I really hurt my eyes from overconcentrating (on the plus side I now permenantly know medieval history as it is permenantly imbeded in my damage... I mean brain...) XD

Physical health? Slightly. Mental Health? Extremely!

No.

I played Beat Em and Eat Em and caught herpes.