About Me

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All I can be is just me... Here I am for all to see, love me or leave me alone.

Ummm, I Didn't get the Memo... What happened Here? Who Changed the Rules?

Conforming to what I see everyday as society's acceptable way of life is the most depraved act that I can comprehend for myself at this moment. I am more likely to take my own life, as the I cannot seem to comprehend the way we've come to dismiss human decency, being considerate of others, doing the right thing, committing acts of kindness, having humility, and a living by a some sort of moral code. 

I was taught very young to treat people the way I would like them to treat me. In summer camp, in preschool, this was referred to as "the Golden Rule", I took it literally, and I've always tried to keep it at the front of my thought process when dealing with people. I am not a true threat to others, as being homicidal would mean that I wish to hurt another human being, and I am not generally seeking relief from my own pain through the suffering of another person. When another person wrongs me, I most often blame myself. Of course, there are times when the harm they caused was in fact, cold and calculated, when it was blatant and malicious. In these cases I am usually out for blood, I can visualize myself doing horrific things to them. I suppose there could be a "perfect storm" scenario where every element was just so, I could snap and commit murder, however what usually winds up happening is that the reality in knowing that carrying out the act would affect innocent people connected to my victim, saddens me deeply and the rage turns inward... and again, it's me that deserves to hurt. I deserve to suffer, I am not worthy of anything better, and because of this I can't go on.

Suicide is ALWAYS in my mind. However, the way I see it, is final. This means "lights out", one last time around with the same old repetitive bullshit, and game over. 
I was shocked by a mental health "professional" who stated that I could not be truly suicidal. This absurd statement was backed by my lack of a very specific fantasy surrounding the details of my death (method) AND the logistics of my funeral, who would be there, what they might say or think, or how sorry they would be. I don't care about how I do it, when the time comes and I know I am ready, if I'm driving I will drive into a tree, if I'm walking I might hurl myself over an overpass, or off a cliff, or off a roof, or into a train, I could slice my own throat, or get a gun, or OD on drugs, I really am not concerned with the HOW, so much as the getting to the fastest, most efficient means to an END.
There are no details after the lights go out. I have to wonder why anyone who was TRULY wanting to end their own life would bother to fantasize about what happens after they are dead. Are they doing it to spite or hurt someone else? Are they trying to prove a point? That seems more insane in my mind than the person who just simply wants to get off the fucking ride, and get away from this rigged carnival game once and for all.

My childhood isn't the issue, it was the same old sordid tale of deception we all bring to the table, nothing better or worse than any other person who comes to a therapist at 40 years old. There was no memorable, traumatic, or catastrophic event to mark my discovery of the truth when I was 7. Yet this was the very moment where the first pin was inserted, all faith was lost, the fuse had been lit and set of the rapid spiral of anger, self injurious behavior, depression, rage, impending doom, night terrors, bed wetting, self loathing,  cutting, attempting suicide, overeating, sneaking out, running away, dishonesty, profanity, promiscuity, drugs, alcohol, crime, violence, disrespect for authority, and overall distrust in man. Nothing more than your run of the mill, textbook example of Borderline Personality Disorder.

My adult life is a whirlwind of emotional peaks and valleys,  my childhood and reckless teen years brought to light a court ordered diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. It was not until my 30's that I would find this diagnosis to be so undeniably accurate, yet I defy doctors who insist upon medicating me with modern methods. There is no way in hell that I will allow even the smallest dose of chemical pharmacology into my life ever again. 


When on those medications I had no desire, no creativity, no imagination, no ambition, no drive, no motivation, no will to succeed or to improve on anything, no self worth, no sense of individuality. I could not draw, and I used to draw very well. I almost never had any desire to write, and when i did, there was no feeling in what I wrote. Since I was able to hold a crayon or pencil, drawing and writing have gone hand in hand as the most important things in the world to me.
I was also physically unhealthy with numerous side effects from medications. The worse would affect my renal and cardiovascular health. Other drugs would impact my joints and my muscles. To top off the effects of these medicines that were supposed to "help level out my moods" would be a devastating unhappiness, not a depression per se, instead I described it as more of a feeling of involuntary isolation. Being trapped or suffocated inside of a 
bubble of synthetic material, like my brain chemistry and nervous system had been taken hostage and had been suspended in mid-air, in the warehouse of some aftermarket manufacturer's lab, a stagnant, purgatorial state of chemical neutrality. 
All of this was supposed to "help me cope" with life, yet I had no feeling, I could not feel my feelings at all, I wasn't able to  become aroused, or enlightened. Perhaps to my benefit, I was never angry... Nor could I feel excitement, I was internally irritated but couldn't feel enough externally to do anything to alleviate it, I was unable to cry or to even produce tears. This was not LIVING, it was less than even merely EXISTING in anyway that I would deem acceptable for myself.
My goal was to LIVE 
among the rest of society accepting things as they are, embracing what I have, who I am, how I am wired, without having to absorb such an extreme impact when those very specific times when my stressors, or triggers, or behaviors, seemed to flip that switch inside of me. I needed alternative ways to LEARN so that I could ADJUST my behaviors and reactions, I did NOT need brain altering chemicals.

I seem to do well for shorter periods of time when I am single, much longer periods when I am in a relationship and have another human being to be considerate of. I don't know if I am lying to myself when I say it's not about a driven desire or need to take care of or manage another person's needs. Could I be the poster child or the epitome of codependency? Or is it possible that I'm merely sadistic and  prove more productive when in a position of power over others, and in turn need to have a hostage?!
From a deeper level that feels more raw and honest to me, I feel that this trend centers mostly around my need to have a defined role in life and in the life of someone else. My desire to fulfill that role the way that I've envisioned it's, "supposed to be" with all of the kindness and honesty and respect I've never been given but always wanted in return. *The Golden Rule*
However, as things don't run smoothly as I see them in the movie playing in the back of my mind, when I cannot force them to work MY WAY... I've taken inventory while reviewing my past and I will agree definitively that I do tend to exhibit those nasty passive aggressive traits of a sociopath.

It seems that because I draw from a variety of past experience in efforts to make informed and intelligent decisions, that I don't believe anything I am told by anyone. It has become part of my nature to investigate everything and everyone sometimes to degrees far beyond necessary. If I do not find data contrary to their claims, but I'm still not comfortable allowing them "in", I will remain "on the fence" and be "guarded" throughout the early weeks or months of a new relationship. I really stay this way for a long time, I don't ever "feel" assured, I certainly don't know when or how or who to put trust my trust in. So I have begun to lie to myself and to those who love me. I paint a picture of romance and chivalry, kindness, courtesy, and eventually I believe these lies, not entirely, but enough to carry on the facade of a "healthy relationship". It's not easy to distinguish the red flags of instinct from the flashbacks of "last time" when faced with the idea of letting my guard down.

Although I knew deep inside that I had been embellishing my association with a less than mediocre acquaintance, I used to use a myriad of impulsive behaviors to my benefit when self soothing the hurt.  I'm sure that I did indeed set myself up for a great deal of the pain, as I can see that I have again lied to myself in my own voice. I will pretend to believe these lies that I tell myself until they just don't work anymore. I've placed no value on family, I've forever felt doomed as the byproduct of 2 crazy parents and am overwrought with the most inconceivable guilt for the contribution that I've tossed onto the heap myself, my own child. What's MY fault and what's theirs and what's static and can never be improved upon? What's hereditary and what's behavioral? What CAN I make a difference in and what is out of my control? What's instinctive or primal and what's learned or taught?

I am very factual, literal, and logical, I learn things best when introduced methodologically and scientifically. Information comes to me through a perpetual flow of observational data collected by my receivers: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin, combined with mental note-taking or eidetic snap shots. Based on what I know to be true, I am able to form a baseline. Further results from other areas are subject to reflective analysis and added to the baseline, and my list of facts. My evaluation of data gathered through other trial & error processes allows me to deduct and give reason to believe what I have found. 
Science shows us that these methods are appropriate. Yet I find myself surrounded by the nonchalant who see no issue with wasting time, burning out resources, and fail to recognize the value of this seemingly endless supply of uncollected data. I find most people are of this lackadaisical mindset, and with that, the most recent approach to learning about ways to better our lives and the best practices we use seems to be, "Just throw it all against the wall and see what sticks". 

As stated before, my mind works in a very literal sense. I mean exactly what I say, and I use a very clear and articulate method of delivering the message I desire to get across. Yet I am nearly always misunderstood. I am mind-blown by what seems to be an increase in stupidity all around me. Maybe it's not even stupidity, or certainly not from a an IQ perspective, perhaps it is deliberate, or worse even, an actual epidemic to settle for less. 
The lack of work ethic and follow through in our own lives, in our careers, lazy parenting, accepting behavior that traditionally would be considered otherwise unacceptable. These seem to be the new "standard". I'm criticized for my need to exceed these standards, and raise the bar. I am encouraged to sit back and not do so much. This is a lifestyle to which I am unable to conform. I can't gauge what is right and wrong anymore, I do what I feel is right, yet I am robbed by the person who chooses not to and I have not a leg to stand on when fighting to get back what was taken from me. I lose the fight because the thief was versed in exploiting whatever loopholes there were in the law as it has been written. I don't wish to know all of the loopholes, or even all of the laws. Where I come from we didn't have to, we were driven by a sort of moral code, written or unwritten, it was all based on my early programming with the this all important, "Golden Rule". 
Since it's the only baseline for everything I've ever known. Feeling as if my brain is clogged with convoluted bullshit, distrust in others, and smoke from the last flicker of hope for humanity blowing out on me. I just want it all to stop, I want for it to end forever. I do not wish to continue in a world so cold and dishonest and shallow and selfish anymore. Purposeful ignorance (we don't talk about the big elephant in the room) is all too common beginning at home and now it is evident in the workplace. People are either emotionally defeated or so lazy that they don't seem to care about delivering their best anymore, it is no longer a requirement. There is no real need to follow directions, rules, orders, or protocol in everyday life: 
>Customer Service is deplorable at almost every level in for every consumer. The goal is not to help the customer anymore, it's how fast you can get rid of them. So if the customer is still having a problem, tell them you are going to transfer them to a manager and just hang up on them, let the clock start for someone else when they call back in. 
>It's nearly impossible to get a simple cup of coffee made to order without a noticeable error. Even with computerized coffee machines and measuring systems at businesses that serve nothing but coffee!
>Doctors have no time for patients and lack a bedside manner altogether. They are paid to write prescriptions and push you out the door as fast as they can.
>Construction lacks craftsmanship. Craftsmanship costs too much time and cuts profits.
>Religion lacks sanctuary. Scandal in the name of the very God they're devoted to. Nothing is sacred.
>
Everything is disposable. It's cheaper to buy new than fix what we've got. Even though "new" means lower quality.
>Personal Integrity has taken a back seat to social status. May the best liar win.
>Expressing feelings is no longer a sign of weakness, but a lack of boundaries. 
>Political correctness is to align society and label those who spoke up, only to be cast out, labeled, and medicated. 
>Children are empowered negotiate their demands with parents. This should prove interesting in the future! 

I feel like I woke up one day in a parallel universe.  Where everyone lives life accepting mediocrity under the, "Fuck It" philosophy, also known as "good enough", "average is still passing", "an ugly win is still a win". 

Have we been hypnotized as a society? Baited and switched with gadgetry and awed by technology? Distracted like children with video games and lollipops? Did "they" dumb us down? Who are "they" anyway? The government? China? Aliens?

How come I didn't get entranced like the others? Do I even have a purpose in life? Should I be doing something more advanced or complex? Have I wasted so much time on the things that didn't matter, that I am now stuck in this gloomy grey area? Is this the matrix? Was I supposed to take the red pill or drink some fucking Kool-Aid? Is any of this shit really happening? Is this some experiment or lesson in quantum theory or virtual reality? Am I really thinking freely or is this someone else's idea and I am merely their puppet or a character in a larger computer life simulation game? 
 Is my need to understand ultimately what's killing me? Is my drive to correct my mistakes feeding my frustration? I thought this was the right thing to do! Should I already know all of this stuff? Is it too late for me to grasp it? When will the lambs stop screaming? 

Words Unspoken, Mimi's Final Days...


It would appear as though we are nearing the final days of my Grandmother's brave exodus from this world. She has been in hospice care for nearly 5 months, the last of which marked her rapid decline and stoked the merciless disposition of the cancer which continues to vitiate her system.

I can only hope to have inherited the slightest degree of her fortitude moving forward to face my own decisions and reality. Completely conscious and aware of the outcome that lays ahead, she has never complained. I cannot imagine how I would accept the rapacious behavior of anything so focused on taking my life (without something to help me escape). Yet since the beginning, she has refused all pain medication (other than Tylenol). As her body begins to shut down, she clings onto whatever is left, afraid let go before it's time.

Let go when you're ready, Mimi. My wish is that there is peace in your heart. My hope is that the memories you take with you of the time you spent with me, are as wonderful as the memories that I will always cherish of the time that I spent with you.

Laundry Blog 5/7/2013

After spending about 45 minutes on the phone with parental unit, I've been reminded how my entire life has been a redundant cycle of riding my mental illness off the track, feeding my countless addictions, and all of my extremely poor choices that might accompany as a result. Whenever there was upheaval in my house, it was generally because of me.

Astoundingly enough, I am ...
overwrought with anxiety after simply hearing about the MASSIVE amount of DRAMA, and CHAOS, and DISORDER, DISTRESS, and DIS-EASE that goes on in that family without me playing an active role. I am mind-boggled at how the cycle of shit storms and chronic chaos has remained in the places I've taken conscious measures to remove myself from. At the same time, I reflect back on my life [between sporadic contact] in honest appraisal, as I know I am not without my fair share. My initial take on the matter: I'm going to be OK, so long as I continue to stay away.

Carefully, with an open mind and a mirror to prevent me from lying to myself, I recall the last 5 conversations that I've had with family, ALL of which have been initiated by me, and I see that the contrast of chaos vs. serenity seems to align with the separation of that whole them vs. me feeling I've always had. Ironically, I don't feel as though they are sick and I am well, I feel more like they pointed the finger at me, while having three of their own fingers pointing right back at themselves, and how true these things can be... I got tired of being sick and being to blame for all the shit, I took a stand and some strategically planted advice, and well...

I've come a long way, there is no cap on my potential to do better, I feel good about this. As for the they, or them...? I can report with confidence in my perception that they are unknowingly, blindly, and with reckless abandon, are reliving the same horrific, sordid, and twisted tale of victims helping victims over and over and over again, like a half hearted attempt at another remake of the same crappy movie, same plot, new cast of characters, same empty feeling at the end of each deplorable remake.

I have learned to reduce the level of all that noise in my life, I've also learned how to diffuse it when it becomes too much for me to deal with... I have not mastered or perfected either skill, as ALL who know me will surely testify.

I am not sure what this all means with regard to my own sanity, or lack thereof... However I am about as sure as I could possibly be that I've begun to transform into a person I am happy to be, and have been riding a more stable, modern day, roller coaster... My darkest days of late have shone incredibly brighter than the grey existence of my former days. Being mindful of my pseudo-cavalier approach to life, with a little help prioritizing the things that actually DO matter, I might have half a chance at brief moments of contentment and peace... My Conclusion: Knowing the depths of ones own insanity is like being aware of shark infested waters. I find gratitude in having the sense to proceed with caution.

Dirty Laundry Blog 1/20/2013



I am living with a former roommate and his once "little" boy. Today, I took this 12 year old out to lunch and to the laundromat. He's a really strange little man, shares some of the high points of MY sense of humor and to be honest I kinda like the kid, besides being a filthy, vile 12 year old male, of course. He brought his own laundry this time. He did it all by himself, from wash to fold. His father spends zero time with him, he won't even try to get to know the kid. It's HIS loss too, because the child is fun, smart, goofy, and creative. He is artistic and he can sing like no 12 year old I've ever heard. 


Paranoid and neurotic, one of those "doomsday prepper", conspiracy theorists, the father almost never leaves his room unless he's gone to work. He is so on edge all the time, enraged at the world, afraid "they" are coming to take his guns, "ready" to defend his rights, angry that he doesn't have a wife, humiliated and embarrassed that his son doesn't know how to do pre-teen boy things like use tools and operate a lawn mower. 


Can someone please tell me how a young boy learns how to use tools or operate lawnmowers? I must be stupid, I don't understand this skill developing with hand-eye coordination during some early pubescent osmosis, I thought these things were taught  to a son by his father. In this house, I am the one who puts snow blowers together and changes tires and jump starts the cars... All of these things were taught to (this girl) by a father and a few ex-boyfriends who were taught by their fathers or father figures. Is it MY responsibility to teach the boy how to do these things now as well? Does it matter to me one bit whether the kid ever learns this stuff? Yeah, it matters, and if the kid doesn't learn, I get stuck doing it anyway... 

I work all week, I try to make some sort of social life for myself, I spend time with the boy and teach him some sort of a life skill. He's learning to cook, he's really pretty good at it and he loves to do it, however... cleaning isn't his favorite part ;) No biggie, he's growing up a little more every day and he's learning about living among diverse groups and how to respect others in his community. He's interacting more with cashiers, waitresses, and service workers. His father teaches him how to hate, how to be rude, and how to be angry. The kid really isn't interested in the racism, rhetoric, or propaganda that his father pulls off the internet and preaches to him. He enjoys the time he spends with his friends, at school, and with me. He's increasingly disgusted with his father, saying heartbreaking things, he cannot please him no matter what he does, he's really reluctant to continue to try.

He's not my son, he calls me Mom, he hugs me when I come home at night. He tells me all about his day and wants to hang out with me until he goes to bed. I don't want to hurt this kid, I won't tell him what I think of his father's decisions or thought processes. I can't be the person he bad mouths his own father to, I can't be the one he runs to when he's decided not to listen to him anymore. I am not willing or able to be that person. I need this time to be productive time for me to pull my head out of my ass and support myself better, not take care of everybody else.  Why's it got to be so fucking painful? I am overwhelmed with the guilt of having not played this role in my own child's life, and now I am in this situation where another child of no relation is crying out to me for guidance. I can't NOT do anything.

Take the POWER Back, BREAK FREE, THINK FREELY

You and I couldn't possibly have anything in common today because: __________.
I'm black and you're white, I'm short and you're tall, I'm fat and you're thin, you went to Yale and I was in jail,
 I'm a Democrat and you're a Republican, you're Jewish and I'm Buddhist, you like cats and I like dogs, you prefer the city and I love the countryside.


As children, we are taught from a very young age to recognize and identify that which is "different" from ourselves. In some cases, this is where the hate seed is planted.


We all have a very human tendency to comprehend things in any number of different ways. Each one of us can hear the same story and interpret it differently, so consider the variety of factors, such as how the information is introduced or is explained to us, our level of understanding, how it is interpreted by us, and how we use the information, what if any will be incorporated into our lives.

What is the most powerful tool they have against us? 
The answer is us

With so many layers of fundamental differences, how could we actually ever see the root of our trouble is so simple?

This is precisely why there is such emphasis on our differences. Separation feeds ignorance and that will feed fear. This has gone on for generations and generations, and governments use it to cloud the fact that they are not the voice of the majority.

Unity builds strength to overcome and conquer.

Walk with me down the hallway of a very well known children's hospital, in one of these rooms to the right or left you may find your child desperately clinging to life while waiting for an organ transplant. For your entire life, you've been programmed to believe any combination of hateful things about a specific group of people living among us. Are you going to stop the very surgery which could save your child's life just to make sure that the organ she was matched with didn't come from one of your sworn "enemies"? Of course, you wouldn't. 

Can you now see that whether you see things biologically, fundamentally, emotionally, socially, or psychologically...  At our very core, we are all the same. We all have the instinct to bond with and be nursed by our mothers. We all long for companionship, learning, fun, love, sex, excitement, etc. We all require food, water, sunlight, sleep, and shelter to survive. We all have the same internal organs.


Perhaps before we take on marketing for "everyone on earth", we are best to start at the rudimentary. Shut off the TV and try to keep it simple by looking in the mirror with an honest focus. See ways we can break the cycle of negativity starting with things that we actually can control, ourselves. Maybe come up with a list of positives in our lives... 

What are we grateful for? What makes us smile?

Then take those answers and share them with another person that we may not appear to have anything in common with. Look at a stranger and find a positive about them, and pay them a compliment. Not to receive one back, but to know we dropped a hit of positive energy in their day whether they asked for it or not. Make a game of it, but be genuine in our words toward each other, even if we do this just once a day, it will change our whole world for the better. Providing our world with the counterbalance is imperative. It won't be long before we find out just how much the little things DO matter! 

We would probably benefit greatly by putting down the gadgets and "reality TV" and other tripe we've lowered our standards to be subjected to. This would provide us with a real-world ability to increase our awareness of real events happening in our world. People still do nice things, animals still save lives, kids can still be kind to each other, sunny days come after the storm which was needed as a way to cleanse the land, at times people recover from cancer and other diseases, accidents can often be prevented, tragedy narrowly averted, marriages can sometimes be saved, communities unite in times of disaster, even criminals are sometimes rehabilitated and choose to devote their lives to helping others. 

Test yourselves. Try to take a day, or even a week off... from TV and the so-called "news" that is being fed to us by the negatively biased media outlets. If we actually LIVE a little rather than EXIST allowing life to be force-fed to us from some man-made digital God, we might stop actively seeking the BAD in every culture, person, place, idea, opinion, or situation, and maybe even allow our minds to let in a few rays of GOOD again. 

If you ever wonder why small children are so full of love,
it's because they haven't been PROGRAMMED by news reports, in fact, when the news is on, they find something else to explore and enjoy... Perhaps it's an instinct or an allergy to bullshit!
We CAN all be happier, more content, and more motivated to make the NEXT positive change in our lives if we would just open our eyes a little wider, expand our focus, get off our ASSES, and use our brain the way it was designed... To think FREELY and to LEARN. 

WE STILL RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE HOW MUCH SHIT WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE!

Fanatics and Tyrants, Terrorists and Citizens

The conspiracy theorists and their internet talk radio shows are the real terrorist groups in this country, spouting off about a tyrannical government and selling their rhetoric and propaganda to weak minded people with less than ideal emotional stability. Telling them to buy assault rifles and prepare for government tyranny. Keeping them all on high alert after an election, giving them more reason to hate the current president, and telling them the media isn't reporting the truth about another school massacre, that the "killer" was merely a patsy and that the government is coming to your door next week, to take away your guns!"

Responsible gun owners, do not stockpile assault rifles in their homes, preparing for the "tyrannical government" to come try to take their guns. Responsible gun owners are the people who own a hunting rifle, even a pistol. Whether for sport or protection, they are not INVITING a firefight for any "government agency" who wishes to take their guns away. Fanatical crazy people are buying assault rifles and collecting them just LOOKING for a reason to use them. The government has every right to want to remove these automatic weapons from the hands of unstable individuals, however... for every legally obtained gun in this country, I am willing to bet there are several black market firearms. The real threat is not the people who allow the "government" to know they have guns in the house. Aside from the few idiots who are dumb enough to let them know they have multiple assault rifles... maybe THEY are the patsy's? How else would taking guns from responsible and sane people who register and apply for the necessary licenses help reduce the number of violent gun crimes in this country?

I think the government might have a better shot at trying to bring something to the table that might shut up the fools that are feeding the crazies, telling them to stop drinking the water and stop taking their meds... They are creating an army of domestic terrorists, fanatical and racist. Feeding their minds with thoughts of "race wars" and "FEMA camps" and "Lizard people" and so on. 

I do not like the direction that American society has turned in, however, I am a law abiding citizen. I'd feel far less comfortable around a racist, militant atheist, doomsday prepper than I would around a suspended cop with a drinking problem. 

I have come up with some great ideas in my life, every one of them someone else already beat me to... I am certain that if I can see a clear difference in the psychology of a lunatic with a gun and a responsible gun owner, that the government of the great country I live in can see it as well. My discomfort of fanatical behavior is based on healthy instinct, nothing short of miraculous given my history.

Historically Hindered: The Roles Will Eventually Roll, Full Circle

Let me be the first to admit that I was a spoiled, selfish, materialistic, child.

Was I born that way? NO. 
Did society help mold me? YES. 
Did my parents help enable that to happen? YES.
Did they do the best they could with what they had given the circumstances? YES.

Kids growing up a decade before me, and a decade after me appear to be at different ends of this spectrum. It's as if no parent knows how to relate to their own child today, because each generation is technologically advanced 10x over the last. For example: My parents didn't have color TV or Cable, so they couldn't relate to my addiction to shows. I didn't have internet or life-like video games, so I can't relate to my child's addiction to electronics. 

The word, "addiction" may appear to be used loosely in this case. However, in my recovery I have learned about how unmanageable my life became because of my addiction, and the loss of values that came with defending my right to have my vice. If a child isn't doing his homework or chores, if he is not eating, sleeping, bathing, or going to school, but rather playing online or gaming until all hours of the night... If he is lying about the amount of time he is engaged... If he is becoming combative when confronted, or physically aggressive when his "toys" are taken away... If his life is completely unmanageable due to the use and abuse of technology... Your child may be addicted. 

When I was a kid my parents had one TV in the whole house, we didn't even have cable until I was 14. However, even then I wasn't allowed to sit and watch TV, my parents had control. Kids today have smart phones, MP-3 players, e-readers, tablets, handheld video games, and portable DVD players. When I was a kid, no TV for a week was not a punishment, it was a way to get more into something else for a week, I was still allowed to listen to music on my stereo (the walk-man came later). Today, no gadgets for a week is next to impossible. The parents' frustration is mounting, yet excuses are ridiculous, "He needs it for school... I can't take his phone away, how will he reach me... I don't want him to feel like he doesn't have the things all the other kids have". Would we be saying the same thing if all the kids had crack pipes or syringes and the drugs to put in them? Of course not. But since I am the once active drug addict who became an adult with no life skills, and feeling like I was a decade behind my classmates... I believe I am qualified to recognize the ways my addiction will manifest in whatever behavior it can based on what is at my disposal. 
Does that mean all video game addicted kids will become crackheads? No, BUT if you anger one enough by taking away his toys, he may act out and if the wrong people are outside when he does, anything is possible. 
So why not home school our kids and keep them close to us at all times? That is how some choose to handle things, however are they gaining any life skills that way?
As a parent, I feel a moral obligation to teach my child good work ethic, hygiene, basic survival, basic financial, and basic interpersonal skills. This way at 18 if they wind up out in the real world, they can last a little while before realizing that they aren't so tough. That was my theory anyway, however there are always outside influences which can counteract your parental teachings, and this was my experience. 
I was busy doing drugs and destroying my credibility when my peers were building a foundation of life skills. I was barely able to support myself, when I became pregnant and forced to support another. I did give up drugs and alcohol the minute I suspected that this was the case. I did a really great job as a mother for the first seven or so years. Everyone who knew me would agree. In the beginning, I lived with my mother, who would continuously under mind me, she would wake the baby from a sound sleep to play with her when she got home from work at night. We would fight, and we did, constantly. So I conditioned myself to leave as soon as my mother arrived every night. The only place I could go was the bar... and even then I wouldn't drink hardly ever. I would have a soda and a late dinner and my "friends" would show up. I did this every night and weekends I was rarely home at all, because the toxicity between my mother and I was too high to subject a baby to.
Before I knew it, my mother was retired, I was working 2nd shift, and control of my child was lost. This became more clear when I moved out and enrolled my kid in school, the behavior issues began, the hygiene issues began, the eating and TV control issues began. The kid had way more stamina than I had patience. The school, the police, therapists, everyone was involved, because I had asked for help. The battle became harder to win when I took my weekends and used them as a way to escape. My mother took my kid and I got high. The length of the weekend got longer and longer, soon my mother would be making a 40 minute commute daily to my child's school and I didn't even live in the town anymore.

Roughly 3 years later, I made a conscious effort to rebuild my life, beginning with my addiction. I was homeless, jobless, penniless. I was not allowed in my mother's home, my father was not speaking to me, my true friends had washed their hands of me, and my new friends, well most of them were dead or in prison by now. I begged forgiveness of my child, and my mother, I went into the hospital for a while, sober living, therapy, 3 meetings a day. Finally the words of forgiveness were spoken. I thought I was making progress, however, these were only words, the words that I wanted to hear, no less. There was no meaning behind the words, no truth, no love, no merit, and no ACTION. The relationship with my mother became increasingly volatile, my 12 year old has discovered the internet, video games, and junk food. I tried to invoke my motherly duties and try to  steer the ship back on course, however my good intentions were met with resentment and resistance. These feelings simmered in a pressure cooker for another 6 years. While I was working on me, building a foundation of the skills I missed out on in my youth, my child was stewing with bitter anger toward me and there was no healing taking place at all. A high school drop out, spending all time time on the internet and playing video games with friends and never even bothered to get a driver's license, personal hygiene had become deplorable. My enabling mother continued to bankroll the whole operation.

When my child turned 18 the muscle flexing began, there was no way to avoid the verbal onslaught which I would receive. It's been months now and our relationship is at an all time low, however I have done far too much work on myself and my life to allow anyone to use or abuse me at any time. This includes my own child. She resents the way I try to help her assimilate her lack of enthusiasm toward growing up to the same underlying illness which feeds my addiction. The person is different, the symptom is different, however the disease is the same. The anger, the rage, the finger pointing and the blame, all comes from fear and uncertainty, right now it is all aimed at me.

There comes a time when we all realize the best outcome of a losing battle happens when the person with the greatest arsenal simply walks away. I feel emancipated and physically, I feel healthier, almost as if I have overcome a great illness. I feel no guilt, no shame, and I harbor no ill will. I live with a lighter heart, my family doesn't define me, and their lack of love will not condemn me. I am free today.