Help! Newbie to DU and I think I'm hooked

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

I just found this forum 5 days ago, and now I seem to be displaying obsessive behavior around the message boards. I can't wait for the next opportunity to get on line, and spend too much time thinking about it when I'm offline. Will this get better eventually? I can kill 3-4 hrs at a time reading, posting and following up links and articles. I know I just need to exercise some willpower, but I have not found any other arena quite like this one, one that unabashedly takes on the jingoistic approach of the current WH regime, with intelligence and humor. Other left leaning websites I've seen tended to be over-the-top vitriolic or not very user friendly, so this one really resonated for me. I do have to tear myself away now, since I have family, friends, a job and a life in which I need to remain engaged. Any thoughts on my new found addiction would be greatly appreciated, especially from those who have been there, done that. How do you incorporate your time here into your day to day life? Thanks. MKJ

[HFishbine]

1. With every fiber of your will

run away and never look back or you will be forever addicted.

[proud patriot]

2. Well it hasn't gotten better for me

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Welcome!

I incorporate time for DU by wakening at 4:45 am each morning, just so I have time to read the boards!

[wyldwolf]

4. I actually have a team of big haired interns who post for me...

...when I'm not available.

[daveskilt]

5. one way is....

look at your posts in the last 24 hours. If it is more than say 25 you may have a problem - wait until it is empty before you post again. also lurk more post less - unless you really have something salient to add.

advice from a recovering DU addict. (actually flirted with addiction and then realized I had no time to become one of those 10,000 posters - nice folk but I can't do it - I once worked out newyawker posted an average of 250 a day for 3 years!)

[nomatrix]

6. Welcome to DU

5 days and 48 posts you are hooked. Get your work done, come back later. If you start before work, you'll lose your job.

[gpandas]

7. it's very addictive to me, but i'm old and retired...

so i can do what i want

[Bandit]

8. To Late

It is an addiction that you can not escape from.

[Momof1]

9. Just when you think you might be ok to walk away

Donate a few bucks during the next fund drive, receive a star, and go right to the search function... and you will think you died & gone to heaven.

(The search function rocks!!!!)

I thought I was bad, before I got the search....now I'm just a DUaholic.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

10. Intelligence? Humor? JINGOISTIC? Them thar's fightin' words!

:toast:

[RobertSeattle]

11. You will be assimialated

Welcome to the DU Borg.

[northofdenali]

12. In summer, the only thing that drags me away in my free time

is my motorcycle!! You're well and truly hooked by the time you get to 30 or so posts...............


Welcome to DU, enjoy! :hi:

[Rick Myers]

13. You've gotta take a break once in a while...

There REALLY is a world outside of DU...

Welcome!!!!!

Rick

:toast:

[hippiegranny]

14. welcome to the meeting

me: "hi, my name is hippiegranny, and I'm a DU addict."

DU: "hi hippiegranny!"

[WilliamPitt]

15. Happens to most of us

Welcome aboard. :)

[notadmblnd]

16. It's like the Hotel California...

you can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave...

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

17. Just Five More MInutes couldn't hurt!!!????

Pretty newbie here too!

Fun.. but not hooked yet.... and LOTS better than the Troll Slaying on Yahoo Bulletin boards!

:grouphug:

[Fear]

18. ALWAYS READ THE DIRECTIONS FIRST! - Side effects may include

- the *I WANT TO TELL THE WORLD EFFECT*
- Moodswings
- Anger
- the *I UNDERSTAND IT NOW EFFECT*
- Lost (until the dots connect)
- Disconnection fear - for the real world doesn't give a damn
- GOTTA POST GOTTA POST
- I KNOW I KNOW
- YOU GUYS GOTTA READ THIS!
- etc.

[bubblesby2002]

19. Still can't tear myself away.....

am addicted to DU. But it's better than cocaine, doesn't give you a hole in your nose the size of New York.

[k in IA]

20. It is totally addictive and you are too far gone already.

How did you stumble across DU?

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

26. LOL, great responses

Just about what I was expecting...welcome, you are now indoctrinated.
As you may notice I spent about 30 minutes offline. I fed my teenage daughter and her friends, turned over the family room to them, and promptly headed off to our home office/guest room/storage room to get back online.
I found this website by Googling "anti-bush". I got about 50 or 60 websites. I had been checking them out, in no particular order, when I came across DU, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Thanks to everyone who replied, at least (sniff, sniff) I'm not alone. MKJ

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

21. I'm shocked I haven't been fired from my job yet

for indulging in you addictive bastards!!!!

[VelmaD]

Give in to the DARK SIDE

:evilgrin:

Welcome aboard. :)

[iconoclastic cat]

22. LOL--- Join the club!

I've had the fever for weeks!
I assume it gets better. I don't really have any advice for you, though, because I just as much of a DU junkie as you are!
Welcome!

[wryter2000]

23. Don't try to fight it

You have been assimilated.

:hi:

[LibertyorDeath]

24. There is no known Cure.

Welcome to DU :)

[patrice]

25. Don't feel too guilty; you can get pretty good information here,

you can also ask questions and people give you answers with lots of sourcing.

There are cliques though, so you will be ignored too, and sometimes people criticize over quite understandable mistakes, but then I guess that's life.

You'll balance out your time eventually, but it is a good idea to stay off the board now and then just to proove to yourself that you CAN do something else with your time.

[Senior citizen]

27. I've successfully coped with addictions before.

So as soon as I realized I was hooked on DU, I subscribed.

Welcome to DU!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :hi:

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

28. LMFAO, thanks for the support and understanding

I figured I was pretty far gone, everything I've read so far confirms it. Oh well, if I get this much enjoyment from it, and I'm not destroying my brain cells,liver,lungs or nasal septum what can I complain about. Thanks again. MKJ