It's a long-standing mark of geekdom, and it's more widespread now than ever before. I'm talking about role playing, particularly role-playing games, and - aside from alcohol and drugs - it's one of the most addictive forms of escapism for young adults. wow gold From the classic "Dungeons and Dragons" to the more recent "World of Warcraft," people are leaving their lives and diving into a world of fantasy at an alarming rate.

Role-playing games typically fall into three categories: video games, table-top games and live-action games. Which means role players have the full-range of options for turning into their made-up characters. At the end of a long day, they can sit down at their computer or game console and play games alone or online with friends - or strangers - and button-mash their way to stress relief. After a hard week, they might gather with a group of friends to sit around a table and roll 20-sided dice to battle a giant ogre. Some of the more intense gamers choose to completely immerse themselves into their characters, dressing up and physically acting out story lines with others.

All of this I'm fine with. Really. Personally, I prefer escaping through reading novels or looking at pointless Web sites such as thisiswhyyourefat.com. To each his own, I suppose.

The problem comes when people immerse themselves so completely in their role playing that they neglect their real life. Pretending to be a half-elf sorcerer for an hour or two at the end of the day in the name of stress relief is one thing. Pretending to be the same half-elf so much you completely ignore your real life and refuse to fix whatever is wrong - that's unhealthy. But it happens all the time, and it's a dangerous, downward spiral. wow gold Sometimes it goes so far the person has a hard time telling the difference between their character and themselves.

I've seen brilliant students walk around campus midday in the same way they do when they're role playing 19th century vampires. A friend has told me about her boyfriend "slipping into character" in the middle of real-life conversations. Another friend once had her ex-boyfriend stop in the middle of sex to play World of Warcraft.

That's just too much.

Role players, hear me out: I don't care what your characters do, and I don't care that you participate in one of the geekiest things known to modern man. I understand the appeal of forgetting your life woes by pretending to be someone else. If it makes you feel any better, my boyfriend is a storyteller for a live action role playing game, and one of the funnest dates I've ever had involved a game of Dungeons and Dragons. I'm even considering buying my own set of dice.

So play on, gamers. Just please - don't do it so much that everything in your life falls apart. Fix in your life what needs to be fixed. Talk to people in a normal setting, without the guise of your fantasy character. Work on paying off those late bills. Find a better job if your current employment sucks. wow gold Dump your significant other if he or she is a frigid jerk.

Just don't get so sucked into your games that you forget to live.

Lisa Haberzettl is head copy editor for The Maine Campus.