Antidepressant Drugs

Depression makes it hard for me to focus well at the poker tables. I was wondering if antidepressants really work?

But I've also heard that anti-depressants make people more jittery and distractable. Though that might make you desperately attentive to your opponents' every twitch.


Frankly, I remember times when I played poker when I wasn't particularly happy to be living that day, and I played a very cool and collected sort of game.


I'd be curious to hear more about how depressed you are, how you feel at the table, what you think about, and so on. You're there for the mone, right?


eLROY

Just a few weeks ago, I read on MSNBC.com that a major scientific study found that placebo WORKED just as good as St. John's Wort, Paxil, and Prozac. And it didn't have any side effects!

It is true, a lot of 40-something housewives go to shrinks just to pay someone to talk to them, and they end up greasing the whole psychiatry racket by going on zoloft. (I'm familiar with these types, because my girlfriend was a personal trainer and aerobics instructor, who used to organize them on snowshoe trips and such).


But there are also people whose brains just don't work, whether because of a brain injury or some other type of non-standard organic cause, who just can't get out of bed without drugs. Chances are, our poker player is not one of these paralyzed/no-spark types. (Mind you, I am no expert on applied psychiatry.)


So far as would these chemicals do something for our player, would they change his mood? Quite possibly. Would he be more content, or more useful? Maybe. Would he play better poker? I doubt it. But I think it would be helpful to get inside his head at the poker table a litte more. What, exactly, is going on?


eLROY

I hope that lee, our original poster, would tell us some of things that go on inside his head while he's at the poker table.

"I'd be curious to hear more about how depressed you are, how you feel at the table, what you think about, and so on. You're there for the money, right?"


Hi eLROY,


(1)How depressed am I, it varies from day to day. On a scale from 1 to 10 I'd say it's about a 6 as I'm writing this. Sometimes it's as low as a 2, or as high as 9 on other days. I probably average at around a 4 1/2.


(2)As to how I feel at the tables? Last week I played a no-limit tournament and went home at the first break even though I had chips remaining. I coudn't concentrate, it felt like I had a big sponge in my head.


(3)What do I think about while playing? I mostly try to concentrate on the way people are playing, tendencies, mannerisms. But because depression can screw with your memory, it's sometimes hard to hold on to that info. Other times I may not feel motivated to try and pickup on vital info, those are the times I cut my session short, sometimes ridiculously short.


And lastly you asked if I'm there for the money; Yes, definitely.

Sponge in the head? How about so miserable that you don't even want to open your eyes? How about so miserable that you have to stand up because you don't have the heart to flip your chips?


You may be bipolar, or you may be schizophrenic, or you may be emotional, or you just might not be built to play poker for a living. But you sound too in-control/rational to be depressed.


Some people need cigarattes and coffee to get through their day, so sure, try the meds. But if you do have frontal-lobe/schizo problems, self-analysis/management probably won't cut it.


And I don't mean to pry, but I really am curious what it's like. Like, was it hard to post your response? Did you go from caring to not caring? Or are you just foggy, coming in and out?


And how long have you been this way, was there some event? And what else has it cost you in life? Poker tends to just magnify the things that are going on in other activities as well.


If I'm not mistaken, depression is misery, it's pain, and you didn't mention anything like that. And bipolar is sometimes hyper-optimistic with avalanches of energy, you didn't mention that.


The number of people who can't concentrate at a poker table after a few hours is 99 out of 100. But you're weird because you don't just sit there and keep calling in a fog, like most mopes.


I think there may be two separate things. There's this sensation you get at 9. And then there's just you being hard on yourself at the table, and blaming it on this number line.


I think, whatever it is you feel or think at 9, you may misperceive your quality of play, rather than just playing poorly. You may play fine, and think you suck. You don't even hope to get lucky!


Maybe you're just a little too anal and analytic, and you need to loosen up at the table. Get a feel, finesse it, throw some chips around. Win or not, you can't do what you can't do!


eLROY

eLROY, when I started this thread I purposely avoided going into personal details about what I've been experiencing because I didn't what to come off sounding like I feel sorry for myself. I don't, I just want to stop feeling the way I do.


"Sponge in the head? How about so miserable that you don't even want to open your eyes?


Ten years ago I decided to see a therapist because I was experiencing symptoms worse than those you describe, I also joined group therapy. I did this for over a year and it helped very much. I learned a bunch of stuff about myself that I'd prefer not to go into, plus a few simple technics for dealing with the depression. All of this only helps so much though.


"You may be bipolar, or you may be schizophrenic"


Nope, sorry.


"or you may be emotional"


To a degree at times, but no where near the likes of a Mike Caro or Steve Badger (or 20 other R.P.G.ers who supposedly play poker for a living).


"was it hard to post your response?


It's kinda difficult because I find it a little humiliating. But it is much easier than getting up in front of a group of strangers and spilling your guts, plus the anonymity here helps.


"There's this sensation you get at 9. And then there's just you being hard on yourself at the table, and blaming it on this number line."


The "number-line-thing" was something I've never considered before today. I was stuck on how to relate to you what I'm experiencing, so I thought it would help put thing into perspective.


Lastly, I do appreciate the advice you give at the end of your post, it's something I'll definitely think about. Thank You

youre probably magnesium deficient. research on internet, take vitamins (might need up to 1000mg/day), try to eat good(ok, take vitamins).


brad

Ask yourself "Can you imagine living the rest of your life feeling the way you do?" If the answer is no, you've got a real problem, and should seek some help. Assholes who tell you placebos work just as well as drugs, and just to take vitamins and exercise have no clue what depression feels like.

Most people are a little funny looking, if not downright ugly.


But no matter how ugly, most people enjoy the healthy delusion that they are at least decent-looking.


If you think you are ugly, you are probably depressed. Even if you are ugly.


If you want to kill yourself to stop the pain, but the thought of mutilating yourself, or of your beautiful body rotting in a hole makes you too queasy to go through with it, you may be bipolar.


If you see artifacts, or hear voices, you are schizophrenic.


If you write posts like this, you are eLROY.


eLROY

beauty of my post is that its that its scientificly valid, and, much more important, its testable with no side effects (perhaps diahrea if you overdo it).


main point is that it will work for a subset, and you can determine quite easily if youre in that subset.


also there may be collateral benefits.


brad

and i thought the beauty was that you do not have to experience those "sexual side effects" common with anti-depressant drugs.