I made a post on this forum called poker is hurting my life. You can find it
here
That was two months ago, and I have made huge changes in the way I play since then. First of all, I have spent a lot of time reading, and posting on this forum. This has helped me a lot. I want to thank everyone here for giving me advice, for making great posts and for sharing personal details of their life.
So, whats changed in the last 2 months? I started diversifying my activities. I see my friends more. I feel better about myself because I've been able to keep my grades good despite some big mistakes that I made.
I started going to my therapist more regularly. We had some terrific discussions about my poker playing habits, and I've made a lot of adjustments because of him. He thinks poker is a good thing for me overall. Also, my therapist has helped me improve my outlook and attitude about life. I feel a lot more optimistic about everything.
I eat more often. This is very important. I play much better, and feel much better when I eat regular meals. I think the next step for me is to start doing some exercise, improve my personal hygiene, and keep my apartment cleaner. These are all things that make me feel better about myself.
When I am at home playing online, I will take breaks to make phonecalls, play video games, surf the web, post on 2+2, eat food, etc. also. I can't tell you guys how much playstation 2 has helped me.
I started spending my winnings. This made me feel very good. I lent a friend some money. I lent my mom some money. I bought stuff for my friends and my sister. I bought myself a lot of video games. I take cabs when I want to, see movies when I want to, etc. Doing this made me feel better about playing, and better about myself in general.
I started seeing a psychiatrist to treat my depression. I've had problems with depression on and off for eight or nine years. During the last three years its been especially bad. She gave me a prescription, and I have checkups with her and we discuss how my life is going, etc.
Overall, my outlook has improved 1000%. When I made that post, I realized that I had to start aggressively attacking the problems in my life. With the help of friends, family, mental health professionals, and people on this forum, I'm a lot happier. My bankroll and I are very greatful.
Thanks everyone, and keep up the good work!
Best regards,
Snowball