[college kid]

For longer than I care to admit I've had a --I guess I'd call it tilt-- issue. It just started one day. I am playing fine and then just suddenly start playing stupidly, espeically in tournaments but definately in ring games. I try to make moves when it's not necessary or I clearly shouldn't, and I just do stupid things. Either I don't think and just act before I even realize what's going on, or if I do think, I make horribly irrational justifications.

When this first started, I was very frusterated that I could not control such a silly issue--I had been playing for over two years and always played as well as I could and improved--stuff like this was never an issue. Finally, after not being able to stop, I just stopped playing poker for two months. I came back to the game, that was a month ago, and the problem is still here.

I am terrified that I will have to give up poker and all my other (+EV--or at least it used to be!) gambling because I am just playing poorly now. I very much love the game and am not getting bored or impatient or wanting action--I play out hands in my head and watch people and such when I am not involved and have a wonderful time doing so. But I just-- I just mess it up and start being stupid.

I can't explain it, I don't know how or why this started, and for the life of me I don't know how to get myself back together. I am ashamed and upset at myself because this seems like it should be an easy problem to fix. I have no abnormal stresses which weren't previously present and I have tried to examine any part of my life which might be causing this but have failed.

Has anybody else gone through this and know what to do, and even if you haven't, any advice???

I'm begging for help here!!!