If you are playing 800-1000 hands per day, you're messing up your life

[NotBannedYet]

Sorry to be so blunt, but your life is grossly unbalanced, and unbalanced lives are unhealthy.

[slavic]

800 to 1000 hands is 3 to 4 hours of play.

[MicroBob]

i must be doubly unhealthy since i am in the 1600-2000 hand range.

but i already knew i was fairly un-balanced anyway...i think it's an inner-ear thing.

[ZeeJustin]

I played over 3,000 hands yesterday. Is there a hotline I could call?

[Simon Diamond]

I played over 3,000 hands yesterday. Is there a hotline I could call?

Not sure about the hotline, but there is a website you might want to check. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

http://www.gamblersanonymous.org

Sucky joke, I know.

Simon

[Lori]

LOL

This post refers to a thread in the psychology forum where the 2+2 resident psychologist makes a sadly uninformed statement.

He did later make a hand waving "I didn't know, but I still kind of stand by my comment even though I'm wrong" kind of reply, but it was rather sad to see coming from one of the 2+2 authors.

I believe mistakes of this magnitude shouldn't be made from a resident author on these forums without a very good and rapid apology as these are the people who people are paying to learn from, and they should be absolutely certain what they are talking about before taking a guess.

Lori

[stripsqueez]

[ QUOTE ]
LOL

This post refers to a thread in the psychology forum where the 2+2 resident psychologist makes a sadly uninformed statement.

He did later make a hand waving "I didn't know, but I still kind of stand by my comment even though I'm wrong" kind of reply

[/ QUOTE ]

so you mean he had a typical human reaction ?

its very healthy to play games like poker - if you choose like me to drink lots of caffeine and smoke a bunch there may be an argument to the contrary

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[gabyyyyy]

[ QUOTE ]
Subject: Re: If you are playing 800-1000 hands per day, you're messing up your life

Sorry to be so blunt, but your life is grossly unbalanced, and unbalanced lives are unhealthy.



[/ QUOTE ]

You missed one crucial possibility. Their lives were messed up before they even started to play poker.

[Lori]

so you mean he had a typical human reaction ?

I thought people used psychologists to get understand all that.

If I want a typical human reaction, I'll talk to a typical human being, If I don't want that, I'll talk to a psychologist.

Lori

[pc in NM]

The "Diagnostic and Stastical Manual for Mental Didorders" (DSM-IV) published by the American Psychiatric Association lists the following criteria for "Pathological Gambling"

[ QUOTE ]
A. Persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior as indicated by five (or more) of the following:


(1) is preoccupied with gambling (e.g., preoccupied with reliving past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture, or thinking of ways to get money with which to gamble)

(2) needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement

(3) has repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling

(4) is restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling

(5) gambles as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)

(6) after losing money gambling, often returns another day to get even ("chasing" one's losses)

(7) lies to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling

(8) has committed illegal acts such as forgery, fraud, theft, or embezzlement to finance gambling

(9) has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling]

(10) relies on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling

[/ QUOTE ]

The essential features are

1) a chronic and progressive failure to resist impulses to gamble and gambling behavior that compromises, disrupts, or damages personal, family, or vocational pursuits.

2) The gambling preoccupation, urge, and activity increase during periods of stress.

3) Problems that arise as a result of the gambling lead to an intensification of the gambling behavior.

4) Characteristic problems include loss of work due to absences in order to gamble, defaulting on debts and other financial responsibilities, disrupted family relationships, borrowing money from illegal sources, forgery, fraud, embezzlement, and income tax evasion.

I don't see why they have to include "income tax evasion - you don't have to be a gambler to consider that, do you? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]