Tilter's Annonymous. All tilters welcome.

[Guruman]

So we all tilt.

My tilt is particularly damaging because it just does not feel at all like tilt. It feels like solid poker. It's not, but it sure feels exactly like solid poker feels.

Essentially I feel like my tilt is the poker anagram of a self-destructive and compulsive disorder. I don't believe that it is as bad as an actual compulsive disorder, but because I don't really feel it while it's going on sometimes I worry that it has the potential to develop into something of that level. If tilt takes over my game then I'll have reverted from a poker player to a gambler, and frankly I don't like that so much.

I noted before that I think body dysmorphic disorders can serve as a serviceable analogy, especially when it comes to seeking methodologies for eliminating the tilt. While looking into it I stumbled across the practice of cognitive behavioral therapy, which is in practice as a treatment for BDDs as well as other types of addicts and compulsives.

The whole premise is that our thoughts create emotions that influence our actions. If we reframe our impressions of things as they occur then our thoughts will create different (and hopefully better) emotions that will in turn cause better actions and reactions.

As I look deeper into it though, it seems like this can only address some of the tilt that I run across (mostly demolition tilt, ego tilt, and any other emotionally based tilt), and the types of tilt that it does address I am capable of recognizing while in the act.

So it may not be worth the effort to look into the practice of this stuff (though it could be cool because it appears to be legit, clinically proven, and computerized) for the majority of what I personally face.

I think I need some kind of re-focusing technique. Some kind of something that can slow me down and sharpen me up. Also a little honesty with myself about skillz at the table would be good. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]