More on Gambling Addiction from OP Michael

[Michael]

I see my original post generated some very good diverse commnets. Let's keep it civil and remember not all view points, including mine, shows the total issue and is a single answer for the issue. I do include an extensive disussion on gaming abuse being a political issue, not an addictive issue. Michael


GAMMING ABUSE: A BALANCED LIFE APPROACH

John Q is a professional poker player. He is married, has two children, and he lives in a million dollar house. He spends over 60 hours per week traveling and playing poker. He has won over 20 poker tournaments, and wins hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash games. Every where he goes people recognize him and ask him for his autograph. His wife, family, and friends, are proud of him. He’s successful at playing poker....he’s a winner.

Paul Q is a professional poker player. He is married, has two children, and rents a house in a middle class neighborhood. He spends over 60 hours per week traveling and playing poker. He has never won a poker tournament and is constantly in debt. Every where he goes people feel sorry for him. His wife, family, and friends, constantly beg him to obtain help for his “gambling addiction.” He is not successful at playing poker....he’s a loser.

The point of the above similar, but contrasting stories, is that John Q poker player is admired for his success because he is a winner at poker (more skilled?) and Paul Q poker player is labeled as having a gambling problem (less skilled?) and thus also labeled as having a gambling addiction because he loses money and his family suffers.

So, here we have two individuals with similar life situations where winning or losing at poker determines if one has a gambling addiction problem and the other does not.

I propose a new paradigm for the “treating” of “gambling addiction.” This program is not based upon abstinence, especially as it is used by Gambler’s Anonymous’ 12 step program. In the long run (less than a year) GA does not work. As explained below, this program is based upon a balanced life, impulse control, money management, and poker skills training.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MY FULL BALANCED LIFE APPROACH PROGRAM?........

For those who desire some stats following are some stats on various addictions.


I have a copy of a survey taken a few years ago on the statistical rates of addicted individuals going through recovery. Two categories seem interesting and I present them below.

Which of these dependencies have you experienced?

71% alcohol
64% co-dependency
61% tobacco
56% caffeine
54% relationship dependency
50% adult children of alcoholics
49% sugar
48% compulsive overeating
34% prescription drugs
33% marijuana
32% workaholic
27% sexual addiction
25% compulsive debt
24% cocaine
15% bulimia
14% other
10% heroin
8% anorexia
3% gambling
3% crack

Others listed: stress, lying, stealing, speed, hallucinogens, worry, TV, compulsive exercise, compulsive studying, fundamentalism.


Which do you consider your "primary" dependency?

31% alcohol
17% co-dependence
14% alcohol with other drugs
14% eating disorders
7% combination (various substances/processes)
5% adult children of alcoholics
4% relationship/sexual addiction
2% debt & gambling
2% cocaine/crack
2% prescription drugs
1% nicotine
0.6% marijuana

How these rates have changed since the “explosion” of gambling on the American scene I don’t know. I doubt if they have changed that dramatically. What is interesting are some of the other addictive categories. I find 49% of recovering addicts dependent on sugar verses 3% on gambling somewhat amusing

[edfurlong]

I don't know what you're selling, but I'm pretty sure I don't want any.

[Michael]

"edfurlong"....it's called field testing. Actually most of the responses are somewhat insightful. I have a feeling you are John Q in my comparison. Please try to make a constructive comment or put some effort into trying to make a positive contribution to the poker community on your own. It's not easy posting anyting on a forum like this with such a diverse amount of positive and negative individuals.

[demon102]

cliff notes? and regarding addiction which this seems to deal with, there is a simple way to get rid of them, not easy as it requires work but very simple non the less

[yellowjack]

I don't understand how you can label John Q and Paul Q having "similar life situations". John is a responsible man living a sustainable lifestyle. Paul is just playing poker despite his consistant poor results and not attempting to make his lifestyle feasible.

[Rottersod]

ban.

[edfurlong]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a feeling you are John Q in my comparison.

[/ QUOTE ]


I have a feeling you're wrong. I still don't know what you're babbling about though.

[CardSharpCook]

You really come off as a condescending prick, huh?

[Paul Levy]

This big focus on poker is ill-specified. I would guess that what most compulsive gamblers are hooked on is slots and videopoker, not Hold'em or Stud. It's much easier to attain a dissociated state when playing 20 coups per minute than having to sit down and go through the motions of poker.

[certifiable]

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