do you talk to your therapist about poker?

[pete fabrizio]

I've seen a million different psychiatrists/therapists over the years, and my current one is the first I've ever talked to extensively about poker. We've talked about what it means to me and my self-image, how it can make me feel awesome or terrible, what kinds of compulsive behaviors I've developped in relation to it, the kinds of things that put me on tilt, etc etc. I've found it quite refreshing, at least after the point where he got over his shock about me treating poker as something other than just an addiction or a negative force in my life. And it has been good for my results -- my game has never been sharper, and I tilt less and handle the emotional swings much better than I have in the past.

Does anyone have any similar stories or experiences?

Related side-question: can any of you recommend a good psychiatrist in the Las Vegas area? I'm looking for someone to see while in town for the wsop.

[IggyWH]

I'm sorry, everytime I see the word "therapist", I think of this.

[El Diablo]

All,

I'm actually curious what percentage of you regularly go to therapists/psychiatrists/counselors/etc or have ever done so.

I've never seen anyone like that, but know many people who have.

[skylos]

I've never seen a therapist but one of my friends in Cali did. He said he tried to talk to him about poker and told him how much he had made over the years but the rapist was like but you didn't "do anything" to make that money. Haha, yeah it was just a million hand heater and of course since poker is considered a game of skill in Cali this guy knows better than the lawmakers. What a joke.

I'm sure there can be some good ones like the one you got that can almost function almost like a sports psycholigist or something like David Duval and them use but I think you got lucky considering some of the other stories I've heard about therapists. There used to be a joke I heard about doctors something like "Internists know everything but do nothing, Surgeons know nothing but do everything and Psychiatrists know nothing and do nothing"

[shaniac]

obv, wtf else would I talk to him about?

[bkholdem]

I talked to my last primary care doctor about it. I told him I was addicted to poker (which I was at the time but am not now). I told him about difficulties it created in my marriage (taking time from my wife and her being upset) and how I thought obsessively about the game. I was clear about the fact that I was not a run of the mill gambing addict, did not care for games of chance and played for profit, tracked my winnings, etc. He accepted my description of my involvement in poker. I told him that I did not want to address being addicted to poker and he did not offer an opinion either way.

While obsessed, and at times quite irritible when dealing with negative variance, it was not 'out of control' except for the significant amount of hours I was devoting to the game. If I was a loosing player or chased my losses I would, hopefully, been interested in seeking help.

I have seen a therapist briefly in the past, about 10 sessions. It was during a time when I was winding down from a sex addition. I went to sex and love addicts anonymous meetings around the same time, what a freakshow that was.

[bkholdem]

[ QUOTE ]
obv, wtf else would I talk to him about?

[/ QUOTE ]

Tell him you dream of blood and cutting people up with chain saws. Tell him it's a secret you've been keeping for a long time. lol

[RoundersQuote]

[ QUOTE ]
can any of you recommend a good psychiatrist in the Las Vegas area? I'm looking for someone to see while in town for the wsop.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know what cheers me up when I'm feelin' sh*tty?

[bkholdem]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
can any of you recommend a good psychiatrist in the Las Vegas area? I'm looking for someone to see while in town for the wsop.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know what cheers me up when I'm feelin' sh*tty?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hookers and Blow?

[deadmoney98]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
can any of you recommend a good psychiatrist in the Las Vegas area? I'm looking for someone to see while in town for the wsop.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know what cheers me up when I'm feelin' sh*tty?

[/ QUOTE ]

Rolled up aces over kings. Check-raising stupid tourists and taking huge pots off of them. Playing all-night high-limit Hold'em at the Taj, "where the sand turns to gold." Stacks and towers of checks I can't even see over.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP