What happens at Gamblers annoynmous meetings

'Addiction" has NOTHING to do with 'self discaplin' or just 'Stopping' something that you KNOW is not in your best intrest! There are 5 addictions---Alcahol/Drugs-Sex-Food-Work---and GAMBELING! They are not things a person can just 'STOP'! Even if they know these things aren't good for them. As a mater of fact, these things are ALL CONSUMING if you are, in fact, addicted to them. And the ONLY way to get your life back in order again is to---1st) Recognize you need help (he has recgnized this or he wouldn't be coming to us for answers) 2nd) Admit you have a problem, which he has. 3rd) ASK for help--which he is doing. And 4th) Take the advice of those who have given you the answers you seek! Now, you have taken 75% of the steps you need to repair your life. Now all you have to do is take that LAST STEP! And utilize everything we have given you to help! www.gamblersanononymous.org The help you seek is a 'click' away!

ttwarrior1 said:

i notice all sites have the number, etc and they have commercials, other than that ive never heard of any such thing. There is no place where i live within 100 miles but i think i might need help, free help

Please use the links others have so kindly posted on this thread. Also google your area, most places have some sort of help available. I suspect there is something closer than 100 miles, you just have to look into more gov't resources to find it.

im thinking about giving up cards for awhile. Im broke and playing with money i shouldn't be playing with. I owe over ten grand to credit cards, got laid off, bad credit , nobody will hire me, I just built 5 bucks to 800 and then lost it all in 30 minutes. Not sure how it happened. It happened so quick. Bad thing is, if you ask some people, not this forum but on 2 other forums im a member of, they will say i might be the best player on the net period.

I dont have pacience to play freerolls and been going all in on the first hand lately so not sure whats wrong with me.
Basically it sounds like you are dealing with obsessive/compulsive disorders which are far more comon than people think. It's nothing to be ashamed of and there are plenty of things that can be done to help control it. If you can't find specific gambler's help even a good counciler can help you quite a bit

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You've taken some big steps towards fixing things simply by admiting to and asking for help. Keep pushing on and things will turn around for the better.

I wish you the best

I think it would be great for a community of people who want to learn from each other and help each other to extend thoughtful comments to the OP, instead of making jokes about something that seems to be a serious problem. Someone is admitting they have a problem, asking for guidelines to seek help, and we have comedians here?

yeah i mentioned that earlier in this thread. pretty ignorant really

Good rule of thumb for addiction:

If you think you might have a problem, especially frequently, then you most likely DO have a problem.

Don't let anyone or anything make your mind up for you. Face yourself, be honest, then take the next step.

There is a voice in your head... alcoholics are familiar. it says things like:

"You can try just one more time, you won't need more than that. You've earned it. Other people can do it and still be in control. You can too. Why can't you? You just need to try harder. This time it will be different"

Does it sound familiar? If it does, just do the strong life changing thing and get help.

Really.

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page

RickH2005 said:

'Addiction" has NOTHING to do with 'self discaplin' or just 'Stopping' something that you KNOW is not in your best intrest! There are 5 addictions---Alcahol/Drugs-Sex-Food-Work---and GAMBELING! They are not things a person can just 'STOP'! Even if they know these things aren't good for them. As a mater of fact, these things are ALL CONSUMING if you are, in fact, addicted to them. And the ONLY way to get your life back in order again is to---1st) Recognize you need help (he has recgnized this or he wouldn't be coming to us for answers) 2nd) Admit you have a problem, which he has. 3rd) ASK for help--which he is doing. And 4th) Take the advice of those who have given you the answers you seek! Now, you have taken 75% of the steps you need to repair your life. Now all you have to do is take that LAST STEP! And utilize everything we have given you to help! www.gamblersanononymous.org The help you seek is a 'click' away!

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ANYTHING that you do to excess and allow it to affect your family, life, or job can be an addiction....Poker, video games, working out, purging...there are WAYYYYY more than 5 addictions....

TO THE OP......GA might not be your ONLY option...MOST states I believe, have something tied into their Lottery and/or their casino laws IF they have casinos, for gambling addiction. Assuming that your state has a lottery, go to that website there will be a number there, and if your state has a casino, go to their website......

I've never gone to any "Anonymous" meetings, BUT I believe they all follow the same 12 step program......Would AA or NA turn you away at the door?????

The Shrog said:

I think it would be great for a community of people who want to learn from each other and help each other to extend thoughtful comments to the OP, instead of making jokes about something that seems to be a serious problem. Someone is admitting they have a problem, asking for guidelines to seek help, and we have comedians here?

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I think people have mostly tried to be helpful, its kind of hard to not get sidetracked when someone says a) I have a serious problem b) ridiculous brag...but that could be part of the problem if OP thinks he's so good he can't keep losing. Isn't that like Matasuw, hasn't he gone broke before.

i think everyone pretty much summed it up for you... i just stopped in to say good luck and we shall pray for you.

I think people have mostly tried to be helpful, its kind of hard to not get sidetracked when someone says a) I have a serious problem b) ridiculous brag...but that could be part of the problem if OP thinks he's so good he can't keep losing. Isn't that like Matasuw, hasn't he gone broke before.

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I see your point, and I understand. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything..there have been times I've read some replys that could have been put more politely, and this one seemed to just be out of line and thoughtless.

ttwarrior1 said:

i notice all sites have the number, etc and they have commercials, other than that ive never heard of any such thing. There is no place where i live within 100 miles but i think i might need help, free help

im thinking about giving up cards for awhile. Im broke and playing with money i shouldn't be playing with. I owe over ten grand to credit cards, got laid off, bad credit , nobody will hire me, I just built 5 bucks to 800 and then lost it all in 30 minutes. Not sure how it happened. It happened so quick. Bad thing is, if you ask some people, not this forum but on 2 other forums im a member of, they will say i might be the best player on the net period.

I dont have pacience to play freerolls and been going all in on the first hand lately so not sure whats wrong with me.

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warrior, i know we've had some good verbal sparring at the tables, and i want you to know it is all in fun on my end, and i do sympathize with the situation you are in. that being said, are you broke from playing poker? did you get laid off becuz of playing poker? do you owe over 10k in CC and is ur credit bad becuz of poker? are you borrowing money to play live or depositing on the net? if the answer to any of these is yes, then you do have problem with gambling...if not, then you may just need to step back and refocus on ur life and the hand you have been dealt and figure the best way to play it from there. would that mean not playing poker?? maybe.

I have been thru pretty much what you have, and none of it come from playing poker..just crappy luck with job(s), bad back, child support, and shitty mortgages. things happen in life and you deal with them. just cuz you might like to sit and play doesnt mean that playing is at fault. i have
found that the tables allow me to release a lotta stress.

good luck in your endeavors, and i hope you get thru this mess and hope to see you back at the tables!!

Dax

I truly feel compassion for your situation TTWarrior1. If you are at a max on your credit cards due to gambling then I would say you do have a problem which requires professional help. This forum which is dedicated to learning how to gamble and play poker is not the way to seek help (no offense meant to any ccers). Bank roll management is definitely a necessary learning tool to playing poker. It is relatively easy (IMO) to play a few games and/or tournaments and believe you are a good poker player. For me it is much like learning the difference between adding and mulitiplying. There is a learning curve to the game. I am not even close to understanding the game completely and have won due to luck and not skill. If you are playing with funds which help you survive or your family survive then you should not be playing. Please contact GA if you cannot control it. They will give you the tools necessary to move beyond.

ttwarrior1 - I'm very sorry to hear about your troubles. Given your situation, I understand that you need help - if you really can't afford much then I have a few suggestions other than the Gamblers Annonymous that has already been mentioned.

- Is there a university nearby that has a counseling or clinical psychology program? These places will offer services to the public where therapists are graduate students in training. They may still charge a fee but it shouldn't be as expensive as seeing a Ph.D./Psy.D. psychologist. They may not be the best, but perhaps a decent holdover option.

These training clinics may also be helpful in finding pro bono services. Also, try this link here - Link to the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies - find a therapist search

If you do follow through with any of what I suggest, try to give them as much information as possible and that you need some form of help as soon as possible.

While I doubt I'll be of much help otherwise, feel free to PM me if these options don't work. I'll try to find some other resources.

Best of luck.

when i first started playing online i got hooked big time, my time was consumed with poker. i was playing it all day everyday. when i had to come home from a friendly little home game and lost the rent money on a bad beat, it was the wake up call i needed to give it up and concentrate on my family more. i was laid off and my wife was the only one working, we live in a small town where jobs are scarce and the ones that are here i couldnt get hired. i was trying to make up for not being able to work and help on the bills at the poker table. im going to put myself out here a bit but my wife would get her check directed deposited and one time i wiped out half her check by the time she got off work. i hope it dont seem like im hijacking and turning it around onto me, but i was there, i needed help, i thought i knew what i was doing and one good tournament or session at a table would make it all better. i thought i was too good to keep on losing and it would all turn around.

dont waste another day, get some help now and start enjoying life, its too short.

i did get some help and didnt think about poker until i could have my life in order. its one of the reasons i wasnt around here for awhile. i had to cut everything about poker out of my life. im sorry for rambling, reading your post just sounded so much like the situation i was in.

if you have transportation issues or dont have one local, there is help that you can get online. google "free gamblers anonymous" or something close to it and maybe you can find something you are comfortable with. i hope you can find the help you need.

I have to lmao at "the best player on the net"

Other than that, if you need help get it. Those meetings are a safe place, nothing to worry about if you decide to go to one

The Shrog said:

I see your point, and I understand. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything..there have been times I've read some replys that could have been put more politely, and this one seemed to just be out of line and thoughtless.

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You know, the two things aren't mutually exclusive: compassion and humor. In fact, humor can be useful in lightening the trauma or burden of a bad situation. I'd go so far to say that people who can use self-deprecating humor in bad situation tend to cope better. At least it works for me.

My life circumstances are terrible right now. I'm going to be an orphan; my mom is dying and rapidly losing her mind - often not even knowing who I am when I talk to her. It just came out that my sister was molested by my brother when she was a little girl. And I'm going through bankruptcy. I could just fold right now, I suppose. I was on the phone with my therapist yesterday and he asked me if I needed to see him. I told him no, I'll just wait until things get a lot worse. Gallows humor. Self-deprecating chuckling while my world falls apart. Just a little break from the grim reality.

I suspect the OP was using some humor, too. Who really says with a straight face that they are the best player on the net? If his gambling problem is as bad as he says it is, I'm glad he's able to inject a little humor, and I'm happy to add to the banter. That doesn't mean I don't care. It's great that he's asking for help, that there's such a supportive community here, and that some excellent resources have been laid out for him should he choose to avail himself of them.

Plus, I don't know for sure how serious he is. Do you? This is after all a poker site and deception is integral to poker. But it doesn't matter. He got a variety of compassionate responses, both humorous and practical. And even if those suggestions don't pertain to him, there might be others here who feel spoken to.

And that is my defense and my story as to why I chose to inject a little humor. That should explain things clearly. I am, after all, the best writer on the net.
GW

update im up and won 6 of my last 7 tourneys and no i do not have a gambling problem, i just asked what happens at the meetings is all, no im not depressed

Thats good you're up man. And look bro, I'm not here to decide what your relationship to cards is... But you are contradicting youself slightly in that last post. Originally you said:

im thinking about giving up cards for awhile. Im broke and playing with money i shouldn't be playing with. I owe over ten grand to credit cards, got laid off, bad credit , nobody will hire me,

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If you find yourself in trouble later... make sure you are honest with yourself. That will save you a great deal of time and money.


But if there is no problem... then best of luck at the tables.

Yea i wouldn't let a "good run" change your view on things. odds are, if you were thinking you might have a gambling problem then you probably do. If you owe $10k (for whatever reason) cannot control your poker money well (ie. lose roll in 1/2 hr), spend too much time playing/thinking about poker, and have overall lost a balance in life then it is probably time to realise you need to get your life on track, and playing poker isn't going to help you do that.

Now you may not have a problem, but typically such a huge turnaround is more indicative of being on bit of a high rather than suddenly worked your life out in several weeks.

Be careful, poker can be very rewarding/fun etc. but it coudl also very well ruin your life if you let it get too important in your life/lose more money than you can afford to lose.

ttwarrior1 said:

update im up and won 6 of my last 7 tourneys and no i do not have a gambling problem, i just asked what happens at the meetings is all, no im not depressed

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after your tirade today at the reefer poker freeroll, i think it goes without saying you have a gambling problem. why would you ask what goes on at the meetings if you dont intend to go, and further refuse to admit that you have a problem. your own words betray you..
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What happens at Gamblers annoynmous meetings
i notice all sites have the number, etc and they have commercials, other than that ive never heard of any such thing. There is no place where i live within 100 miles but i think i might need help, free help

im thinking about giving up cards for awhile. Im broke and playing with money i shouldn't be playing with. I owe over ten grand to credit cards, got laid off, bad credit , nobody will hire me, I just built 5 bucks to 800 and then lost it all in 30 minutes. Not sure how it happened. It happened so quick. Bad thing is, if you ask some people, not this forum but on 2 other forums im a member of, they will say i might be the best player on the net period.

I dont have pacience to play freerolls and been going all in on the first hand lately so not sure whats wrong with me. end quote. so your winning now. so what? it doesnt mean you dont have a problem. its not going to go away because you choose to ignore it. today at reefer you displayed an unreasonable amount of anger/frustration for a freeroll. top prize was like $20. is that really something to get upset over? you need help. you admitted it. go get it. you need to face reality. i wish you the best man, but please get help.

Inscore77 said:

I have to lmao at "the best player on the net"

Other than that, if you need help get it. Those meetings are a safe place, nothing to worry about if you decide to go to one

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not only best player on the net, but my table was informed he was the PLAYER OF THE YEAR also, 5by5 forum or dueces wild or something like that...


i only humor now that he has told us he has no problem and i see him playing again..and playin just as bad as he used to.

the player of the year at another forum is correct. I have a current run of 22 of 23 tourneys where ive made the final table of 1 -5 dollar buy in tourneys except for the cc tourney where i just missed the money and as far as my tirade at reefer, if you call an all in from an ace king suited and get called by a 4 8 and its 90 percent of their chip stack, they deserved to be cussed at and i will do it again next time. Ive also come to terms that i don't play for the money.

I had this problem. Almost chocked it up to a gambling habit that I would hafta quit.

Then, in contemplation, I realized that it wasn't a compulsion after all. All I had to do was learn to get up when I had a stack.

That was MY problem. I had no problem waiting for the right time to get my money in, but once I got a stack I had no idea how to handle it. I would chip off everything, every time.

Now, I'm good. But I was very close to quitting.


---

We all use fake names, usually our screen names...hence "annonymous"

Oh smile all ready, I don't care who ya are that was funny.

Life's to serious, if you can't laugh at yourself you can't laugh at all. I laugh at myself all the time Remember, none of us are getting out of this lifetime alive!

Keep your stick on the ice, we're all in this together and I'm rootin for ya!

ttwarrior1 said:

the player of the year at another forum is correct. I have a current run of 22 of 23 tourneys where ive made the final table of 1 -5 dollar buy in tourneys except for the cc tourney where i just missed the money and as far as my tirade at reefer, if you call an all in from an ace king suited and get called by a 4 8 and its 90 percent of their chip stack, they deserved to be cussed at and i will do it again next time. Ive also come to terms that i don't play for the money.

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ok. allow me to be very clear. if you had cussed, i could overlook that, as no big deal, another angry player. what you said to the guy that knocked you out was this ........."****ing ******". those were you exact words, so if you wanna pretend you just cussed, fine by me. i wasnt the only one at the table who saw what you typed, so im sure i can get backup on this. point is you need help.

Call the numbers for help or get with me and maybe we can talk about it. You need support from others.