Depression and Poker.

Originally posted by vonki
No offense but I do agree with people saying its not completely incurable.

What gives me the right to say this is that I am one of those who has and still suffer from depressions and anxiety for many many years. I am not going to go into detail but let's just say that I at one point barely made it out of the battle alive.

I completely feel with the people who are writing about their conditions, and I really do recognize the state of mind and feelings that they have. But see the thing is, it IS possible to do something about it.

Is it possible to completely cure it? Probably not, since not even I have managed to stay completely symtomfree for more then weeks/months at a time.

It all comes down to really getting to know yourself and what causes your issues though. Medicine is crap, as many have stated it only supresses all kinds of shit. But if you learn to understand the way you are reacting in certain situations and even how you THINK you can learn to aviod or mainuplate your thoughtprocess.

I am by no means saying this is easy, It's really damn hard work that takes alot of time, effort and discipline. It also takes alot of will, you gotta be at the point where you really think getting well is the nr 1 priority in your life. Only then can you commit to it.

I am also not sure that everyone posses what is neccessary to do this, but I am quite certain that alot of people that think they don't, actually do.

Just bare in mind that if you don't try to change, nothing ever will. Also remember that you are the boss over yourself, not your emotions. What you truly want to do, you can do.

+1
Very well said, read it twice, haters ♦

I actually have been talking with some people who are working with stressed/depressed people, and their words were simple as that - if you want to make somebody's stress gone, you have to make him/her happy. Fuck the drugs, it can make the situation even worse. In fact, that's classic soviet "medical treatment". Laugh therapy, communication with people - these are future methods, that really work. And some people still think that this is impossible to make a person happy? Are you guys emo or what?

Originally posted by Bliausmas

Originally posted by vonki
No offense but I do agree with people saying its not completely incurable.

What gives me the right to say this is that I am one of those who has and still suffer from depressions and anxiety for many many years. I am not going to go into detail but let's just say that I at one point barely made it out of the battle alive.

I completely feel with the people who are writing about their conditions, and I really do recognize the state of mind and feelings that they have. But see the thing is, it IS possible to do something about it.

Is it possible to completely cure it? Probably not, since not even I have managed to stay completely symtomfree for more then weeks/months at a time.

It all comes down to really getting to know yourself and what causes your issues though. Medicine is crap, as many have stated it only supresses all kinds of shit. But if you learn to understand the way you are reacting in certain situations and even how you THINK you can learn to aviod or mainuplate your thoughtprocess.

I am by no means saying this is easy, It's really damn hard work that takes alot of time, effort and discipline. It also takes alot of will, you gotta be at the point where you really think getting well is the nr 1 priority in your life. Only then can you commit to it.

I am also not sure that everyone posses what is neccessary to do this, but I am quite certain that alot of people that think they don't, actually do.

Just bare in mind that if you don't try to change, nothing ever will. Also remember that you are the boss over yourself, not your emotions. What you truly want to do, you can do.

+1
Very well said, read it twice, haters ♦

I actually have been talking with some people who are working with stressed/depressed people, and their words were simple as that - if you want to make somebody's stress gone, you have to make him/her happy. Fuck the drugs, it can make the situation even worse. In fact, that's classic soviet "medical treatment". Laugh therapy, communication with people - these are future methods, that really work. And some people still think that this is impossible to make a person happy? Are you guys emo or what?

Mental illness runs in my family, the drugs do work but only temporarily. You can change your mindset and it will make a difference, but it requires effort and perseverence, even when all you want to do is crawl into a corner and forget everything. The drugs made me ill and i nearly ended up divorced as a result. Lots of friends and a good community such as this one are much more beneficial. Baring your soul and understanding that people want to help has a much more positive effect on your life.

Losing at Poker won't make your life worse, you already have the capacity to feel like shit - its like its built into you. Keep active and keep busy, its a much better way to keep your mindset in check.

I have a stressful job, 3 kids and 2 dogs and i've been married 11 years but i know if ever i stopped and had time to think the black cloud would descend so fast, and i'd be back to square one.

Maybe i'm just lucky.

Originally posted by holnrew
I'm already on medication and all that, which nobody should be embarrassed to admit to. Thanks for the lovely response eaglestar.

Same, Although i got passed it without any happy pills - a good therapist

from poker to lsd?marijuana,hasis,amfetamine,cocaine and others?....nothing to say ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♠_love: ♠_love: ♠_love: ♠_love: ♠_love: ♠_love: ♠_love:

Originally posted by Bliausmas

Originally posted by vonki
No offense but I do agree with people saying its not completely incurable.

What gives me the right to say this is that I am one of those who has and still suffer from depressions and anxiety for many many years. I am not going to go into detail but let's just say that I at one point barely made it out of the battle alive.

I completely feel with the people who are writing about their conditions, and I really do recognize the state of mind and feelings that they have. But see the thing is, it IS possible to do something about it.

Is it possible to completely cure it? Probably not, since not even I have managed to stay completely symtomfree for more then weeks/months at a time.

It all comes down to really getting to know yourself and what causes your issues though. Medicine is crap, as many have stated it only supresses all kinds of shit. But if you learn to understand the way you are reacting in certain situations and even how you THINK you can learn to aviod or mainuplate your thoughtprocess.

I am by no means saying this is easy, It's really damn hard work that takes alot of time, effort and discipline. It also takes alot of will, you gotta be at the point where you really think getting well is the nr 1 priority in your life. Only then can you commit to it.

I am also not sure that everyone posses what is neccessary to do this, but I am quite certain that alot of people that think they don't, actually do.

Just bare in mind that if you don't try to change, nothing ever will. Also remember that you are the boss over yourself, not your emotions. What you truly want to do, you can do.

Wise words!

Except 1 part;

@vonki - I respect and feel your experiences, unfortunately I've been through similar stuff, but I tend to disagree with what you said in your 4th paragraph, about medicine. Since mental states are not the same as physical conditions, it's hard to compare, therefore saying it's total crap is just only half true/proven. There are mental illnesses that aren't curable but treatable, and in some of them the drugs takes part too, in some of them it's necessary and in some not likely.

I had experience with different psych medications and I did experience bad periods because of them, but later, with the right combination it helped me to get through.

"It all comes down to really getting to know yourself" - this is right, but it may not be as simple as it sounds. There are states where one needs help in order to get there, in order to be able to understand themselves, to understand what triggers and what calms down.

@Bliausmas - If one can manage to interact and keep himself around company and happy friends, it is really helpful. Laugh indeed makes you feel good.

Be Well

Boris

I too have had same condition for a long time... I was planning to quit poker.. But it takes a little bit more patience and discipline in the game which will make you go on....

Fuck My Problems

Hey Dude,

Sorry I havnt read all the posts in the thread so maybe someone has already said what im about to say.. but anyways.

Id recommend to do sports or workout. The endorphine that will come after the sports effort will help fight depression and it should probably make you feel better in the long run!!! + staying health (eating right/sleeping enough) is very good for depression.

Hope this helps!!

Originally posted by CHARMANDER06
Hey Dude,

Sorry I havnt read all the posts in the thread so maybe someone has already said what im about to say.. but anyways.

Id recommend to do sports or workout. The endorphine that will come after the sports effort will help fight depression and it should probably make you feel better in the long run!!! + staying health (eating right/sleeping enough) is very good for depression.

Hope this helps!!

I agree with this. It's very important to remember that poker is NOT life. In general, people play for enjoyment and in pursuit of monetary gains so that we can live better and happier lives outside of poker. When poker is making your life a misery then it is failing in its objective of making life better and happier. Therefore take a break until you will find poker enjoyable again.

If you can't handle the bad beats then maybe it's best to admit that poker just isn't for you.

It takes a special mindset to become a full time pro and handle the constant swings of daily play. I've come to the conclusion that i don't have that mindset, at least not at the moment, so I've stopped grinding daily and just play occasionally for fun and for the challenge. I still read articles and watch videos to try and improve my game but I do so in a very relaxed fashion which won't stress me out. I think in the long run this will prove to be very beneficial.

+1 to drugs

If a mental illness is not caused by a drug it can be cured without a drug as well....

Drugs inhibit all emotions, not just negative ones.... you will turn into a robot.

Getting to know yourself is the key as said before and there are ways to do that.

For depression & anxiety I have found that having a decent protein intake per day for your bodyweight (google it) combined with something like running or hiking can really make a big difference to how you feel. (or any high intensity exercise).

Adequate protein is needed to produce tryptamine in your brain & help keep your seretonin levels up etc.... an issue for me because I have been vegetarian most of my life - I use protein shakes - they are fucking delicious ♦

Obv get your vitamins aswell.

Fuck the drink & ganga - both suck balls.

I agree that proper nutrition + sleeping + exercise (I would add meditation as well) can pretty much cure the depression. Drinking, smoking, drugs, etc. will just make it worse.

Many people really underestimate the power of a healthy lifestyle... They want to take shortcuts like anti-depression drugs and well, if you are too arrogant to try a healthy lifestyle, that's your choice, so accept the consequences.

-SF

Originally posted by Schnitzelfisch
Many people really underestimate the power of a healthy lifestyle...

+2, because I raise both my arms for that!

Exercise, fresh air, sunshine, tasty healthy food and quality relationships. No, it's not too much.

I went to my doctor a few years ago to "find out what was wrong with me".
I was lethargic. No motivation whatsoever. I had to force myself to do each thing -- even the routine ones -- each day.

I was expecting -- hoping maybe? -- he would prescribe pills or something that would "cure" it.

Instead, he told me to get off my ass, get some exercise in the fresh air and eat properly (healthy, whole food). He also recommended the book, "Feeling Good -- the New Mood Therapy" by David Burns.

Among other things, this book talks about getting an interest in life. For me, poker is part of that.

However, as I read through this thread, I see that some people have physical or mental conditions that present themselves as a depressed mental state.

It is vital that you consult professionals before you run out and treat yourself with drugs -- especially psychedelics -- or ANY other treatments.

There is a lot of great material in this forum on creating a mental state in which poker can thrive, even so it won't be much use if you have a pathological condition that requires treatment.

My concern with the drugs is that I'm pretty damn sure we dont know enough about our own bodys funciton to fully know how the drugs work and what the effects of them are. Way may know some of it, but I think we are far off from knowing everything.

Another concern of mine is that doctors are very fast to subscribe pills. When I was 18, I was feeling very depressed and down, so I went to see the doctor. He spent about 10 minutes asking me some questions, then perscribed me anti-depressives. There wasn't any follow up by him or any other doctor, and oh wait, one of the known and common side effects was that you got suicidal tendencies. Not only did they fail to follow up on how I was doing, but he also forgot to tell me about that side effect.

It's really crazy that a general doctor, who has no eduaction in psycology (well okay, very limited anyway), can just pick and subscribe some random pills, forget to mention some damn important side effects and not even follow up.

This is probably not how it works everywhere, and this is only what happened to me, but! If you're reading this thread and is thinking about getting some help with your depression, try to get someone who's specialized in psycology and at the very least find out all about the side effects if you start taking some medicines. I do encourage people to get help if they are feeling down or depressed, just take your time to consider, and make some research about other options first.

Also know that working out (you can even just go for a walk, start with a 10 minute walk if it feels like you really really dont want to - 10 minutes is over in notime and you'll feel great for taking a first step) and eating healthy helps aloooot more than you'd think too.

Just know that you don't have to work on all your problems at once. Start with babysteps, a 10 minute walk every day, and a fruit. That's all it takes for starters, usually getting started is the hardest thing to do, and if you think about all your problems at once it will feel overwhealming. Just remove everything else, and focus on those 10 minutes, and that one fruit!

Hi!
I totally feel with those suffering from depression and other "mental" conditions. I've been there myself and really shouldn't be alive now. Luckily I am due to some miracles. If the depression is too far gone it can't be treated until you got the proper medication, you can't receive it. Also, it's often due to a chemical imbalance -> balance is restored by chemical substances to a certain degree.

Chemical imbalance is not the whole story though. I see intelligence and good heart in it too. Just look at all the shit in this world. Man, you can start to wonder about the meaning of all just by that.

Now, what I really wanted to say: look for others in your situation! We have 2 places in my town where people who feel down can meet. Can't get any better relations than that; deep. Gonna try to get there myself, have actually felt 'unquallified' for feeling decent. Yup, crazy. Tell someone you're looking for such a place to put pressure on to go. Like telling about goals in poker.

About the connection with poker: I got a lot of my feeling of being worth something from that (not a pro in any way, just a goal to strive for). If you feel the same, we're probably far from the truth. We are important just for being us.

You have all the time you wish for from if you wanna chat or whatever. Just add me as friend and drop me a note. No biggies, I've been there.

Wish you the best!

Best Wishes

Ran across this article today:
http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20120517/9915/depression-internet-usage.htm

Here is a link to the pdf of the article discussed:
http://web.mst.edu/~chellaps/papers/12_tech-soc_kcmwl.pdf

Originally posted by VorpalF2F
Ran across this article today:
http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20120517/9915/depression-internet-usage.htm

Here is a link to the pdf of the article discussed:
http://web.mst.edu/~chellaps/papers/12_tech-soc_kcmwl.pdf

As someone who spends a pretty significant part of his life in front of a computer, I find this article quite alarming. Can somebody be depressed and not know?

I'm not too worried about myself, I think I'm lucky enough to be a generally laid back person who doesn't really give too much of a rat's ass about anything. As a college dropout, I have nothing going for my life at the moment, no job (going to change this soon), no relationship, no real purpose at the moment but nearly every week I hear myself say how much I love life.

The only time I ever feel down is when I bust my shitty $10 bankrolls and since I'm usually pretty happy 24/7 this can be a sharp contrast. Even though $10 isn't really anything, I think it boils down to the fact I see myself as a loser (quite ironic since I'm a RL bum aha). However, after I wake up the next time I'm more determined than ever to improve my game. I've realised the problem was that I'd lose $1 and be like OMG I'm a dollar down, I've got to make it back. BRM will help me over come this (10 cent tourneys FTW!), I was playing to make money but now I'm playing to be the best by playing a sound game of poker.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that every bodies solution is different because we all different problems. But I'd strongly recommend to everyone who is feeling down, to try and find your cause for your depression. For a lot of people this will be past events but I say forget about the past, nothing we can do can change it and dwelling on it never does any good. Take a leaf out of my book and try to simply not giving a f. As with everything, try not giving a f in moderation otherwise you could end up a bum like me, haha.

Stay in school and don't do drugs kids, mmmkay!

I wouldn't look too much into studies. They're way too broad and depression varies from each individual.

Alot of what depression boils down to is how each person handles their given situation. Half glass full/empty type of thing. The most important thing to realise is that feelings and emotions are temporary. Doesn't matter how long it takes you to overcome your problems, as long as you strive for the bigger picture of living without depression, you'll get there.

Basically training yourself how to handle another bad situation so that it doesn't affect your life as much