You are probably right about me; I seem to have been spared the
addiction gene that was in my family, and my drinking problem in late
high school and early college was just a temporary problem and not
chronic illness. However, my uncle died of alcoholism. A good friend of
mine in Cincinnati died of liver failure caused by long-term alcoholism
and drug abuse. I know and understand addiction in loved ones.
But, I also know that addicts tenaciously seek out their drug of
choice, almost from birth! They reach out to it and can't be
kept away from it. Having spent a good amount of time around
addicts, I'm good at catching signs early, but even if I miss
it and teach them something about poker and they get addicted,
I feel sure that it would have been a matter of time.
Plus, it's really kind of a cop-out to pretend that you can have no
guilt simply because you never offered them help with their
game. And, after all, how do you handle that situation:
Problem Gambler comes to you to teach them about poker. You
say no. They get into poker elsewhere, then come back to you
for strategy advice. Under your current rules, you'd help
him, trying to make sure he loses less. Yet, that might get
them more interested!
My point is that no clear line can actually be drawn easily. You
either are comfortable with the poker world existing, with its
flaws and temptations, or you're not. If you're not, you
should stay away. That's what confuses me most about this
— not that we disagree, not that I know you are sincere
in your advice and genuinely worried about me and the people I
might meet — but rather that you seem to still occupy
the poker world, taking money from the addicted.
I knew you were a graduate student in something scientific, but not
much more than that. I hope your plan is to write the amazing
PhD thesis on the neuroscience of gambling addiction or
something, and go on to help people. Obviously the issue is
one of passion for you, and while I don't agree with your
remedies, you obviously could make a very good positive
contribution to the situation with your work.
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no subject
Date: 2006-02-28 19:47 (UTC)Ok, I'll bite for one more round:
You are probably right about me; I seem to have been spared the addiction gene that was in my family, and my drinking problem in late high school and early college was just a temporary problem and not chronic illness. However, my uncle died of alcoholism. A good friend of mine in Cincinnati died of liver failure caused by long-term alcoholism and drug abuse. I know and understand addiction in loved ones.
But, I also know that addicts tenaciously seek out their drug of choice, almost from birth! They reach out to it and can't be kept away from it. Having spent a good amount of time around addicts, I'm good at catching signs early, but even if I miss it and teach them something about poker and they get addicted, I feel sure that it would have been a matter of time.
Plus, it's really kind of a cop-out to pretend that you can have no guilt simply because you never offered them help with their game. And, after all, how do you handle that situation: Problem Gambler comes to you to teach them about poker. You say no. They get into poker elsewhere, then come back to you for strategy advice. Under your current rules, you'd help him, trying to make sure he loses less. Yet, that might get them more interested!
My point is that no clear line can actually be drawn easily. You either are comfortable with the poker world existing, with its flaws and temptations, or you're not. If you're not, you should stay away. That's what confuses me most about this — not that we disagree, not that I know you are sincere in your advice and genuinely worried about me and the people I might meet — but rather that you seem to still occupy the poker world, taking money from the addicted.
I knew you were a graduate student in something scientific, but not much more than that. I hope your plan is to write the amazing PhD thesis on the neuroscience of gambling addiction or something, and go on to help people. Obviously the issue is one of passion for you, and while I don't agree with your remedies, you obviously could make a very good positive contribution to the situation with your work.