Hey Maverick, I just caught up with this thread. I’ve been gambling for decades. There were many years when I was a winning player – because the other players were really bad and I did nothing to improve my game, I got complacent and now I cannot win at poker any more. I actually haven’t been able to win for the last 6-7 years.
When I think about gambling and all the losses I suffered it’s mostly to things that really bother me. And none of them is money. Sure I lost a lot of money and if I had that money today my life would be easier.
But it’s not so much the money as the time lost, precious time I wasted gambling, tons of lost opportunities. And the second thing is my brain deteriorated. Big time. I used to be a sharp guy. I know this will sound crazy, but my IQ dropped about 20 points over the last 15 years.
Also, I lost focus, I lost the drive. I cannot concentrate more than 1 or 2 hour daily. I’m so very unproductive. I know people my age (I’m 44) who’re rocking and rolling and are able to be productive 10-12 hours when need be. Not me. I get tired after an hour or two of any intellectual work. I’m able to gamble 20 hours in one go no problems, but I cannot do anything meaningful any more.
That’s what gambling took away from me and that upsets me the most.