Would just like to canvass others on good online help and support resources for those with a gambling/ trading problem. Purely for those who need help. Thanks.
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/content/20-questions It's interesting (thanks for the link BTW), the key word is 'Gambling' in all of the questions. Could we substitute 'trading'? I think 'traders' are a special case.
http://articles.latimes.com/1986-10-28/business/fi-8124_1_compulsive-gambling Growing Number of Traders Seek Professional Help : Compulsive Gambling Hits Commodity Pits
"If these markets attract people who want to take risks, I am hard-pressed to see how that can be an indictment of our industry," said John Damgard, president of the Futures Industry Assn. "Faulting the derivative-products industry (for fostering compulsive gambling) would be like blaming the highway department for building bridges for people to jump off." I would contest that due to the nature of leveraged derivatives it IS a gambler's paradise. It is extremely accessible. There are literally hundreds of firms promoting the possible rewards of futures trading. It's all about pushing the dream of easy riches. Then you have the industries that surround the brokerages, i.e. data, software, education etc, etc. They all keep the dream (Myth?) alive. Of course the elephant in the room among all this, are those that profit from the sheer volume of contracts traded by the hopeful mass of Gamblers.
http://www.futures-brokers-directory.com/commodity-options-futures-brokers-a.htm The sheer number of firms in on the act beggars belief.
Is it still gambling, and do you still need help, if you routinely win? I tell all my patients that if they always get off, their sex is not compulsive.
I think I have a gambling problem. I cannot quit by myself, I need outside help. What do you suggest?
From Psychology Today: "Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them."