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Message: [QUOTE="fortunatolf, post: 7109929, member: 1009232"] Hi everyone in the CardsChat community, I have to admit, I thought quite a bit before posting this because it's pretty personal. But I feel like sometimes, sharing our struggles can connect us in a different way. I want to tell you a little about how poker, kind of unexpectedly, gave me a helping hand during a really heavy period of depression I went through. [B]The Usual (and Most Important) Disclaimer:[/B] Let me repeat this so there's no mistake: [B]poker is NOT a cure for depression.[/B] Period. Depression is serious stuff, and [B]getting help from qualified professionals[/B] (therapists, doctors) is FUNDAMENTAL. What I'm sharing here is just [I]my[/I] story, a piece of it. [B]How Poker Helped Me Catch My Breath:[/B] When the tide was really low, with that heavy feeling and lack of color in everything, poker gave me a few pushes: [LIST=1] [*][B]Escape from the "Gray Cloud":[/B] The game's complexity [I]forced[/I] me to focus. Thinking about hands, ranges, decisions... it was almost therapeutic to have something demand 100% of my attention and pull me, even if just for a few hours, out of that loop of bad thoughts. [*][B]A Drop of Order in the Chaos:[/B] Having to set a time to play a bit or study a simple concept gave me a micro-structure for the day. It might seem small, but it made a difference in not letting the day just "disappear". [*][B]Joy in Small Victories:[/B] Every new concept I understood, every hand I played a little better than before, every little "aha!" moment in study... it was a personal win at a time when I felt stuck. That genuinely helped. [*][B]Feeling Control (However Minimal):[/B] Making decisions at the table, even small ones, gave me a sense of control over [I]something[/I], during a period where I felt totally adrift emotionally. [*][B]Not Being Totally Alone:[/B] Reading you guys here on the forum, seeing the discussions, even without always participating, reminded me there was a world out there with people sharing similar interests. It lessened that feeling of complete isolation a bit. [/LIST] [B]Open Invitation (If It Resonates):[/B] I know I'm not the only one who has gone (or is going) through tough times. Maybe poker, or some other hobby, another passion, has also been a positive crutch, a focus, an escape valve for someone else here. [B]If you feel comfortable and want to share[/B], I'd love to read other stories about how you used poker (or another activity) as a tool to cope with difficult phases. [B]Absolutely no pressure[/B], of course, it's just an open invitation. Sometimes, just knowing other people understand what we go through is a huge relief in itself. Anyway, that's it. Just a piece of my journey. I hope it might help someone, even if it's just to feel less alone. Take care, everyone. Warm regards, [USER=1009232]@fortunatolf[/USER] [/QUOTE]

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