Dear Fellow Poker Guys and Gals I have some questions for you. I suffer several debilitating health issues that on one day are worse than other days. One included is massive Anxiety which effects my Poker. It's frustrating as I really enjoy Poker a lot and I want to be a more winning player. I see a lot of people who succeed so well here and I'm relatively intelligent enough to grasp some of the basic concepts that make a winning player and a losing player. Of course I really don't have the focus energy to make some of that a reality. I can't count the times that my health has interfered with my hobbies and well...

Would you play poker if you could only play Rec? Or would you quit due to health reasons? I know a lot of people shun people who play Rec and I would honestly like to hear all your opinions on this? When I was a bit healthier I played without a care in the world when I ran 5 miles a day. I miss that level of strength and at the time I didn't have any poker knowledge nor honestly did I really understand much about the game. (if I had the knowledge I had now then whoa)

What do you mean by "only play Rec?" Recreational? Something else? If you mean recreational, from your post, it would seem you would be a recreational as opposed to a pro. Nothing at all wrong with that.

Yeah if you don't think your health/anxiety will make full time play feasible, nothing wrong with playing here and there for pleasure/recreationally. Maybe you can get some help for your psych issues since your well-being is paramount. And maybe exercise more since it sounds like you miss doing that.

I doubt anyone in this forum (me included) would shun someone who played recreationally...gl!

Anxiety disorders are very different. I have a bad anxiety disorder but it's not really brought on by being stressed... more things like not having slept enough. Nine times out of ten, if I get a decent night's sleep, don't drink too much and get breakfast, I'll be feeling fine the next day. For other people it will be different. It depends on how manageable your condition is. How does it manifest itself? What brings it on?

Poker has a nasty effect on me when I’m playing it regularly, way more than any other hobby I’ve engaged in. It doesn’t even matter if I’m playing for tiny .01/.02 stakes, only play for a short amount of time, or if I’m doing everything right health wise outside the game, here are the things I experience. All of these occur after a 30 min session, win or lose:

-heart palpitations
-trouble (forced)breathing
-significant hair loss
-tiredness
-anxiety (which I don’t normally have)
-social anxiety (which I don’t normally have)
-loss of interest in anything else
-no interest in socializing
-I become awkward socially
-people are repulsed by me
-cold sweats when exercising
-lack of patience

I don’t know why this happens, nearly every other hobby I’ve ever had has a positive effect on my mood, well-being, etc. but poker is probably the worst thing for me in the world and I suspect for a lot of other people. Sad, because I really enjoy the game!

Lot's of players only play for fun or recreationally. Poker is a great social game.

As for health wise, poker isn't the best both physically and mentally. Very sedentary obviously so a lot of players struggle to maintain their physical health and comes with a lot of mental issues surrounding variance/tilt/addiction.

You guys are like the most wonderful group ever, thank you for taking the time to answer my posting. I read everything and yeah, I get everything. Poker is a very demanding game I hadn't realized when I use to play at 26 I was a really strong person...
I watch people grind 14 hours a day, for 20 days and I know they got to be really fit mentally in the body and disciplined. It's almost if poker is as much a sport as any.... I remember playing tournament tennis when I could and this is pushing parts of the demanding aspects that would push. I never realized this when I first saw poker aside playing for fun what that really meant. I imagine people who are winning players and successful have athletic psychology or are quite fit?