Oh yeah on top of that I have a gambling problem.

I have decided to join gamblers Anonymous because if I did not have enough mental or physical health issues it turns out I am also a degenerate gambler.

This year I have lost $60,000 and in my lifetime maybe $250,000 altogether in the forms of Poker, day trading, stock investing, etc.
Recently I am only in the stock market but I had a disastrous year in 2021, 2020 was not much better. I am 65 in December and my retirement account is not even at $100,000. If I live too long I will be truly poor.
The reason I am posting is not to seek sympathy but to draw the connection between bipolar and gambling and how the stock market can be addictive if one trades frequently.

So Sorry for what you're going through! Please Do not give up! Hugs. gambling can be an hard situation but i am happy that you're at least acknowledging and that you joined a group to (Hopefully) assist you with it. Perhaps it will take time but if you do your best i think you may be able to get out of this situation. Please do update us if you want if possible. You matter. Sending many Safe, warm hugs to BOTH you, @TimTheEnchanter, your Family, your Friends and ALL of your Loved Ones! Keep fighting and keep rocking NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, OK?!

I live in Oklahoma where I think all 39 tribes have at least one casino. They are everywhere. I made up my mind, knowing I have an addictive personality, when I arrived here to avoid them and so far I have.
When I began taking Abilify, my pdoc warned me that a side effect is gambling addiction.
I hope GA works for you. I gave up on AA and NA and ended up working together with my pdoc on an outpatient basis. I've been sober ever since.
I wish you the best.

Sorry you lost so much money, but it's good you're recognizing that you have a problem now and have joined Gamblers Anonymous. Overeaters Anonymous has helped me quite a bit.
Yes, I have heard that when manic bipolar people take risks, and the stock market is often where they will turn to do it. Have you looked into getting a financial manager to handle your investments so you don't take such huge risks on your own?

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter I have decided to join gamblers Anonymous because if I did not have enough mental or physical health issues it turns out I am also a degenerate gambler. This year I have lost $60,000 and in my lifetime maybe $250,000 altogether in the forms of Poker, day trading, stock investing, etc. Recently I am only in the stock market but I had a disastrous year in 2021, 2020 was not much better. I am 65 in December and my retirement account is not even at $100,000. If I live too long I will be truly poor. The reason I am posting is not to seek sympathy but to draw the connection between bipolar and gambling and how the stock market can be addictive if one trades frequently.

Quote:

People with bipolar disorder often engage in addictive behaviors. They compulsively shop for things they don't need, engage in frequent and risky sex, or spend long hours at the workplace. They also are apt to engage in compulsive gambling. People who are bipolar tend toward behaviors that include spending too much money on lottery tickets, spending hours in front of video poker machines, and taking frequent trips to casinos. Connecting Bipolar Disorder to Gambling Bipolar disorder causes extreme swings in a person's mood, energy levels, and ability to get things done. It's also known as manic-depressive illness, a name which reflects these swings in mood. Patients can be overexcited and filled with joy and purpose in a manic episode, and then suddenly swing into a depressive episode, becoming sad, joyless, and drained of energy. Researchers have found that bipolar disorder and gambling addiction often occur together. Half of all gambling addicts in the United States also have a mood disorder, according to one national survey. A Canadian study found that people with bipolar disorder were more than twice as likely to have a gambling addiction as someone in the general population. Another study found that, among those surveyed, a mood disorder preceded gambling addiction in 80 percent of the women and 58 percent of the men. Bipolar Disorder and Gambling: What Research Suggests The exact nature of the link between gambling addiction and bipolar disorder has not been fully explained by researchers. Doctors and mental health professionals tend to believe that gambling addiction may be linked to the highs or lows associated with bipolar disorder: People with depression use gambling to self-medicate. This theory holds that patients use gambling to help themselves feel better during a depressive phase. The rush associated with the risk of gambling may help them rise out of their depressive funk. Gambling reflects the impulsive nature of a manic phase. People in the grips of a manic phase often have impulse control issues. They may engage in kleptomania or go on an eating binge. Some researchers believe gambling might serve as another outlet for impulsive behavior. Another possible theory is that compulsive gambling may be an early-onset form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, which people with bipolar disorder experience at an increased rate compared with the general population. Treating Bipolar Disorder and Gambling If people with bipolar disorder are self-medicating with gambling, that may mean there is a biochemical process they are subconsciously tapping into to ease their mania or depression. They are using a specific behavior to make themselves feel better because that behavior prompts the body to release hormones or neurotransmitters that naturally treat their mood disorder. Several studies have shown the potential for bipolar disorder medications to also help people deal with a gambling addiction: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are powerful antidepressants. Studies have found that SSRIs can reduce the need to compulsively gamble in some people. Lithium, an often-used mood-stabilizing medication, also has shown promise as a bipolar disorder drug that treats compulsive gambling. Lithium reduces the impulsiveness associated with manic phases and could stop the addictive gambling that takes place when a patient is in the grip of mania.

I just wanted to validate your feelings.

@TimTheEnchanter how are you doing? Have you stopped gambling? Are you taking better care of yourself?
Just being a pest and checking on you.

Thanks for the question, it is kind of you. I am better now. Stopped day trading stocks and visited my old workplace (ironically a casino) where I lost $30 and went home after an hour, with money in my pocket. I found that when I work on a project that is a good distraction and I do not do anything stupid (i.e.compulsive).

I have known two compulsive gamblers very well. It is mind-blowing what their addiction did to their lives. They each had issues with depression, which I believe the gambling seemed to somewhat relieve short term. You need help managing your mood disorder as part of your plan to address the compulsive gambling. I think it's great that you have decided to join GA. Finding alternative ways to keep your mind busy also sounds like a good plan.

My friend who has gambled addictively has told me that she would look at the money in her wallet and think, "I could possibly double my money, if I bet it." At times she would draw up elaborately detailed budgets on her computer and projections of when she would have her credit card debt paid off. Every year she'ld be deeper in debt. The other day she called to ask if she could borrow some money to do her laundry with. She's literally down to nothing. She's smart and she's educated, but this habit seems to me like being possessed by the devil. She buys very little food, in order "to pay my bills." She looks seriously malnourished with a lot of muscle wasting. Her gaunt appearance is what really alarms me. Your symptoms may be different, but I suspect you have your areas of self-neglect.

Good luck with your recovery. If it goes off the rails, start over again.

In my case I have slightly better impulse control, even commented by my pdoc. I never borrowed money never used a credit card. The other side of the coin is age and loneliness. What pleasures do I have and what opportunities can I have to leave the house. I cannot walk much due to a bad back/legs, I go out to swim, eat, drive(waste of gas) and sometimes I go to the casino, now that my wife is not home.
I quit day trading where I lost $27,000 in one-day trading testa options. If I play with a couple of hundred dollars that is no problem gambling for me. I play poker only and that I must play very cautiously. I thank all of you for caring. I take my meds and hope for the best.
In the past whenever I had a manic phase and woke up in the middle of the night, I went to the card clubs and obviously, I lost as manic playing with no meds is like burning dollar bills.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter I have decided to join gamblers Anonymous because if I did not have enough mental or physical health issues it turns out I am also a degenerate gambler. This year I have lost $60,000 and in my lifetime maybe $250,000 altogether in the forms of Poker, day trading, stock investing, etc. Recently I am only in the stock market but I had a disastrous year in 2021, 2020 was not much better. I am 65 in December and my retirement account is not even at $100,000. If I live too long I will be truly poor. The reason I am posting is not to seek sympathy but to draw the connection between bipolar and gambling and how the stock market can be addictive if one trades frequently.

Quote:

They also are apt to engage in compulsive gambling. People who are bipolar tend toward behaviors that include spending too much money on lottery tickets, spending hours in front of video poker machines, and taking frequent trips to casinos. Connecting Bipolar Disorder to Gambling Bipolar disorder causes extreme swings in a person's mood, energy levels, and ability to get things done. It's also known as manic-depressive illness, a name which reflects these swings in mood. Patients can be overexcited and filled with joy and purpose in a manic episode, and then suddenly swing into a depressive episode, becoming sad, joyless, and drained of energy. Researchers have found that bipolar disorder and gambling addiction often occur together. Half of all gambling addicts in the United States also have a mood disorder, according to one national survey. A Canadian study found that people with bipolar disorder were more than twice as likely to have a gambling addiction as someone in the general population. Another study found that, among those surveyed, a mood disorder preceded gambling addiction in 80 percent of the women and 58 percent of the men. Bipolar Disorder and Gambling: What Research Suggests The exact nature of the link between gambling addiction and bipolar disorder has not been fully explained by researchers. Doctors and mental health professionals tend to believe that gambling addiction may be linked to the highs or lows associated with bipolar disorder: People with depression use gambling to self-medicate. This theory holds that patients use gambling to help themselves feel better during a depressive phase. The rush associated with the risk of gambling may help them rise out of their depressive funk. Gambling reflects the impulsive nature of a manic phase. People in the grips of a manic phase often have impulse control issues. They may engage in kleptomania or go on an eating binge. Some researchers believe gambling might serve as another outlet for impulsive behavior.

Quote:

Mental Health Problems Associated With Gambling Pathological gambling has been associated with serious mental illnesses, sometimes as the cause and other times as the result of an untreated mental illness. Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental illnesses associated with gambling addiction. Some hope that the roll of the dice or the spin of the slot machines can help them have some fun in life and help them relax. In reality, over time it often makes the depression and anxiety worse. Dr. Grant revealed that 76 percent of a gambling addiction treatment group suffered from depression. Astoundingly, 16 to 40 percent of pathological gamblers suffered from lifetime anxiety. For some, the pressure becomes too great. The risk of suicide is higher in gamblers than non-gamblers. Other mental illnesses associated with gambling are bipolar disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Of a study group, 24 percent of pathological gamblers had a lifetime prevalence of bipolar disorder. Twenty percent had symptoms for a lifetime prevalence of ADHD. Dr. Grant stresses that when treating those with a gambling addiction, all of their disorders should be identified and prioritized for treatment. Through methods such as medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, and support those with gambling addiction can find healing and become a winner for life.

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Hey @ TimTheEnchanter i wanted to share some snippets from my "bipolar files" because even though mental illness and disorders like ADHD have well documented studies on the mental health/addiction connection- oftentimes the gambling and shopping addicts are put in the corner as if their addiction isnt real and that it was just their poor judgements and moral failings.

Check out the DSM info about "problem gambling"