Hi All,

I'm not an expert in the field of addictions, however, I think there may be some people who suffer from some form of Scrabble addiction. In response to a number of suggestions (some of them tongue-in-cheek), I have put forward some observations and thoughts on this subject. After the necessary editing, approval and feedback, I hope to have some useful information for people who feel they they may be suffering from "Scrabble addiction" on the public section of the Western Scrabble Network website.

What is addiction?

Dictionary.com defines "addiction" as "Habitual psychological and physiological dependence on a substance or practice beyond one's voluntary control." I think that to understand "addiction" it helps to understand the concept of "mastery". In his book entitled "Mastery", George Leonard describes mastery as "the mysterious process during which what is at first difficult becomes progressively easier and more pleasurable through practice." In the Western Scrabble Network, we love to encourage people to work towards "mastery" of Scrabble, if that is their goal. We would like to see a person become a "master" of the game - we do not want to see a situation where the game becomes the master of the person. I guess if I had to define "Scrabble addiction" I would say that it is the condition in which certain key areas of a person's life are compromised because of a compulsion to play the game. Do you know of anyone who suffers from "Scrabble addiction" according to this definition?

I feel that I can speak with some authority on this subject only because of my experience. There was a time where I believe that my Scrabble involvement compromised certain key areas of my life, and this needed to be dealt with.

Dealing with Scrabble Addiction

For some addictions, the favoured approach by the organisations set up to deal with the addiction is that of "Total Abstinence". There are often good reasons for this. I guess the main reason is that the particular addiction really does not have any redeeming qualities. Without wanting to make value judgments, it is difficult to argue a case for the benefits of smoking, heroin or Internet porn. However, most people would agree that there are some significant benefits to be gained from participating in Scrabble - apart from the social interaction, there's the strategic, educational, gamesmanship, and time management aspects of the game - just to mention a few. Therefore I would suggest in all but the most hopelessly pathetic cases, Total Abstinence should not be a serious option.

I'm sure we all know of some people who suffer from "work addiction". Total abstinence is probably not a good idea for these people - but a holiday might be in order!

Identifying Scrabble Addiction

I don't know too many people who can honestly say that they have really balanced lives, but I think it is a goal worth striving towards. Seeking balance could lead people with a Scrabble addiction to a solution without the need for expensive psychological treatment.

In my work life, before I provide anyone with financial advice, I lead people through a process of thinking about what is really important to them. Some common threads are a feeling of security, strong relationships, a sense of purpose, having time for fun, and a sense of achievement - just to name a few. This information provides a framework for advice before I start looking at the details of their financial position.

In his book "Values-Based Financial Planning", Bill Bachrach states that there are 5 basic pieces to a successful life. These are:

• Mental Health
  
• Physical Health
  
• Relationship Health
  
• Spiritual Health, and
  
• Financial Health
  

I guess that if any one of these 5 areas of your life is suffering because of your involvement in Scrabble, then you have some issues that may need to be addressed.

Here's some questions that you might like to ponder:

• Does your participation in Scrabble provide you with enjoyment, or does it leave you feeling stressed?
  
• Do you see Scrabble tournaments as an exciting opportunity to participate, to put into practice what you have learnt, and to meet with fellow Scrabblers - or do you see them as a chore and a threat to your precious ratings points?
  
• Do you neglect your physical health because of spending too much time playing Scrabble? Rather than playing 5 x 20 minute games on the Internet in a sitting, have you thought of playing 5 x 10 minute games and going for a 50 minute workout? (You still get the same tile turnover!)
  
• Do you neglect to spend the necessary time needed to nurture relationships with the key people in your life - your partner, your children, your parents etc because you are spending too much time playing Scrabble?
  
• Is Scrabble a distraction from your spiritual focus, whatever that may be? Another way of putting it is - is it a barrier to you considering the really important questions of life? It has been said to me (I won't say by whom) that there is a spiritual element to the game of Scrabble, but I haven't heard it suggested that a religion be founded on the game (yet!). I have heard that there is at least one player who states that Scrabble "defines his existence". This is a bit of a worry!
  
• Are you neglecting your work, your business, your career development or your schooling as a result of your involvement in Scrabble?
  
• Do friends make statements about you which indicate that they believe you are addicted to Scrabble? Sometimes I think that these sort of comments can be dismissed because they are either jealous or they just want to give us a ribbing - that's what friends are for.
  

If you answered "Yes" to any of the above questions, then just maybe, you are suffering from a form of Scrabble Addiction. If you answered "Yes" to all the questions, there's no doubt about it!

Some possible next steps

Again I stress that this is outside of my area of expertise, so I just offer these as personal thoughts:

• Make a list of things that are important to you. This certainly may include (but should not be limited to) Scrabble-related pursuits. This list of "what's important" should reflect what your core values are. This "what's important" list should cover the 5 areas (Mental, Physical, Relationship, Spiritual and Financial);
  
• Decide what "action steps" must be taken to help you work towards what is important. For instance, you may decide that to maintain your desired level of physical fitness you should exercise 4 times per week. To achieve the level that you want in your career, you need to commit to a certain course, or to generate the income you need in your business, you need to make X calls to the right people over a week, etc.
  
• These "action steps" can also include steps that will lead you to mastery of Scrabble. For instance, you may decide to commit to attending one meeting per week and 10 tournaments per year. In addition, you may choose to review and learn the top 1000 probability 7s by the end of September and the top 1000 probability 8s by the end of October. Remember, the aim is for you to become a master of the game - not the other way around!
  
• Make a commitment to put these action steps into practice. Some people are naturally self-disciplined, but most of us are fairly lazy. Apart from being a handy 7 based on the RETAIN stem, INERTIA is a condition that we nearly all suffer from to some degree. I have found that it is really beneficial in wanting to seek balance in my life, that I spend time with like-minded people who "have their act together". I believe we can all benefit from good role models - that has been my experience. If you think that you have an addiction, then it is most likely counterproductive to spend too much time in the company of other addicts! Maybe a better approach is to spend time with people who will hold you accountable to achieve what's important.
  

Scrabble is a great game. There is a great community of interesting people behind the game. May I encourage you to work towards the mastery of this great game as part of a well balanced life. Let's not give the game a bad name by allowing psychological dependence to grab a hold of our best and brightest.

Enjoy your journey towards "mastery"!

Tony Hunt