[buster1969]

Thanks Laura. 

Something else I’d like to share is that since I’ve quit gambling I’m living the life that I hoped I would when I was gambling. I’ve had my house remodeled, I’ve taken fancy vacations, I’ve bought luxury items I always dreamed about, I got a great job and make more than I ever thought I would and I don’t have to worry about having to pay my bills.

But more importantly I’ve learned to take care of myself from a health and a spiritual standpoint. I have much more time to dedicate to family and friends, I’m able to sleep and when I wake up I have real hope for the day.

Knowing that I’m one bet from losing everything keeps me from going back. Losing money is one thing but losing a life that makes me happy isn’t an option.

[buster1969]

Hey Craig. Hearing your story reminds me of a guy from my GA meetings. He was scared to death at his first meeting but he stayed strong and hasn’t gambled in years. He talked about the challenges he faced like football games, horse races and the NCAA tournament. The funny thing was as these events approached they seemed to give him more strength because he knew how good he felt after not betting on the previous one.

I also love that you’ve compared this addiction to your tobacco addiction, we need to realize that addiction is addiction. Once we distance ourselves from our destructive behavior we realize that we never really liked it anyway and that the addiction made us think we did. After you power through the first few weeks and see the money you’ve saved you’ll start to see that gambling really isn’t even fun. For me the biggest day in my recovery was the first paycheck I got after having not gambled the previous one. It felt so good to still have some money in the bank when I got paid.

A couple things I’d recommend for you is not to dwell on the past. It’s counterproductive because it makes us hate ourselves. We can’t recoup the money or the time that we lost, we can only make sure that we never lose any more to gambling. I’d also recommend treating yourself because you’re doing a great job! You don’t have to go nuts but if you could go out for a nice dinner or go to a movie with some of the money you’ve saved it will make you feel good. If recovery seems like a punishment we’re more likely to relapse so I like to treat recovery as a joyous thing.

[buster1969]

I spent three years regularly going to GA. It was extremely helpful early on but it got a little stale. We rarely had new members and for some reason when we did I didn’t think they got the attention they deserved. I know not all meetings are the same but for the one closest to me that was the case.

[Author]

Posts