Gambling Addiction & Recovery Support Group

I too just signed up today. Admitting I have a gambling problem was never an issue, I knew it everytime I left the Casino Broke. The real problem was finding someone to talk to that wouldn't judge. It's hard being the "New Kid" in town. Keep your chin up and keep writting.

Thanks... I wish there was a chat room to talk to someone at the moment you need them.

I agree. I looked online for hours triing to find something exactly like that but with no luck. I'm too busy to go to a group and I'm not sure if I want to sit in a room with other people yet. Besides the fact that all the close groups in my city are during my work hours. It's frustrating.

check out the compulsive gamblers chat room at Safe Harbour.......wwwsfcghub.com. On-line meetings there, too.

Step One says---- "We admitted that we were powerless over gambling......"

Powerless......once I start, I cannot stop. I cannot control gambling, actually it's the other way around, as soon as I place that first bet, gambling controls me. All logic, all common sense, all my good intentions and all of my best plans are gone out the window....... one bet, and I'm lost again in the madness of the addiction. I struggle and search to find the reason why I am the way I am....... Why is that others can gamble successfully while I cannot? It doesn't seem fair.
Finally, one day, I admit defeat.......once again gambling has proved itself my master. I realize that the reason isn't important, it doesn't really matter why I gamble the way I do. Looking back at my past, I realize that without exception, gambling has won every bout, I've lost and lost and lost....... it never changes. It never gets better. In fact, it gets progressively worse. My lies, my cheating, my deceptions and my self loathing get worse and worse...... I find myself doing things that I thought I would never be capable of...... just to get the money to keep gambling.
I am powerless over gambling. I have only one defence against it........I must stop. I must stop now. I must stop totally........ no more excuses, no more putting it off, no more "trying" , no more wishing and hoping and praying and avoiding and delaying. No more crying and feeling sorry for myself and waiting for someone else to "fix" my problem for me.
I will start here, today.........."Just for today, I will not gamble."

'Iowadawn and Mel ..Welcome to D.S..
'GA helped me. I was exposed by my debt .
'Banning oneself from Casinos works for many.
'Giving over all access to Money on a daily basis worked for me until my head cleared and I became more responsible to handle 'finances.
Going to Meetings lifted the Weight of going it alone .
'New Or Old.. New can become old.. but Old can become 'new again with a ''bet''..
Be Well Sandra gams5..

Iowa has a self exclusion program, you sign one time, it excludes you from all Iowa casinos.

Thanks you guys. I made it throught today without gambling. :) A feat for me on the weekend. Thanks for all your kind words of encouragement and understanding. I knew I was in trouble last night at the casino when I had taken the limit out on both my bank cards and was almost took a cash advance on a credit card. I didn't... but it scared me that I wanted to. Thank goodness it hasn't gotten to the point for as it has for some... I've done nothing illegal or affected anyone around me. (I have no personal life l..) But I have gone through enough money to buy a nice new car in the past two years. I still have some money in savings and I really want to buy a home where I just moved so I reallly need to stop. Not to mention what its done to my sleep, my attitude about myself... and my health. I was known as a child by my aunts as the one that alwasy said... "I do it myself". So this is huge for me. Now... if I can just get up the courage to go to a GA meeting. How do you self excluse yourself? I really don't want to drive back to the Casino on my own... no near strong enough for that.

http://www.iowagaming.org/responsi...
the link above will take you to the self exclusion program, explanation of it, and how to do.
Hope this helps.

Thank you!!