its ok, we have all been there a million times, its the million and one time that we finally get a hold of it

since we are really "high" on drugs when we are there, our mind wont work straight if we are in the den, so the deal is to never go there, never give yourself enough money/time/space, to go there, you and only you have to start building barriers to get around this

this forum is awesome, keep reading and applying all our advice, you're not alone

All too familiar. Yes we have no control, whether we tell ourselves we do or not. It is a symptom of problem/compulsive gambling. Short term memory loss or even a kind of "brown out" similar to an alcoholic's black out is widely reported.
Once at the compulsive level there is no going back, gambling is indeed our "drug" in more ways than just metaphorically. It generates a mass amount of dopamine and suppresses serotonin. Dopamine is a pleasure center chemical and serotonin has to do with impulse control. So essentially we are stepping on the gas and we have no brakes, which nearly always ends in a crash.
We compulsive gamblers are of the type that if our vehicle gets a flat tire while we are in the throes of gambling we are likely to get out and puncture the other three tires.
The first steps have to be to put some barriers between you and your money. Self banning from casinos, cutting up credit/debit cards, or having a friend hold onto cards, checks and cash if needed. Getting GA sponsor or hiring a payee to help with your finances.
It is crazy-making, but humbling yourself to ask for help is well worth it. Owning it, telling others about your problem is oddly empowering. Reviving hobbies to fill time and ease boredom is helpful. You need to do what works for you, that will keep you from gambling.
I guarantee if you do nothing different nothing will change and you are doomed to repeat the same insidious pattern.
You have made a positive step in the right direction by coming to this site and this group, there must be a small voice inside you that knows you can't go on this way and wants to get back to a joyful, colorful, and rewarding life again.
I took me two decades to have had enough misery caused by my gambling and I never want to go back to that dark, lonely, hopeless, emotionally, spiritually and financially bankrupt place that I ended up by gambling.
You can do this, one step at a time, one day at a time. There are lots of suggestions here and a variety of tools easily implemented. It takes work and resolve and time but it is doable.
Prayers and hugs.

happyhatter, Welcome, glad you are here. I could have written your post myself so don't feel alone. Try to block your access to cash. I gave my bank related items to a family member & used a credit card to purchase necessities (I had the cash advance feature removed from the card first - you have to think of everything!). Then, very important to take really good care & be kind to yourself, like you are nursing a patient, because you kind of are. If you read back in these posts you will find lots of great advice that will give you hope and strength. Wishing you a peaceful day.

@happyhatter--

I can't tell you how many times I quit gambling, only to go back the next week or the next day. No doubt the desire to quit was there, but it wasn't until I realized that I needed to do something different that I was able to have success in getting out of the cycle.

For me, the first step was telling my bf at the time about my problem. That created accountability for me, which looking back on it, was what I needed at the time. I also started going to GA meetings, which added to my feeling of being held accountable.

I never blocked my access to cash, or self-banned. I mention this only to illustrate that people take different paths to their own recovery. I know quite a few people with good recovery time, and the only similarity that I can see among them is a fundamental desire to live a gamble-free life. There are many tools out there, but without the fundamental desire to be gamble-free, they tend to lose their efficacy.

IMO, you're way ahead of the game by seeing that boredom is dangerous for you. Why not try to hit that head on? I obviously don't know your personal situation, but why not work on occupying your time in some way? Maybe a hobby that you've not been doing recently? Volunteering somewhere? The possibilities are out there, and like any other tool, if one thing doesn't work, move on to something else that might.

Wish you the best.

I wasn't strong enough to do this without self-ban, a payee controlling my money, and a therapist. And this group, of course.

If you had a child who was sick, but the doctor wasn't sure what to do, what would you do? You probably would try everything known to man! Suggestions:

1.) Self ban
2.) Support groups
3.) GA
4.) Therapy
5.) Have a payee or financial planner
6.) Read books on addiction
7.) Meditation
8.) Figure out all possible triggers. Write down alternative activities for when you have a trigger. Carry the list with you.
9.) Journaling
10.) Nature walks
11.) Exercise
12.) Confide in a supportive friend or two
13.) Take a class scheduled for when your urge to gamble is highest
14.) Volunteer
15.) Turn on music and dance
16.) Get a fitbit to count steps. Hit daily goal. This eats up a lot of time.
17.) Cook all meals daily
18.) Guided imagery
19.) Self help tapes for the car
20.) Inspirational speakers' books and tapes