Gambling Addiction & Recovery Support Group
Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. A preferred term among many professionals is problem gambling, as few people described by the term experience true compulsions in the clinical sense of the word. Problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others rather...
Next week I will be celebrating 6 months of abstinence in GA. This has taken me 3 years of trying to get this time under my belt. I have learned two lessons that have made a complete impact on my life, the first is that Ineed God and the second is I need people! I could not have gotten this far on my own, which I have tried time and time again to do! There is hope! I finally believe that!
I relate. I am on the other side of the country, OR.
I too am coming up on 6 months, today is day 177 of gamble free days. Every day has been a new record for me since two weeks. Numerous times of trying to quit alone. This is the third time I have sought professional help. All this for me has been over a span of 20 years of knowing I had a problem, and 13 years of battling. (Maybe more with myself than the disease - that is whole other post.)
I too am proud of it. I have learned the two things you learned except I prefer a higher power. And I learned so much more. I could not have learned any of the other stuff in isolation and/or in a state of hopelessness.
So many things are different in my life now.
Some things are more difficult because of the damages I left in my wake. But life is so much better and full of color, fuller and ALIVE. I am aware and able to feel so much more love than I allowed myself before quitting. I never want to go back to that dark, lonely place.
One other thing I learned: Having personal, financial or other disasters in your life, usually helps one separate the wheat from the chaff in your social circle. I don't need just any people, I need supportive, positive, loving people.
I just read this great quote and I'd like to share it with you (you may remember I love my quotes :-)
You can't rush something that you want to last forever.
Love you, R, and I am so proud of you! xo ~E