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...
101 days in recovery!
Today on my way to my office, I was thinking about my mood, since I decided to stop gambling and be in recovery, work on my recovery this time, I have gone through different moods, emotionally a wreck my first few days, from sad and beating myself up the next few days, or so... and then mourning the lose of my so called friend, my addiction.
I believe now, I'm finally, after so many years of participating in this addiction, I'm at acceptance. I knew I was powerless, that much I knew, this time, I felt it and I knew I was powerless, but my turning point was realizing I wasn't "hopeless."
Do I mourn my habit, my addiction? I think I did, initially. But I can tell you with all honesty, not today, today I don't mourn it, which is strange for me, I never imagined not having it in my life, that place to run to, learning how to master the game of poker. I used to think if I could just learn to control my play time, limit my spending, etc., it would be okay? That thinking was called denial for me.
My days are not always perfect, my mood, not always the best, but, I wouldn't trade it for how I was 101 days ago for the world.
Acceptance, hopeful and grateful! I am not in a casino this morning, looking at the clock, walking to the cage, drinking red bull and smoking like crazy, dreading the drive when I would finally go home, literally sick to my stomach. Today, I get to do the day!
Do the day my warriors.
xoxoxo
Today on my way to my office, I was thinking about my mood, since I decided to stop gambling and be in recovery, work on my recovery this time, I have gone through different moods, emotionally a wreck my first few days, from sad and beating myself up the next few days, or so... and then mourning the lose of my so called friend, my addiction.
I believe now, I'm finally, after so many years of participating in this addiction, I'm at acceptance. I knew I was powerless, that much I knew, this time, I felt it and I knew I was powerless, but my turning point was realizing I wasn't "hopeless."
Do I mourn my habit, my addiction? I think I did, initially. But I can tell you with all honesty, not today, today I don't mourn it, which is strange for me, I never imagined not having it in my life, that place to run to, learning how to master the game of poker. I used to think if I could just learn to control my play time, limit my spending, etc., it would be okay? That thinking was called denial for me.
My days are not always perfect, my mood, not always the best, but, I wouldn't trade it for how I was 101 days ago for the world.
Acceptance, hopeful and grateful! I am not in a casino this morning, looking at the clock, walking to the cage, drinking red bull and smoking like crazy, dreading the drive when I would finally go home, literally sick to my stomach. Today, I get to do the day!
Do the day my warriors.
xoxoxo
Here is a take on Acceptance by Ralph Marston
On the Power of Acceptance
When the world seems to be falling down around you, you can choose to fall down with it or you can choose a more positive path. Acceptance will put you on that positive path.
Fighting against negativity only produces more negativity. Yet when you accept what is, no matter how terrible and difficult it may be, you put yourself in a position to start changing it for the better.
Acceptance does not mean giving in or giving up. It means moving on, as in moving on ahead.
There is simply no point in fighting battles which have already been lost, nor is there any point in allowing the loss to continue to slow you down. The smart strategy is to accept it and then put all your energy toward a positive pursuit.
Acceptance does not mean allowing others to take advantage of you. It simply means that you look realistically at what has happened and allow yourself to see the positive opportunities that are most certainly there.
Once you accept what is, you are free to move positively forward. Once you quit fighting, you are free to start achieving.
-- Ralph Marston
and congratulations to all others marking milestones......
thanks kenl for the post about acceptance. think this one will get copied into my e-mail to print out to add to my little 'recovery' notebook.
again, you go, leapy!!!!!!
Good for you !