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...
This week things, not gambling, seems harder this week. My job, family stressors, triggers or just urges, are making this hard. Plus I haven't been able to fill the void left from gambling. I know all the things I could be doing but nothing interests me. I have no motivation I just sleep eat and work. I am worried about a relapse if nothing changes. I need something to do.
Find the things that used to make you happy, do those and explore others. Find a molecule of passion about something and volunteer somewhere.
It really helped me to DECIDE ahead of time, for each and every one of my triggers, what I would do next time I confronted that trigger, besides gamble. I wrote it out: family stress: I am going to withdraw and go take a bubble bath, work stress I am going for a nature hike after work, general anxiety I am going to take out art supplies and play with them, etc, etc. This making of a relapse prevention plan that was specific to me went a long ways and may have saved my life once or twice.
Have you written a goodbye to gambling? That can be a tool to prevent relapse, I like to re-read mine when/if I have an urge.
Exercise can increase the amount of dopamine your body/brain is getting and can generally make you feel better. Even just 10 minutes a day of walking or dancing.
Please try everything and anything you can to get away from this insidious addiction.