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...

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tsallen33 04/18/2015

I have surely found my Big Trigger..Stress at my job. I have a new supervisor(6months now) i feel he doesnt like me and i dont like him. i even know i am one of the best workers he has (the big boss and h r director tells me so) but the supervisor is soooo difficult to deal with. He doesnt do what he says and wont work with you on a problem or anything.. Its his way only. He's the new sheriff in town. (he says that) I want to leave and find another job. i have been doing well but last night i had such a desparate urge n want to go gambling. Becsuse i was sooo angry. I told mom im sooooo mad i just want to run off to casino . whether i get arrestef since i am self banned. and didnt care at all. . I see now just why i went all the time . I was angry at everything at my job. I came home after a very bad day and called my mom."I know now stress and hate for my job(supervisor) is causing me to want to GO GAMBLE ..i have been doing so well not gambling and to get such a poweful urge and didnt seem to care at all about anything. I wanted to go.... But Thank God it passed. I know i cAnt go at all. Wow what luck i have to fight off the demon . and we all know it is a demon for sure. YEAH FOR ME FOR STAYING AWAY.

circularlogic 04/18/2015

I say YEA FOR YOU TOO. It's hard turning back once the thought of going gets into your head. Feel good that you were able to overcome it this time around.

What did you do to overpower the urge you were feeling? Anything in particular? A combination of things?

Please do share - as I was not as strong as you last night and I'm not feeling too good about it. I did manage to pay 3 important bills that were due - and I give myself a bit of credit for that. But the remainder of my money ... $400.00 ... I blew every cent of. F*^k.

Thanks .... Peter

Qwit4Good 04/18/2015

It is good to know your triggers. Most triggers, not all, are of the H.A.L.T. variety. This term permeates 12 step literature. It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. It has been helpful to me when I get a thought to gamble or an urge, to think about HALT. My counselor had me write out my triggers and and a plan about what I could do about each without gambling. Example: Hungry - eat something good for me, Angry - turn up radio and curse, Lonely - phone a friend, Tired - get some rest.
It is important for me that I feel my authentic feelings and share it with at least one other person. The reason I gambled was to NOT feel my feelings and to feel good for a millisecond and a fleeting spin of the reels.
Once I wrote out my relapse prevention plan, I needed to practice it when I did not have an urge. Kind of like a fire drill so that in the emergency is does not feel awkward.
I also found other triggers for me, like anxiety, boredom and celebration. My inner addict could turn most any situation, bad or good, into a reason/excuse/justification to gamble.
Exercise, artwork, journaling, dancing, gardening and relaxation tapes all help me with anxiety and boredom.
Keep up the fight. It gets easier after about 3 months.

tsallen33 04/18/2015

I talked it out with my mom. She told me no dont go,you have to let it pass. she told me to remember i am trying to save for a small vacation with my little grandson and if i went my little bit of money would be gone for sure. So i sat and thought do i really want to go and then be mad and upset cause i went. I had enough of a really bad week at work to add the horrible anger Bad feelings / resentment i have when i go to a casino and lost.

katmandu34 04/18/2015

TS, Yay for you for sure! This disease sucks and it is so cool that you were able to fight that demon. You have come so far. I am only on day 40. In GA we talk about the fact that gambling is not a financial problem but rather an emotional problem. We have to find a way to face and deal with all of our feelings instead of escaping them in the casino. It's good that you have identified a big trigger. Keep up the great work and keep on sharing.

marieh2 04/18/2015

That Supervisor is not going to get the best of you! No way, don't let him. Anyway, that is how I handle my triggers. Look at them and tell them they are not going to steal my progress and my joy. Yeah for you, don't give in to the trigger.

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