You know my Hubby has said to me that he tells himself all the time that he is not going back. He said that one tim he said it and the next thing he knew he was walking into the casino. He says there have been so many times he is serious and has no intention in going gambling, but he ends up there anyway.

I told myself that, among other things, many many times. I always had good intentions...but my actions did not follow. It is so hard to just stay away... we need to use tools to help us. Saying "just one more time" is one way of feeding the addiction. Please don't think that you have failed....you are learning what you can and can not do...the only time a person fails is when they quit trying,

Over the years I have said that so many times I've lost count. There have been times when I was succesful for a time. Then something would happen in my life and I would go back, I guess I craved that feeling I have when I'm there. The cravings are stronger when my life is a mess. It seems like the more stress I have the harder is is to stay away. If I could find some other avenue to get that relief. I could stay away from the casino. It is a vicious cycle. I think deep down we all know what we need, but change is so hard. Some of us are very unhappy people, but we don't have the strenght to make the changes we need to make to be happy. I hope this makes sense.
Steph55

"Just one more time and I won't do it anymore"

Zillions of times. Before going out there, while I was sitting there, when I would finally leave, over and over again..."just one more time and I won't do it anymore"...

Never say never...

I kept telling myself that I needed to stop, wanted to stop...just one more time... I said it over and over, to the point where I didn't even believe myself, because I knew I was lying to myself.

Steph55...your reply made complete sense to me. I think deep down we all know what we need, but change is so hard, I couldn't agree with you more. It's like deep down inside, we know the difference between right and wrong, our personal feelings, opinions, thoughts, they're there, deep down inside, how we feel about ourselves. If I can't trust myself, who can I trust?

froggy..........I call it the 'bartering Phase.. Just 'one more''.and I will go home..
'If I win I will go home.. eventually I lost and had no choice but to go home.....
'ONe minute 'sincere 'the next 'run mode..
My mind was 'like watching a ping pong match..
I pinged and ponged 'steadily ..
Money 'at my finger tips 'fueled the 'pace of my mind..''When 'it was there .......physical symptons existed 'heavly.. ''Anxiety..Stress, sweaty palms..
When I gave up allllllllllllll reigns with money . my urges 'feelings lessened.
I focused on staying physically busy.. Cleaning ''crochetting..tending 'grandkids . pets.. Whatever. Sitting and Thinking were my enemies.. Money was the drug ..
NO Money=No Gambling..
Eventually 'ONe day happened where there were no 'thoughts urges to gamble.
Today . I accept that I may off and on think of 'gambling.
What 'circled for 'hours on end leaves scares of 'empty 'void..to be filled to build a life 'after 'gambling..
And like I 'know and from reading literature..Actual physical part of Gambling is small 'it's the ''thinking.. finding.. changing 'to gamble that takes up most of the time '=Before and After from my experiences.
Be well..gams5..ODAAT..

I think once you have made the step to gamble, all your choices are gone. You (I) have put yourself into the control of a more powerful entity and regardless of what you say to yourself (one more hand and I will leave)you are not the one calling the shots. Loosing all available money was usually my way of ending a session at the casino. Other times it was an outside pressure (gotta be somewhere at a cetain time). Rarely did I ever make the choice to stop while ahead and follow through with it.
Just my experience.
Kiki

I really want to thank you all for your answers to this question, I thought I was all alone in doing this. It is such a blessing to hear that others think this way also.

It was fantasy thinking. It was living in a dream world. It wasn't logical, or rational thinking, it was selfish, compulsive behavior.

Gosh, I was going to give my reply but after reading everyone elses, I would just be repeating so much of what others have already said. I'll just summarize by saying, I promised myeself probably a hundred times that it was the last time.