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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pennyluv 08/31/2015

This is what the numbers look like - it even surprised me a little. My quit date is somewhere around the middle of July. Since I'm not sure of the date, I like to use July 17. These are the number of ATM cash withdrawals I made (not to include cash back, etc). over the past four months.

May - 24

June - 22

July - 10

August - 2

Frightening when you look at it on paper. I needed some reinforcement today so decided to take a look at some of the damage.

amerprin 08/31/2015

I think it is important to face the situation and understand exactly how powerful the compulsive gambling has affected your financial situation.
Congratulations on having the strength to know your numbers.

Qwit4Good 08/31/2015

Looks very familiar. While I was gambling I had a well paid job, I was still overdrawn 3-4 times per month, got two payday loans a month and maxed out everything including what I could borrow from friends. Now that I live on a 10th of what I used to make, I have not been overdrawn once, got balance very low, but not a single overdraft in over 9 months. Amazing!

highlimit 09/01/2015

I can relate. May 2014 was by far my worst month of gambling. It was fueled by a mid five figure slot win on April 30th. I was sure I could use that money to up the stakes and inevitably win enough to solve all the problems I've ever had, financial or otherwise. I was convinced a six figure jackpot was in my future. Well I lost that money within 3 or 4 days, then went on an absolute tornado of destruction to my finances. I probably lost $30,000 of money I got from credit card cash advances in that month alone. Never mind the ATM fees, overdrafts, etc.

I go to the ATM once a week now, the day I get paid, to get my spending money for the week. Sometimes I make it 10 days before I need to go again. Amazing the difference.

nancyzoman 09/01/2015

Congrats on lowering the number of withdrawals gradually over time. I was never able to do that -- April was high, May was lower, June was higher than ever before. I needed to self-ban. I hope you are continuing to stay away more and more.

marieh2 09/03/2015

Monday I cut up my ATM card. It was too easy to be stupid.

Qwit4Good 09/04/2015

Good work and atta boy/girl to all that have faced this situation and found ways to change. Life becomes so much better when we are no longer our own worst enemy.
I now, never carry more than $19 in cash, as $20 or more seems to be a trigger for me. The important part here is being introspective enough to understand ourselves and take steps to do something different. In my addiction I put a lot of energy into not thinking, while I went around in a dream world in a kind of fog.
Hallelujah! Times have changed, I embrace and celebrate the change as I count my blessings. It could have been much worse.

Leapyear22 09/04/2015

you are a brave soul. I have on line banking, and couldn't dare look at the number of withdrawals I had made, it just made me too sick to look at it. Recently I did, and it was shocking to say the least. So, no more walks of shame as they say in the casino. Keep you head up, and keep walking the walk of recovery. Thank you for posting.

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