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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TRuss81 04/19/2017

So yesterday, I was finishing up my post for Day 3 and could not, nah, let me say would not end it with "Today, I won't gamble", I think it felt too real at that moment, like if I said it, wrote it.. That I would have to MEAN it. I didn't end the post with it, and yet, I did not gamble yesterday. I actually wrote it, typed it with all the necessary letters, and then erased it before I could press POST. I don't think I'm ready to write it yet, ready to scream it yet, and although I know it's a sickness, "my" sickness, I don't think I'm ready.... So it's Day 4 and that's how I'll end it... But I will say this, I know what gambling has done to me and to mine and I will try my best not to gamble, even though it's there... Scratching, waiting for me to give in, sh*t, I even love the smell of the casino, the sounds, only thing I hate is the devastation that it has caused me and when I see someone like me with the defeated look in their eyes.

skip88 04/19/2017

I understand where you are coming from but believe me you are one of the truly lucky ones, not in action and trying hard to better your life. The rest are still out there grinding and crying. It has been almost two and a half years without the misery. But I know I am just one bet away from going back to the same old dismal existence. I know I have no more recoveries left, so this is it for me. You are doing good and have a chance to turn your life around for you and your family. Do not let that slip away into the abyss. God Bless

Robin-Mc 04/19/2017

Hi, good post, it sounds like you're digging for answers, that's good. I wonder why it's hard for you to write Today I will not gamble, but I do know it's hard for me to write my number of gambling free days down, so I understand. Today is #55, it's crazy, I have such a difficult time keeping track of them, I have to stare at today's date and do the the math a couple of times in my head, as if I've lost the ability to add! lol I know, it's kind of stupid, but it's also funny to me. I think it must be some sort of mental block, and just because of that I want to make sure I know the #... silly stuff. No one is home with me right now and I just said out loud "I don't gamble anymore", well the dogs are here, so they heard it and didn't even react! lol I like hearing myself say it, I sound a little bit matter of fact, I think. Words. Today is just another day I won't gamble; it's strange that I hear myself saying, in my head, "Today I don't have to gamble because I don't want to".... more words. When you write about that defeated look in someone's eyes I shudder to think I was doing that to myself. I mean it, I'm digging my heels in this time. One day at a time and two heels at a time.
Hey, I remember day 4, it's not easy what you're trying to do, but you're doing it, that's what's important. You're young, I peeked at your age, I'm 61, I'm not excited about saying that out loud, lol, but what I want to say is please don't wait until you're my age, I would never recommend quitting over and over again.

Today I will dig my heels in

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