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...
i feel the same but today is diferent day I decide today is going to be my last bet.
I am not sure what kind of advice you are seeking here in your post. You have only lost ONE paycheck? Or is this just ANOTHER entire month's paycheck or is this the FIRST time you have lost an entire paycheck? The pounding of our foreheads and cursing ourselves all the way home from the gambling establishment is a common problem that most of us on this board have gone through.
Looking at counseling just to boost yourself is pretty shallow. How about you need to attend counseling to gain some self confidence, some control of your behavior and emotions.... perhaps to uncover why you gamble and to work through unresolved emotions with your family of origin, or unresolved grief and loss....perhaps to discover you false beliefs that generate behavior you want to change. Whatever the reason, counseling needs to be approached with your whole heart, mind and soul so that you can get as much out of it as possible. It is not a first aid kit to apply every once in a while. But the principles and practices you an learn from a good counselor can be a framework for a whole new way of thinking and a whole new way of living.
The cycle of gambling addiction goes something like this:
Thought to gamble--->Urge to gamble---->Plan to gamble---->Gambling Action
It is almost impossible to intervene once we are past the plan stage headed for action. The easiest time to intervene in our behavior, is before the thought to gamble becomes an urge and the second easiest time is between the urge and the planning. We recovering compulsive gamblers usually learn to stay in the moment, listen/monitor/be aware of our inner thoughts, intervene when thoughts try to take us where we do not want to go. It takes being ever mentally present, exactly the opposite of what I wanted to do when I was gambling.
For now you need to stem the bleeding, before your next check comes in, do something so that you can't access a whole paycheck. Talk to the bank about lowering your limit of cash, have someone else handle your finances even if you have to pay a professional payee, you will come out ahead. Perform plastic surgery (cut up credit cards), give debit and credit cards and check book to a friend to hold, or come up with something creative - one friend put all cash left after bill paying into a lock box that her friend held for her, then she had to tell her friend what she was doing with it each time she needed cash.
I personally for over 2 years now, never carry more than $19 with me as $20 bills are a trigger for me.
A counselor can help you work out a solution. The National Council on Problem Gambling 1-800-522-4700 can tell you about resources in your area and if your state subsidizes counseling (free to gamblers and their loved ones in my state), and where your nearest GA meeting of record is located. There is an telephone meeting Wednesdays usually posted here.
Please let us know how you are doing by posting a NEW thread, be it good or bad, hang in there. I hope this helps some.