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...
Gambling made me forget what living was all about, I had almost planned my death, not by my own hands but by not taking care of myself..... Not going to the doctors, the stress, the heartache etc.. Making sure I gave my kids tools just in case anything happens to me.. Having life insurance etc... I couldn't see a future before, I invisioned my own funeral.
Although I still have those things in place, I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon... Unless God decides to take me away early..
I have so much more life to live and I am looking forward to living it... I have a long clinb upward out of my deep deep Finacial hole, but I am gripping my nails in deep, the more I slide I keep gripping..
I will not let my debt depress me back to the casino, I will chip away little by little...... I have to accept that which I cannot change.
I will be celebrating a Birthday soon and on that day I will celebrating a future as well.
Although I still have those things in place, I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon... Unless God decides to take me away early..
I have so much more life to live and I am looking forward to living it... I have a long clinb upward out of my deep deep Finacial hole, but I am gripping my nails in deep, the more I slide I keep gripping..
I will not let my debt depress me back to the casino, I will chip away little by little...... I have to accept that which I cannot change.
I will be celebrating a Birthday soon and on that day I will celebrating a future as well.
I think one commonality with a lot of addicts is that we have a sense of worthlessness. We don't "deserve" the good things in life. We are somehow not worthy. We don't measure up to others. And we drown out our feelings of inadequacy, disappointment, anguish, and low self-esteem by gambling. In doing so, we punish ourselves and drive ourselves to even more feelings of inadequacy.
But it's a cycle that only self-love and an unwavering commitment to self-care can diminish. We have to tell ourselves that we love and accept ourselves. That we are worthy of life. That we can still accomplish good and great things in our lifetimes.
A favorite quote:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -Nelson Mendela
Keep the faith and keep up the good work, @sbailey67! I'm cheering for you!
I am so thankful to have found this site, because without it, I was out here on my own... With your words along with others encorages me to continue this path....
Everyday I hold my head a little higher, because I know I am somebody special.. 10 days today and my mind thinks clearer than ever...the weekend was tuff, but I got through it...
Thank you Nancyzoman, we are all in this together, and I don't feel isolated with my addiction any more