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 always want to remember how bad I felt when I was gambling and when I first quit almost a year ago. Sometimes I go back and read my post when I was 13 days clean and miserable. My life was an absolute mess and I could see no way out of it. Now almost a year later everything is so much better. Yes the money thing does work itself out and it is the least of the problems. Back then I thought it was the biggest problem. The addiction was the biggest problem and the loss of relationships, trust and accountability, all of which I have regained. I always want to remember so I never go down that road again. But still it is one day at a time, so I am happy to say I will not gamble today.
I too continue to remind myself of the misery. Looking at early journals or 'goodbye to gambling" letter, or reading the new to recovery people's posts keeps me remembering the pain and it is a powerful tool in for me in my abstinence and helps me choose to not go down that road, or open that door.