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...
Do I need to know "why" I am a compulsive gambler? Years ago, when I tried to quit gambling, I went into counseling, I read a lot, and went to a lot of meetings. Of course, I slipped in and out of the addiction over the years, until finally something clicked. But, I wanted to know why, for some reason, I needed to know why.
It reminds me of when I took my real estate brokers exam, and when I prepared for the test, I picked apart the questions, and had to know, why. I of course failed the test the first time I took it. I had to realize, that the test wasn't necessarily about "why are there so many inches in a crawl space" as it was just memorizing the questions and correct answers. Once I realized that, I studied, and I passed the test.
The same applies for my addiction, rather than beat my head against the brick wall and try to figure out why, I needed to just let it be. It doesnt define me, but I guess if I continued on my long journey of self-destruction, it could have. It could have killed me, and if it did, it would have sort of defined me, I would have been defined as the addict that ultimately took her own life.
I don't need to know why anymore, although I have a good understanding of this terrible addiction, I have decided not to make my life more complicated, not to dissect why and to just move forward with the journey of being in recovery.
Do we all have addictions? Do we all have some sort of pain that we are ultimately running from? Maybe, but, recovery makes me realize, that I don't need to know why, I'm just damn happy that I'm not sitting in my addiction, sitting in a casino, and wasting my life away.
I'm grateful, to be, just where I am, and even more grateful for where I have been.
Hugs. Do the day my sweet warriors.
It reminds me of when I took my real estate brokers exam, and when I prepared for the test, I picked apart the questions, and had to know, why. I of course failed the test the first time I took it. I had to realize, that the test wasn't necessarily about "why are there so many inches in a crawl space" as it was just memorizing the questions and correct answers. Once I realized that, I studied, and I passed the test.
The same applies for my addiction, rather than beat my head against the brick wall and try to figure out why, I needed to just let it be. It doesnt define me, but I guess if I continued on my long journey of self-destruction, it could have. It could have killed me, and if it did, it would have sort of defined me, I would have been defined as the addict that ultimately took her own life.
I don't need to know why anymore, although I have a good understanding of this terrible addiction, I have decided not to make my life more complicated, not to dissect why and to just move forward with the journey of being in recovery.
Do we all have addictions? Do we all have some sort of pain that we are ultimately running from? Maybe, but, recovery makes me realize, that I don't need to know why, I'm just damn happy that I'm not sitting in my addiction, sitting in a casino, and wasting my life away.
I'm grateful, to be, just where I am, and even more grateful for where I have been.
Hugs. Do the day my sweet warriors.
girlieo74
I love this!
marieh2
That is it!...... All the mistakes I have made do not define me. I shall learn from this chapter in my life.
Bernie23
I can't tell you how much I love your post. I feel the same way...I don't really want or need to know why. Thanks for sharing.
islapoppy
I didn't need to understand why I personally became a compulsive gambler; however it helped me tremendously to overcome the compulsion by understanding what was going on in my brain during the gambling process. There was a series of YouTube videos--a psychologist teaching gambling counselors--that made a great impact and allowed me to address the urges. I recall the series explained how to help the rational part of your brain override the lower limbic part that takes over when tired or stressed or bored (and other things that made up the acronym BLAST). It explained the endomorphins released during gambling, etc. Allowed me to say, aha, this is why I'm feeling this way, and I'm not going to let gambling be the boss of me.
Leapyear22
whatever works,islapoppy, for me, my brain doesn't want to work that hard lol, I'm good with taking it one day at a time and removing the plunger from my forehead. Someone once told me to "drop the rock" and for me, once I did, I stopped worrying about why and concentrated on my recovery, maybe one day I will dive further into the addiction, but today, I'm good.
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