I have been told it is like a cucumber. Normal gamblers are cucumbers, once you become a pickle ( compulsive gambler) , you cannot go back to a being a cucumber. Cucumbers can become pickles but not vice versa. Once in a while it hits me that I can never gamble again. But if I think about it I know I have gambled enough for five lifetimes, I have other things to do. Gambling for fun is over for me.

I believe some people CAN gamble for fun.

We can't!!! Our brain is wired differently and we take gambling out of the fun zone. We lose control. Then we make ourselves crazy trying to take back control......and we can't.

Find something funner to do, like going to the mall instead of the casino. Shopping is always fun. At least you will see what you did with your money.

Exactly- for some people, it can be fun and for us, it was fun at one point or another. I'd have to say that deep down it was never "fun"- it was exciting and nerve racking and adrenaline pumping, but not really fun.
A pickle is a pickle and taking that in and owning it, knowing it, is the first and most crucial step. For me, it was tough. I thought I could control it and for one type of gambling I did... well, sort of... however, that little part of me was just waiting for another opportunity and when I found it, I found it. The second time around was way worse than the first time in terms of it's hold on me and how much it really took over my life. Don't give it the chance. Stop and stay stopped.
Jay