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...
HI everyone ...its been awhile ..not sure anyone missed me but here I am. I have kept away from gambling ...so that isn't the reason I haven't been here. Mostly because of family issues ..long story. Anyway... I no longer go to dinner with my cousin who still gambles constantly. She thinks its her ...the reason I no longer associate with her ....its not her ..its her gambling problem but she doesn't think she has one ...or if she does know ...she doesn't care. She has the money and is able to gamble. I don't. Do I miss it ...sometimes ...but most times I don't. I keep a very busy lifestyle ...and I'm retired now ....and to me laying in bed and watching tv at night is a luxury. I read ..I do crossword puzzles ...I go shopping ....I go out to restaurants ...I rather eat my money than to gamble it. I always find things to do. Anyhow ...hope life has been good to you all recently. I will not gamble today.
That is now a couple of months ago. DS, journaling, artwork, a good support network, budgeting, putting savings where I cannot get to it, and knowing where to get help, all contributed to me getting back to abstinence quickly. I have a great counselor available to me and am reinstituting tools I have used in the past but gradually let go a year or two before my relapse.
(Carrying a printed copy of my Goodbye to Gambling letter, carrying no more than $19 in cash, lowering my ATM daily withdrawal limit.) I will not gamble today.