barriers, thats how you gain control - ban from casino, rip up cards or give to someone else you trust, its very overwhelming in the beginning, you cant trust yourself, you will never be cured, only in remission and it does get better, you deserve a life, start today

My lowest point was not only job loss but facing imprisonment as well as huge debt.
The first thing I did was seek therapy this time. (I have several unsuccessful quits over the past 20 years or so.) Therapy, face to face group and above all making an effort to employ tools that people talked about. Things to replace gambling, analyzing triggers and avoiding them, writing a goodbye to gambling, admitting I was powerless over gambling, changing the false belief that I could get ahead by gambling, using hypnosis, writing a relapse prevention plan early on, relaxation, keeping a gratitude diary, using affirmations, learning to love myself, creative activity and talking about my feelings with others, I had to do whatever it took, everyday to stop my gambling behavior.
You are not defined by your past behavior. GA is not for everyone, but you must face the mess you have made in order to get through it.
Self ban and doing plastic surgery on your credit cards (cut them up or give them to someone to hold), would be a good start. But you must take action, you must do what it takes to get to the other side where really, peace, serenity and self love exist and enfold you.
You have something greater to do with your life than piss it away at a casino, it is in your grasp. There must be a tiny modicum of self care left in your wake of self destruction or you would not be reaching out here on D/S.
Prayers, and ((((hugs))))

hi Ali85m . your post sounds exactly like many i have posted over the years. I too only gamble when i drink . and its usually heavy drinking. i just had a horrible saturday due to drinking and gambling . had saved up money for almost 3 weeks and in a drunken stooper lost it all. i layed in bed almost 18hrs today. i was triggered by going to a concert last night. the last relapse was after a bachelor party also . the summer is especially tough for me cause its always a party , concert, bonfire, friends visiting ..etc that gets me drinking. about halfway thru the night of drinking all i find myself thinking about is how im going to get to the casino . between money spent on booze. gambling, food , and cab rides..its a guarantee that i come home broke . i started the weekend with 700$ and i now have 15$ left. i have had 100s maybe 1000s of these depressing weekends . i have had great success when i quit the booze. also very important to get rid of the credit cards and bank cards . way too tempting when alcohol has clouded your judgement . i too get bored and depressed sometimes ... but alcohol and gambling only lead to more depression. i have a few new hobbys im trying to focus on . i would definitely get rid of the credit cards. i have run up debt on them many times... seems to take forever to pay back . i got alot of work to do myself with this addiction. i wish you the best in trying to recover . sincerely johnnyz

Hello guys. I hear your low points and it got me thinking. Have you told anyone about your problem? If we just keep our little secret to ourselves, it's almost impossible to stop. But you have a loving supporter, then you will feel more accountable and will have an easier time to stop.

One low point of many was when I had gambled all my money so I couldn't buy any groceries and was literally starving. I had gone into my own garbage can and picked out some old food I had thrown away a few days earlier and date it.

GF for 2 years: Reasons? I told my wife and self banned.

One thing I have learned is that if I kept my gambling a secret then I could pretend that it was not a problem. Once I finally hit rock bottom I knew I needed help and I had to reach out. The first call was to GA hotline. I got great direction. Then I decided that it was time to tell people that I was closest too. Everyone understood and the weights started lifting off my shoulders. So now I am 70 days clean and loving my life and myself so much better. It is not easy but you can do it.
Stay on this site, read, and post as much as you can. Educate yourself about this disease and admit that you are a Compulsive Gambler. Once I admitted that I started to understand that my problem is and was bigger that I could just manage by myself. I would lie to myself and think I could stop anytime. In fact I had many stops and starts before now. This is my final stop but it is different this time. Counting the days and keeping a journal has been extremely helpful for me. I read a book called Born To Lose, Memoirs of a Compulsive Gambler by Bill Lee. An excellent read.
We all are here because we are compulsive gamblers and want to help you and each other. Wishing you all the best.

No matter how bad things may seem today they can always get worse. I have hit more "low points" than I care to share. Do whatever it takes to stop gambling today. What works for me may not work for you. So I would recommend doing everything and seeing what sticks. This includes, but is not limited to:

Posting on this forum daily
Finding someone you can turn to when you have the urge to drink/gamble
GA and AA
Self-banning
Relinquishing control of your money to someone you trust
Therapy

I failed to get help for years and dug myself a 6 figure debt. Things will only get worse the longer you delay getting yourself in recovery. I have been gambling free for nearly 9 months and my life has done a complete turnaround. No matter how hard things may seem on some days I feel blessed I am not digging the hole and deeper and slowly seeing progress in my life. Please, for yourself, do everything and anything to stop gambling today. It's simply not worth it. Your life is worth so much more than that. As hard as it seems you can stop.

Thank you everyone for your support. I still have to make it to GA meetings this week. Its been day 4 and I am not giving up. I read a lot of posts of people being able to control their triggers after 90 -120 days. I cant wait to be able to say that I have not gambled for that long.

In terms of drinking which has been the trigger, i am going to work hard on controlling the amount I drink, If I do.

Thanks again for everyones support!!