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 was doing so well. Saved up some money, went on vacation last month. Been going to see my counsellor on a monthly basis. All was going so well but slowly the urge started creeping back. I fought it off for as long as I could but last week I couldn't fend it off anymore. I relapsed again.
I told myself I'll only lose X amount, I'll play for fun, once I make X amount I'll leave. It NEVER works out like that. I lost everything and dug myself the biggest whole I've been in.
I've tried everything in the past to try to quit gambling forever except self-exclusion. I will self-exclude now. It is the last thing I can try at this point. This is going to be a very depressing summer.
I told myself I'll only lose X amount, I'll play for fun, once I make X amount I'll leave. It NEVER works out like that. I lost everything and dug myself the biggest whole I've been in.
I've tried everything in the past to try to quit gambling forever except self-exclusion. I will self-exclude now. It is the last thing I can try at this point. This is going to be a very depressing summer.
xxoo god bless
don't discount your time clean. this lapse doesn't wash away all you've done w/ recovery.
I too tested my "power and self control" and failed --- brought me to a new level of understanding and surrender -- I can not mess with this.
I can not work the system, use the suites, the free play, it is all a trap for me.
hang in there.
self exclusion has helped me soooooo much. I hope you find peace with taking casino trips "off the table". I did.
sending you peace and strength vibes. you can do this.
we can all do this together
Understandably, you're feeling disappointed, but turn that experience into a teaching moment, and get back on course. Remember, the important thing is not how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up!
You've got an arsenal of weapons within you to be stronger than the terrible urges this beast of a disease showers upon you. You made huge strides during your 9 month GF journey, and I am certain your GF GPS will realign itself and serve to guide you through these rough patches in the road.
Hang in there and believe in yourself-You can and will do this!
Be well and stay strong!
Thoughtfully,
Tagg
When I would think of the only choice I had was to self ban in order to stop the insanity of wasting my money and life I felt like something was being taken from me. So I didn't do it. I rolled my dept over into a the house mortgage. .... I convinced myself I would not ever accumulate anymore dept again. Yeah, that didn't happen. I added another 10T in just a very short time.
The day I self banned was the day that chains came off of me. The freedom of not lying about where I was and how much I won or lost.
I believed that self banning was for weak people, I had this under control. I believed that if I self banned all my fun would be taken away from me. I believed that I would miss out on some great concert, some great event. I believed the lies I was telling myself.
The truth is- I loved my husband more then me and I didn't want to ruin our future. The truth is--- There is NOthing fun about being in a room full of people that are desperate, greedy, sad and chasing a false dream. (That was me)
Someone on this forum said to write out the truth and the lies of gambling. I did. When I was faced with the truth and the lies, I choose life instead of death.
On Feb 14 I gave my husband the gift of banning form 5 casino's in the area and the next weekend banning from the rest.
I gave me a gift and a future.
The sentence that sticks out the most in your post is you said, "This is going to be a very depressing summer." May I ask why you think that? Banning is Not depressing, Banning is the best way to stop the bleeding. If you knew an alcoholic and they lived in bar, would you tell them to remove themselves from this location? It is the same thing, we have an addiction and removing the temptation is the best way to stop this madness and start living.
I hope you will ban and look at your summer in a different light. I hope you can get a mind set that says your can have a great summer.There is so much more to do in the summer then wasting our lives in the Rat Trap. (That is how I must look at the casino)
Have you head the saying, "Think you can, think you can't" They are both right.
You can have a great life not gambling.
Marie: it will be a depressing summer because of the debt that looms over my head. I'm trying to forget about what I could have done with the money I've lost that could have been used for summer activities.
I will try to think positive and try to move on from this incident.