It’s a terrible idea, a really, really bad idea.

Because you’re a complusive gambler, you can’t win. Don’t do it, because one bet could trigger the whole devastating cycle of an addicts lies to yourself. The raw pain of self distrust and sabotage will envelop your entire being. It’s just not worth it, man!

Listen to your heart instead, and hold your head high knowing you’re doing this new way of life one day at a time.

Today I will not gamble

These urges can come out of the blue. Or methodically build over time -- Doesn't matter.
What matters is what we do with them.

I like to ask myself WHY --- as well as play the tape all the way through.

The Why --
I am going to place a bet --- to win? Ok - let's suppose I do win -- then what is going to happen. Am I going to lay it down and walk away for a long period of time with a take it or leave it attitude. I never have done that in recent past. So if I win I am going to start the cycle again. The obsessing, the itch to get back to more betting asap, the rumination, the research, the placing of the inevitable second third etc. bet and so it has begun.

So If I am thinking I am going to place the bet to "win" some extra money- that is beyond proven. It is a fallacy.

OR am I placing a bet for Excitement ? Cause I am bored? Because I want to feel the exhilaration of the chemicals upon a win, or a close game? Ok -- so that is a bit off for me and I know it. I need to feed that need for the chemicals in another way. Otherwise I could once again trigger a cycle I may never get out of.

Once I look at the "why" and what is really going on w/ this thought this craving -- be it the money, the escape, the action.... I can see it for what it is: a very very big risk with the chance of no return. No thanks, not today.

PLAY THE TAPE ALL THE WAY THRU.
Remember what it was like! Look at old writings. Look at what happened those times it was "just gambling". Honestly assess what it did to your life: financial security, time spent, time lost, relationships harmed, self image scars, self hate, abandonment of responsibility, loss of joy in general areas of life, moral and ethical lines crossed... the list goes on.

Write, call someone to talk about it, read some more.

GOOD to acknowledge the urge. now acknowledge the lies that the urge is telling you.

all the best to you
(this helped me today too ;)

These comments were helpful. Thanks. I spent the morning going over my credit report and debts. It made me think about and remember how quickly the debt accumulated and how slowly it's coming back down. Also, I played out in my mind what would happen if I won the wager and what would happen if I lose. If I lost, the wager is over and I just lost $500 for no reason. If I won, then I'd wager on the next game, and then the next game, and the next one. So I'd just manage to waste all of next week gambling until I lost (bringing me back to the same position I'd be in if I lost the first wager, only now having missed out on a full week of experiencing life.)

So I was able to overcome the urge. No wagering. My streak of 145 days without a wager remains in tact.

The main reason you shouldn't is because if you do happen to win any money you'll keep betting until it's time to lose. And the time to lose for a compulsive gambler will always come will always come.

Why?? If you do and lose which is highly probable you will be mad and gamble more to catch losses! If you win win you won’t be happy with amount because we never are and gamble more n more and start the whole cycle of shit again!! Let the feeling pass do something else and remember how you felt as a prisoner to gambling before!! One day at a time!

I used to say to myself that someone would get rich betting the opposite of all my sports bets. I did win, but my losses were more frequent. I would study games I was excited about and would place a bet on what I thought was the most logical. More often than not it went the other way. Sports betting started out fun for me, but became more and more stressful. I am a winner now for every day I don’t place a bet. I’m happier now. Hang in there. You can do it. I will not place a bet today