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...
Haven't been on here in a while...had stopped gambling for two or three months, but have slowly slipped back into it. Last time I "quit" I resisted the idea of going to meetings or doing self-exclusion. I know it was because I still was in denial that I have a problem.
I ended up having today off from work and spent 12 HOURS at the casino. Several times I literally felt sick to my stomach, but still had that feeling like my butt was glued to the chair in front of the slot machine....just couldn't get up. It was a major bender.
I'm stopping again today. Printed out the self-exclusion form, have a GA meeting mapped out to go to tomorrow (right down the street from my house!) and I'm feeling ready to take a more serious step...haven't done meetings or self exclusion before, so this will be a big new step. I think I'm finally realizing this problem cannot be casually controlled, you really have got to pull out the big guns and go full throttle or you can just forget about stopping.
When I drove home tonight my deepest sense of regret was the 12 hours wasted. I can't get that back. That's one less day I could have spent enjoying time with my husband. I think of that and it's WAY worse than losing money. Losing time and basically losing your mind is what's way worse. You cannot get that time back and it will never be time you look back on fondly...wow, so glad I spent all those hours and days at the casino! Life is TOO SHORT to waste precious time in that hell hole. I'm glad to be back on here!
I ended up having today off from work and spent 12 HOURS at the casino. Several times I literally felt sick to my stomach, but still had that feeling like my butt was glued to the chair in front of the slot machine....just couldn't get up. It was a major bender.
I'm stopping again today. Printed out the self-exclusion form, have a GA meeting mapped out to go to tomorrow (right down the street from my house!) and I'm feeling ready to take a more serious step...haven't done meetings or self exclusion before, so this will be a big new step. I think I'm finally realizing this problem cannot be casually controlled, you really have got to pull out the big guns and go full throttle or you can just forget about stopping.
When I drove home tonight my deepest sense of regret was the 12 hours wasted. I can't get that back. That's one less day I could have spent enjoying time with my husband. I think of that and it's WAY worse than losing money. Losing time and basically losing your mind is what's way worse. You cannot get that time back and it will never be time you look back on fondly...wow, so glad I spent all those hours and days at the casino! Life is TOO SHORT to waste precious time in that hell hole. I'm glad to be back on here!
Went to my first GA meeting last night and feel hope for the first time. Hang in there - you can do it!
I hesitated to sign up for self exclusion for a few months because I was afraid that I might want to go back in the future....like when I had my gambling under control. That addict thinking dug me into a deeper hole and I lost several thousands more. I couldn't believe the amount of relief I got the day I signed the form and said goodbye. I had hope for once that things were going to be ok. I'm glad to hear you located your nearest GA meeting and are planning to go. Let us know how it goes.
You CAN do it! Hugs. Sunnie