wow, that is a loaded question. For me, its been 10 years of the same thing, only worse as time went on. I quit several times, but went back out after 30 days or so. How do you quit? Well for me, this time, I feel it, I need it, I want it, I know for me, I have no choice, it will emotionally kill me, and financially bankrupt me. Someone said in a meeting the other day, that, you get everything you think you would get when you gambled, when you actually stopped. I believe that is so true. For me, its a commitment, its an entirely new way of thinking, its learning to care enough about myself to admit the destruction my gambling has done to me. I have decided to reach out for help, to take one day at a time, and to not gamble, no matter what. Financially, its tough, no lie there, but, I know that every day I stay GF, is one step closer to my ability to move on, if I choose to gamble, today, I will lose that ability to have any control over my emotions or finances. Today, I woke up and said, I will not place a bet. I will do whatever it takes to not go to the casino. Just for today. You got this, and every day to don't gamble is a day to celebrate, its the toughest thing I have ever had to do, but I am going to do this, 10 years of my life, is gone, I can't get it back, but I have today, I have the rest of my life, and I want to embrace it, I don't want to feel the disgust, the fear, the loathing like I did when I thought it was okay to go back out, just for a little bit. I can't gamble, I don't know how to stop, I can't stop, so, for today, I will not place a bet. Its not easy, but I have faith, it can be and will be done. xoxoxo hang in there.

In my experience (not very proud one), I've done it seen it and heard it all how people get here. It is indeed very complex addiction due to the nature of individuals circumstances. But, there are first few steps you must take in order to quit gambling and stay quit.

1. Surrender - Total submission of powerlessness over gambling. Seek help and ask all the questions. At this point, if you are only focusing on your financial and all the devastation comes just from your financial, believe me, you will go back as soon as your financials gets its relief. Total surrender requires courage, conviction and self love. You must want to quit for YOURSELF and YOUR SELF ONLY, nothing more nothing less.

2.Don't gamble - whatever your choice of game is, STOP. Wether its 1 day or 1 month, DO NOT GAMBLE. Absitinence from gambling will clear your mind to think more rationally. This is the time you will figure out how you will get out of your financial ruin and what steps you want to take to achieve it.

3. Grieving - I think I posted somewhere on this grieving process, not necessarily the sequence I listed but any order people grieve in their loss.

4. String your ODAT to be in recovery.

Addiction alters our life forever. Once you are addicted, you will never be the same. You no longer have that freedom of choice of gambling for a bit or controlling. You have to live with the fact that you cannot control and be happy with the fact that it is your choice not to gamble.

It's a very hard road and you must do the legwork it requires. But, once you find your way, the rewards for letting go is tremendous. I know it is very hard for you to even conceive of notion that you will ever get out of this, but believe me, you will. It only takes your willingness to get there.

There are tons of posting here that discusses about how you can put some road blocks to deter you from gambling as well as how to resist your urges when it comes.

Your financial will get better one way or the other once you stop digging. Remember, trying to make up your loss by gambling did not work. And it will not work in coming days either. And you know it too. You may pay off some debts by winning but you will go back because you believe you can do it again. It wouldn't be an addiction if it didn't have that affect on your psychic.

I am not going to lie, I do have another bet in me, but I choose not to place that fist bet because its the first bet of 1000s bet I cannot control. It's the regaining of my choice. It's the freedom of choice I thought I never had.

You are here now, share your thoughts, ask all the questions. Doing so will in fact help you ease your mind a little and you can regain your strength to endure whatever you need face.

keep strong, keep your head held high and remember you are never alone!

You are going to be alright. Hugs..

love,
victoria

You stop by making the "gut-wrenching" and most deepest felt committment that you have had enough of living the HELL of gam"bull"ing.

You stop by reading all of the devestating stories here about debt, pain, despair and possible suicide of addiction.

You stop by looking at how gambling to excess ( compulsively, NOT normally) has taken you to be without money, food, housing, friends, family and just living; has caused you to be lonely, desperate, sad, regretful and remorseful; how you are not actually living but just going through the motions each and every day just trying to figure out how to get more money to gam"bull" (give away); how you can just barely remember what life used to be like; how you are ruining your health with the hours and the smoking and the stress.

You stop because usually you just can't figure out how to get more money to gamble or you can't pay your bills or your spouse is wanting to leave you.........

sometimes we just have to hit rock bottom, which could be life changing as we lose our family or posessions but sooner or later
a compulsive gambler has to stop.
Just how bad, how low, how horrible it has to get depends upon you and your "threshold" of pain and suffering.

The sooner the better...........
most assuredly.............
so why wait???

ps

"what puts us in the same predicament...over and over?"

read books and read here,
this is the ADDICTED mind,
it is how is functions,
unconciously
by deceit and deception
to get us to do what is NOT in our best interest.

Think of and read about addiction,
we are not in control
and until we realize this and know that we
alone can't stop ourselves
we remain addicted.

Try reading...........
Stop Me Because I Can't Stop Myself.
great book about gambling addiction.