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...

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itsjustmeagain 02/18/2017

so all my NON gambling friends, are like HEYYYYYY YOU HEAR....yes, yes, i know ...LETS GO IT SOUNDS LIKE FUN....so now i have to deal w/the those just wanna go quick for a fun saturday night....well, here i go coming out from the darkness, slowly telling them, well, yeah thnks for the invite, but i'd rather not get tangled in that so close to home, they dont know, but they're going to see, w/o me having to tell the world, im just going to be non receptive

happy gamble free day..

Robin-Mc 02/18/2017

It's difficult to tell others that we, complusive gamblers, can't gamble for fun. Especially co-workers. Out of control gambling is hard for "normal" people to understand, I don't blame them. I still have a problem accepting that I hurt myself when I gamble, and lie when I gamble, that list goes on and on.
I live in Las Vegas and have for over 30 years. It seems weird to me that I once found the casinos boring! I had no desire to gamble, I knew it was for the tourists, not for me. Then BAM! There I was, fully addicted to machines, knowing better.
You know what? It's okay to say "I don't gamble", I've heard lots of people say that in this town. No explanation necessary. My husband told me he didn't gamble shortly after we met, he went on to say to him it's a waste of money. Period. He's not a compulsive gambler, it's really hard for him to understand why anyone is, especially me. But his love is strong and for that I am grateful.
So today I will not gamble.

itsjustmeagain 02/18/2017

you're right...."i dont gamble' :-)

tohope4 02/18/2017

That's what I say, I don't gamble. Lots of people don't. My husband hates the casino but he understood that I loved it and was a very lucky person when it came to it. But when the luck runs out that's it. I don't gamble!! It's that's simple. Friends shouldn't leave you because of it. So it's ok.

Qwit4Good 02/19/2017

My worst gambling has not been at the casinos but in the slot/video poker machines that my state allows to be placed in every bar, deli and restaurant as well as Keno and scratch offs in every convenience store. There are easily hundreds of places for me to gamble in five mile radius. I had to take the attitude that "I don't gamble", I think for me I had to take the attitude that an alcoholic might have to take, it is all around me, but I am allergic to it. Changing my false beliefs really helped me change my behavior and my thought processes. (Gambling is fun. Gambling is harmless. - I know now that gambling is fun for some people, but not for me. I know now that gambling can kill me.) I visualize my past abusers/bullies' face on the screen if I see a poker machine now, and I run the other way.

itsjustmeagain 02/19/2017

thanks qwit4good, its a new obstacle, but a necessary one at that

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