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...
Started serious gambling after my father died. He used to go to the Casinos and play the slots, but was always responsible, sometimes I would go with him. When he died I went more and more, spent more and more, spent money I couldn't afford. Tried quitting, put myself on the exclusion list and went about a year without gambling. Then got back into it again. I have anxiety/depression and tend to be a loner, and the slots numb that, for a while. And then, leaving the casino, broke and ashamed, the anxiety and depression return and their worse. Put myself on the exclusion list again and in a moment of weakness went to the Casino and hit a jackpot. Was afraid they were not going to pay me. Told the attendant I put myself on the exclusion list. He checked with the office, said I was fine, paid me and welcomed me back. Lost it all back plus as least twice more. Keep telling myself this is the last time. I don;t like the person I've become. I am a very honest person, but I lie about my gambling. This is not me. I feel weak and scared. Talking to a counselor, but I need support from others who have been there. Kind of a private person, so don't share with anyone about my gambling. Live alone. I have a family that loves me and would be sad and worried for me if they knew. Today, I want this to be the last time I say, I'm done. And be serious about it. I am tired of being broke, ashamed, guilt ridden, anxious, scared. But I need help and support from others who can relate. Gambling takes away my loneliness and anxiety, I am around people and feel excited, I enjoy it, but it is destroying my soul and my self-esteem. Thanks for listening. It means a lot to know I am not alone in the struggle.
penny
Yes your family would be sad and worried for you, but they would also be some of your best advocates. If your family is trustworthy, (not everyone's is), you can enlist their help.
The first step is really to get some blocks in place between you and your money, stem the bleeding, so to speak. Second, educate yourself about compulsive gambling. You are seeing counselor, wonderful. Listen to their feedback, do your homework between counseling sessions and make some lifestyle changes.
While I understand being a private person and not wanting to open up, we are social individuals and if we do not bond with others we will bond with something else (addiction). Here is a link to a great video from TED Talks about addiction: https://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_everything_you_think_you_know_about_addiction_is_wrong?language=en
I needed help to quit. A counselor trained specifically for helping problem/compulsive gamblers was a big help to me.
YouTube has a hypnosis session designed to help compulsive gamblers quit, I don't know how much it helped in my quitting but it helped with the anxiety.
Art work helped with anxiety for me. Volunteering (anywhere you care about their mission), can help with self esteem and loneliness.
I truly relate to gambling destroying my soul and making me a person I did not like.
With therapy, a support group, hard earnest work and many other tools, I was able to come from completely spiritually/emotionally/morally/financially bankrupt to caring about myself again and making a life worth living.
You are not alone! There are many of us and you can do this!