You have done right by coming here before you relapse. The positive thing is you know you don't have the cash to lose, so that helps when making your decision. You have argued your own point and that's part of the struggle. When I argue with myself I tell myself all the positive points of gambling and never any negative points, whereas your argument was all negative. Your working today which is great and tomorrow you should go see friends or family. You need to screw up your scheme or system and forget it. If need be just spend a few hours on here tomorrow reading through peoples posts, that will help. I am on day 9 and its going well, the odd thought of gambling but nothing I can't handle for now. Stay positive and know we are all behind you in your struggle.

Alex, definitely make plans to enjoy life in a different way . We have now learned that our "schemes and systems" don't work and that is what has landed us here. Life is too short to spend it broke and riddled with guilt. I do like your idea of posting about your Urge before acting on it. Praying for you to make it past these Urges.

Hey Alex.Thanks for sharing.For me.It is the 1st Step.I am powerless over gambling.For me,it is not forgetting,but excepting.EXCEPTING,That I am in the grips of a progressive illness. I have a illness.no different then having Diabeties(I don't think that is spelled right).When I first started to battle with this illness.I needed to devlop tools. for me,I had start going to GA meetings.Get a sponsor,devlop a fellowship.Find my higherpower(for me that is God). Why? I can't do this alone.Thank God I can't. Because I can't trust my Addict. I cannot think my way into correct actions, I have to act my way into correct thinking.Meaning.I work the steps,go to meetings,etc.etc.for me it must be simple.not easy,but simple. it's a process.I do thing and then I learn.and go to the next. With the help of my sponsor and my fellows.I stay sober one day at a time.How about going to a meeting? Engage in the process.Action brings about change.Thinking only brings about more thinking.In my prayers.God bless.

Sorry guys.misspelled.instead of excepting it should accepting. sorry.

Don't know if you have a higher power, but ask your higher power in the morning before you start your day "Please lord, keep me away from a bet today" and at the end of the day if you did not bet, thank your higher power.

wow ! i am so proud of you for posting here before you relapse ! Please throw away the system , even if you win a million dollars, you will loose it back gambling ! Stay focus, work hard and plan your money wisely, remember you can't afford to gamble ! You can do what i did...... I started afresh, started my life all over again and budgeting my $10 an hour, i have been 29 days gamble free now and have planned my income for the whole year ! Lets all not gamble today....hugs

Alex,

Thank you for being honest and trying to deal with the urges the right way. I too have had them recently and have 10 days GF. I want keep it going and I know you do too. Let's make a pack and get through another week ok? I will if you will!

Deb

for me my higher power is God and his Son.But, at the end of the day,I thank him no matter what.Does not matter if I gambled or not. In gratitude I find hope.

Hello and CONGRATULATIONS for posting here about your feelings. You have just spoken what is tried and true for each of us. Relapse and urges are far to common with addictions.

You have to begin by making better choices just like Eastwester explained. Try MIND over MATTER. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. You need to really believe in yourself.

Here is another way to think about it, at least for me. If I can spend all of that time and energy gambling for an establishment that is absolutely no good to anyone, then why can't I spend the same amount of time and energy doing good things for mysefl and others, something that will be beneficial and rewarding to ME.

This has to be about YOU and only YOU. Don't be so hard on yourself. Mistakes are learned experiences that will help you and others along life's journey. There will be a very good benefit from this one day, but you just cannot see it right now.

TRUST IN YOURSELF AND TRUST IN THE LORD.

You have to really trust and believe, and all will be well everyday.

xoxoxoxoxoxo
mamabear21

It really does help posting when you have urges. All I could thing about today was 30 extra bucks I had in my purse. I would try to justify it by telling myself it was only 30 bucks, I have all my bills paid, money in the bank. I was really close....

I didn't end up going. I took advice on the boards and told myself there would be no gambling today for me. I ended up taking my kids to the mall and then out for icecream. We had a nice time. I thank God for giving me the strength to say no. This group has given me such a great blessing. I haven't told anyone the extent of my problem...and never ever ever admitted to anyone how much I lost. This is the first chage I have gotten to get this out. I am very thankful. Thank you Alex for starting this thread. I hope everyone keeps posting when they have urges. We can get eachother through them.

i was just wondering was it coming close to pay day. thats when the urges start hitting me. soon as there is cash in site the machines aint far behind.

for me being single makes it a even bigger challenge. no one to take control of the funds or to tell ya your a dumb !@#$^& for even having the thoughts of going in your head. lol when your married ya can just have your partner take over the bank account and the damage ya can do is pretty limited. being single and a gambler that has to take care of the finaces makes for a real bad combination when you can only depend on yourself.

dewit, my own situation wasn't such that I could hand the finances over to my husband. He was also a compulsive gambler. So we went belly up together! But, now we have both stopped gambling together and our marriage is getting stronger by the day.

yeah but ya still had each other for support. at least the other one could slap them gambling thoughts down when they came arround.

Lol, I guess that much is true. We actually just avoided talking about it , too afraid we'd provoke each other to want to go. We used to didn't even have to talk about it, we'd just Look at each other and I'd get up and start getting ready to go. I both hated and loved it at the same time. Finally I got to the point that I just hated it!