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...
I am going to Aruba for vacation this summer. When I planned the vacation I was still gambling and now I am not. I can't cancel the trip because we have airfare, etc... not to mention I am really looking forward to it. I am making a list of everything that I can do besides gambling. Also, I am not taking any cash with me and just one credit card that I can't get any cash from. I feel confident that I can go without gambling and still have fun. I am open to any suggestions to help me stay on track with my recovery. My friends at work do a good job making me be accountable for my actions, so they are making sure that I go to Aruba with a plan that does not include gambling. The thought of gambling makes me literally feel ill. All three times that I relapsed were when I was on vacation, so I do not want that to happen again. I want to and need to prove to myself that I can go on vacation and not give in to my gambling temptations and urges.
You said all three times that you've relapsed have been on vacation. Do you have a fourth relapse in you? If not, no amount of lost money is worth it.
My suggestion: take a vacation from temptations. Take that time you would have spent fighting off the urges to gamble in Aruba and go someplace else. Pick a place on the map that is as far away from a casino as is possible (wonder where that spot is?). Stay there and enjoy whatever it is that place has to offer.
Do you have two voices in your head? One telling you why you should gamble and one telling you why you should not gamble. I do. If you do, then make sure it's the voice that tells you why you shouldn't gamble that is telling you that you just can't throw away the Aruba money.
If you go to Aruba and you are able to not gamble... what does that prove? Will you believe you are cured or that you have this under control or that you can do it again next year? Would you believe the same about a drug addict that was able to go to a drug fueled party and abstain?
Okay... I'm done being a debbie downer now :) I hope that you are able to rest and enjoy your vacation... wherever it is you chose to go.
xoxo
Who is going on vacation with you? Are they people that you trust to hold you accountable? Are you staying in a casino hotel? If so, would it be possible to at least change the accommodations portion of your trip?
Aruba is a beautiful place, and there are plenty of things to do there that don't include gambling. Are you a beach lover (like me?).
I appreciate what ll2live is saying, but I also understand that you have committed financially, and with others to this vacation. Keep YOUR guard up, especially if your having a few drinks, and keep your GUARDS around you to keep you from succumbing.
One thing I've learned over this past year is that temptation is everywhere, just in different venues and at different levels. You will be flying into a Defcon level 5, but it sounds like you have a strong plan :)
Even though this probably isn't going to help, I sort of agree with ll2live and respond to. If you can change your plans, I probably would. I wouldn't if you're going to lose money, because that could eat away at you too. If you're gonna go, I hope that you do have some guards as resolve2succeed says- I've never been to Aruba but have an awful lot of friends who have gone and most (if not all except 1) don't gamble. There's a great deal to do without gambling and if you keep your feet out of the casino, your mind likely will be too, so long as you've got good friends to keep you on the straight and narrow.
If you were going to Vegas, I might feel differently, but Aruba isn't an island casino, I think you could work around it if accompanied. For future trips, I'd probably stick to areas without casinos although that list gets shorter every minute unfortunately...
Jay