Well, they can be, but, if you take the long weekend, and you are productive, or in your home, safe, and surrounded by the things and people you love the best, you can turn into a "not so tough" weekend. Enjoy it, you earned it. Enjoy it, relish in it, feel it, own it, and love it.

When I was in the throes of my gambling addiction I found holiday weekends to be the worst. The extra days off work allowed me to stay at the casino sometimes for 24 hours until I couldn't stay awake any longer. So many times I was there at 3 am, then 5 am ... Soon the staff comes by and asks you to leave your slot machine so they can empty it and do whatever they do so the machine can start taking all your money again. Then a fresh round of gamblers come in around 8 a.m. and if I have exhausted all my daily cash withdrawal limits it is time to get some coffee to stay awake long enough to drive home. Feeling sick all the way home about the losses, purse filled with atm withdrawal slips. Sleep away the day... Maybe it's Labor Day or memorial Day... Anyway a terrible way to waste a holiday. Don't know why I thought the casinos were exciting and that smoking cigarettes and pushing a button repetitively on a slot machine was a good use of the prime years of my life. It's actually a very sad use of life. I hope everyone finds a beautiful way to spend this holiday without the casino in the equation.

When I used to play poker, I overheard someone sharing their theory that Sundays were the best nights. It was said that apparently a lot of players played worse because they were in the hole and are desperately trying to win their money back before the start of the work week.
I believed this myth. Eventually I realized that there's no such thing as good, bad or worse players, there are only losers and bigger losers at a poker table. Only the house is the winner.

I used to love weekends, long weekends and holidays. That meant more time for me to binge. It was ridiculous, one new year's I was first to wait inside an underground poker club. Even the owner ask me "It's new year's how come you're not at home with your family?"

Yeah, this whole weekend is one giant trigger. I'm in the midst of get-togethers I don't want to attend and find tiring, following a diet that is boring and restrictive, and running all kinds of exhausting and unfulfilling errands.

I know that the key is to be grateful for what you have. To be happy and grateful and excited that I am having a wedding in two months, that I've found the love of my life, that his friends like me enough to include me on their events.

But I'm used to gambling before or after these events or errands or stressful times. It medicated me somehow. And now I'm going through life stone-ass sober and it sucks. I'm day 76 or so and it sucks. But I'm learning, I guess. I guess if it wasn't uncomfortable, it wouldn't be growth or change.

Easy weekend for me, out of town and there isn't anyone that go to a casino. So I say easy, because I am in the passenger seat. No control. My mind will revert to thoughts of, wondering how much cash I have and what I could do with it and how much i could win.... I am so glad to have visit a jewlery shop and now have new bling. Of I would have gone to a casino, I would have nothing.