Welcome to the new HealthyPlace Mental Health Forums and Chat. If you are not a registered member, you can read all the posts. To participate, join the discussion and have access to special features and chat, we invite you to register and join our free community.
If this is your first visit, please also be sure to familiarize yourself with our forum rules and terms of use.
- Index
- » Addictions
- » Gambling Addiction Forum
- » Trying to Make Changes
Trying to Make Changes
Trying to Make Changes
So I'm trying to make some changes in my life but it's not easy. I'm overwhelmed with debts I've encured due to gambling. I had a counselor tell me once that an addict is not as succesful overcoming their addiction if someone always bails them out.
I've pretty much exhausted all my bailout resources anyway and live with a lot of guilt that I'm the cause of much of our family's financial distress.
However, please don't think I'm feeling sorry for myself. I have sat down and listed about 15 steps to get things back on track. It's not going to be easy and some will take time but I'm trying to stay focused and not allow the other stressors in my life to distract me.
The main thing I've done to pull the plug is to give my family members my debit card and checks. I work a full time job and a couple part time jobs so I can't have access to my paychecks. Especially right now when I'm feeling vunerable and weak. I need to avoid all temptations.
This is helping a lot.
Besides gambling, I've never had good money management skills so I think this is an important key to managing my illness. So I'm working on developing and sticking to a budget. This will also be helpful in paying off all my gambling debts. I'm one of those people that should never have a checking account so I'm in the process of moving all my direct deposits and autopayments to an account that does not have the option of checks. Checks are a temptation for me to write checks a couple days before payday. Many times this backfires.
This forum doesn't seem to be too busy and I haven't had any replies to my previous post. I'm not sure why, but in any event, just journaling my feelings in this forum helps me to think more clearly. God bless those that read this. May we all find peace.
Wannagetbetter 
- Wannagetbetter
- New Member
- 11 Posts
Re: Trying to Make Changes
So today I deleted all the casino slot type games from my Facebook page. It sounds innocent enough but when I play them it does cause me to think about gambling and eventually I feel tempted to go to the casino. I also had problems a few months ago with buying credits to continue playing when I ran out of free credits. Now that's really stupid! More stupid even than gambling at the casino because I was paying for credits with real money and couldn't even win real money back!
I'm reviewing my steps to gain control of my life everyday and making changes even though some of them are baby steps. I've stopped gambling before for a few months but this time it has to be for good and forever. I have a lot of debts to pay off and I have to do it the hard way and not think that there's a windfall out there to take my problems away. I'm taking it a day at a time.
Feeling tired and work comes early!
If you're reading this and you have a gambling addition or you aren't sure if you do, read the information on this website and learn as much as you can about it. And then summon up all the strength you can muster and get help. Each day I go without gambling weakens a link in the chains that bind me. I feel a little happier and a little stronger. But I can't do it on my own. None of us can.
God bless and may you find peace.
Wannagetbetter
- Wannagetbetter
- New Member
- 11 Posts
Re: Trying to Make Changes
good you going in a right way carry on all the best
- narcissismcured
- New Member
- 8 Posts
Re: Trying to Make Changes
Thanks for the encouragement. I'm still gambling free. But tonight I've realized I should find a therapist to help me stay that way.
I'm also dealing with stress at work since I'm a victim of workplace bullying so I'm trying to research that online and deal with the mental and physical health problems that are resulting from the bullying.
I don't want any stressors to trigger gambling again so I've decided I need to find a therapist. It's hard when you live in a very small town so I'm going to have to be diligent.
Thanks again.
J.
- Wannagetbetter
- New Member
- 11 Posts
Re: Trying to Make Changes
hi,
After losing so much you still interested in casino, its very hard to believe.
- travelhealth
- New Member
- 7 Posts
Re: Trying to Make Changes
Well I've started going to Gamblers Anonymous and even tho it's only been two weeks of meetings I feel great about what I am doing. I'm not allowed to discuss outside of the meetings, what we discuss, but I highly recommend this process to anyone with a gambling problem. I'm going on a cruise starting May 1st and they have a casino on board - I feel certain that I won't be going into it to gamble. I will post after the cruise to let you all know how I did. Thank you to those who have offered their support.
- CCekosh
- New Member
- 8 Posts
Re: Trying to Make Changes
If you find it hard to believe that the casino is still appealing after losing so much money, then I'm assuming you don't have a gambling addiction. People who aren't addicted to gambling, don't gamble at all or stop when they lose. Gambling addiction is an actual illness and when you are in the heat of it or a relapse it acts as a drug and controls you. When I'm in recovery I'm horrified that I lost that much money. This is why I fight to control the addiction and not allow triggers to send me back down that path. It feels like a Dr Jeckel/Mr Hyde double life. I don't like that person I become when I succumb to the addiction. Plain and simple!
Hope that clears it up for you.
J
- Wannagetbetter
- New Member
- 11 Posts
Re: Trying to Make Changes
I'm envious that you're able to attend meetings but very happy for you that it's available where you live. I checked out GA online to see if they have online meetings and couldn't find anything. I understand that you can't discuss what happens in your meetings due to confidentiality and privacy. That's why these groups have "anonynmous" as part of their name. I'm still looking into finding a qualified therapist to help strengthen my resolve to stay free from gambling. I'm still staying away from the casino and sticking to my goals and plans. I'm on a budget and paying off my debts slowly, but surely!
I hope you enjoy your cruise and can stay clear of the casino. I know for a fact that for myself, going on a cruise ship that had a casino would be too much of a temptation. A cruise would be wonderful but I would have to go on one that didn't have a casino or not go at all. But it's good to know my limitations and not fool myself into thinking I'm above being tempted. I've done that in the past and it has spelled disaster.
I found some old journals from 2 years ago the other day and read them. In them I was writing my feelings and struggles and successes during one of my recoveries before relapsing back into my gambling addiction. Reading it made me sad. But sad in a good way! I'm sad I didn't succeed the 4 or 5 times I tried to rehabilitate and give up gambling! I'm sad about all the time and money I've wasted at casinos. I'm sad that my family has had to put up with my addiction on and off for the past 4 years! But the reason why this sadness is good is because I'm not blaming anyone! I'm acknowleging my failed attempts at recovery and I'm learning from it and using it to strengthen my resolve to never gamble again. The more I feel the pain for what I've done the more I resolve to never do it again!
It feels good to not gamble but it's still a temptation sometimes that I have to battle. So far I'm winning but I can never let my guard down. Never.
God bless you all!
J
- Wannagetbetter
- New Member
- 11 Posts
- Index
- » Addictions
- » Gambling Addiction Forum
- » Trying to Make Changes
Board Info
- Board Stats:
- Total Topics:
- 1353
- Total Polls:
- 6
- Total Posts:
- 8130
- Total Posts Today:
- 8
- User Info:
- Total Users:
- 21539
- Newest User:
- BrillanaB
- Members Online:
- 5
- Guests Online:
- 2206
- Most Active Users:
- mariac, Chanda, SaraMarie, suzanna, Papillon, tirihashi, curridabat48, ravila
- Online:
- menelaeus9, Chanda, mef123, Mami, kholly
Forum Legend:
- Topic
- New
- Locked
- Sticky
- Active
- New/Active
- New/Locked
- New Sticky
- Locked/Active
- Active/Sticky
- Sticky/Locked
- Sticky/Active/Locked
