Everyone arrives here in a very distressed state - often at 'rock bottom' searching for help to deal with their addiction.
We have many members here that have successfully managed to control or quit their addiction. We have all spent a long time reflecting our previous actions and moving forward in our lives.
My point for discussion, is if anyone believes that anything positive has come out from their addiction, recovery or even if any skills have been heightened through years of gambling ?
For example, some forms of gambling do require you to try and think logically or do research in subjects or people/teams, commodities, etc. Has this improved your life in any way ?
Gambling habits teach you to be secretive, difficult to read, manage finances in an 'invisible way'.
If you have done something for many years and then stop - there must be some positives or skillsets that you have been able to use to your advantage in a non gambling way ?
Much better at maths than I used to be
Struggling with this one, I can't think of any positives I use in my life gained from gambling. The positives I've gained from stopping gambling and recovery are numerous.
KTF
Not sure if this is tongue in cheek by OP?
Can't see how positive 'skills' can be gained.
I am thrifty, but the thrift for the rest of my days won't outweigh my gambling losses
I do think my own addiction has served a purpose. My general fear of life pre - dated my addiction. My addiction forced me to confront my demons in a way I doubt I would've without the addiction.
I have friends who have similar underlying issues but are not addicts. They think one week they need to face up, next week there's no problem. I don't blame them as it would have been my approach.
My addiction at least provides a clear mark in the sand. Its a healthy challenge to my ego. Without this it is easier to muddle on
This is why I think recovery represents a fantastic opportunity.
Louis
What the f***k is this s**t.
And yea Brandon im sure your brilliant at maths now.
Stephen
This is a discussion board - you have a right to call it BS. If you feel that your gambling addiction has brought nothing but negatives in your life - then feel free to say so.
I have not said Gambling is positive in anyway
I am sure Brandon simply meant that working out the odds etc, has sharpened his maths skills which does benefit him in life.
I gambled on stocks and shares, I have now have a better understanding of economics and global finances/politics then I had before - this has given me a better knowledge. I follow global economics now, but dont bet on it. Read into it what you will.
I used to smoke a lot of pot - now I dont - but I sure roll a mean fajita..........that is a positive from a negative!
Not sure why my post got deleted.
Agree Brandon, bit odd.
I learnt the location of numerous weatherspoon pubs (they had a lot of FMs and were sufficiently un-local to scuttle in and out of without feeling too self-conscious).
This I consider a bonus (pun intended) as it meant, after I stopped I knew where to get a cheap cuppa from(£1.10).
However, now I know the owner of 'Spoons bankrolled Brexit and generally bangs on about it in his stupid farqing pub literature, I now boycott the place. My withdrawl of cuppas sends a clear message that I'm not impressed with his brexit caper.
Sadly I stopped gambling before Brexit. In hindsight I should have stopped later, around brexit..and thereby really hitting the fat get's pockets hard.
Louis
I became better at travelling. Last year I travelled 36000 miles to purely play slot machines five days a week. I should have been a taxi driver instead
Interesting slant 🙂
I can safely say that nothing positive came from my gambling activity. Zilch, Rien, Nada, Nothing!
What can I say? Could I mention the dirt cheap coffee and bag of stale crisps I effectively paid £350 for in one session. All in all it was a horrendous memory of walking home on a cold night and wishing the earth would swallow me up.
Horrendous memories of patting round my body. Just one more look.... cant have spent that last tenner...it must be in my pocket. That last tenner.... The pathetic sight of trying to make up one last 25p.... my desperate lifeline to keep playing 🙁
Nope empty and that sinking feeling as I started to collect my thoughts. I would have to leave and there was one tin of something in my cupboards
During a recovery process there have been positives of finally working out who I am and what I am prone to in a compulsive or addicted way. I have a greater understanding of what people go through with all addictions. I never thought I could be addicted to something harmful. I actually thought I was above all that and I was deluding myself. Clearly I was addicted and I was in deep
A positive of not kidding myself who I am anymore. Facing I was a bit of lazy chancer/dreamer who thought the world owed me a living and women would swoon at my feet. Vain, naive, lonely, some anger born of sadness, a history of jobs I hated...the list goes on 🙂
This recovery has been like the wake up call I never had before
Best wishes to everyone on the forum
There are positives to be had from living a life in recovery and the personal growth that goes with it but none from using.
No positives whatsoever here. I have trouble understanding how even gambling for 'entertainment' might appeal and have been forced to learn far more about the whole subject than I could ever have imagined or wanted.
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