Meetings

It’s a life long recovery journey, you never get cured from it. I can’t get to regular meetings at GA so I regularly help people and comment on my journey on this site and speak openly about my gambling thoughts with my partner and give her regular updates and share pretty much all my financial data if she wants it. What am I going to hide? I had a macdonalds without her consent. 

compuslive gamblers lie, recovering compulsive gamblers know being open about your journey of recovery helps others and the person in the car on the journey.

hope this helps 

just for today I will not gamble, and understand complex mathematical problems can’t be solved in alphabet spaghetti soup.

Hi

One person once said that he was glad that he was a compulsive Gambler.

He explained by finding his way to meetings he found out how unhealthy he was.

And he gave up gambling and lived amuch healthier life.

Dave L

So what would you say to a just turned 20 year old in love with a 26 year old complusive gambler who has lied to her for 2 years, financially abused her and done ID fraud on her. She's now told most of his family and told him he needs to go to GA of which he's now saying he enjoys and wants to change as he wants to marry her.

Hi pickle

meetings are for everyone affected not just gamblers. My advice would be go to a meeting, that may be an ‘open’ GA meeting where f&f can hear people talk of their experience, it may be a Gamanon meeting, a smart recovery meeting. Find whatever is available. Some meetings were on zoom for a few years due to covid.

if you’re going to stay with a gambler it needs to be on your terms with your eyes wide open.

the thing to remember is you can’t control another person. You can’t control whether they gamble or not.

you can safeguard yourself, work your own program, go to meetings etc

as Dave said there is no cure. It’s about being humble, working the 12 steps, admitting defeat, acknowledging how you’ve hurt others. 

so if your daughter doesn’t take him to the meeting will he go? Is he showing her all finances including credit reports? Is she going to find a meeting for herself? 

I learnt how to live with a gambler. I changed my behaviour, admitted my enabling. I stopped paying the debts, I financially severed myself. I went to meetings, I drove an hour to a meeting every week. I went alone. Those people in those meetings saved my sanity. They taught me how to protect myself. They supported me, listened to me.

In my opinion this is an addiction that affects everyone it touches. If you are in denial and don’t see how your behaviour affects another you will perpetuate the cycle. 

meetings are not for everyone, some don’t agree. There are many different ways to get better. 

Meetings can significantly help someone struggling with gambling addiction by providing support, accountability, and coping strategies. The positive impact and sense of community often become apparent, leading individuals to recognize the benefits. For many, these meetings become a crucial part of recovery and maintaining healthy relationships.