Can one change one's very nature?

Good question Gerard, really depends on what stage of life you ask it. If you asked me 10 year's ago my answer would be completely different to now. Right now im battling an addiction, and I suspect I'll be fighting it for many years to come. My motivation to gamble is always there so I guess with a zero bank balance or £1 million in the bank I'd still have the desire to do it. There isn't a magical number I'm aiming to win, it's just the thrill and buzz of winning, even if it's £1 the buzz is still the same. I guess if pushed my answer would be yes.

I like this post. It’s different! Due to me being 289 days GF, the answer is a firm NO to gambling if I had lots of money. Whilst I still do occasionally think of the bad times of when I used to gamble and how I felt, the friends I lost, the lies I told and the general remorse of it all, the frequency of these thoughts in my head are fading. It’s not forgotten by any means but I would still let my mrs handle the finances, eg; just transfer her the bulk of my income and allow her to save it all. For our family’s future ❤️

I think of footballers gambling away more money than I could dream of having so I think it shows more of a drug addiction than anything.

I think we start recreationally at all levels of income but the buzz or hit is extremely addictive and it soon takes over

The truth is that at the age of twelve it made me feel alive in a way I had never felt before. However the truth I was not facing is that I was a depressive and my emotional life was a mess and has always been a mess to some extent.

I wonder if the initial activity of getting something reinforced the addiction early. I had pockets stuffed full of coins but I soon started giving it all back.

It's a complex addiction and I still don't fully understand how a stupid machine could control me. That early machine was pathetic...it may as well have had I mug losers written on it but the draw was immense. Clearly I got off on a devil may care activity and the soup of drugs it creates in my system. 

It makes no rational sense because it's a losing game over any length of time on those odds

I then spent 40 years rationalising my urges by thinking oh I will just win a bit for whatever reason was in my head...or whatever stress/anxiety attack I wss having...The price of a house chucked away for what? ....the few days I would remember something going my way but even those thoughts were mostly delusional

Would I have stopped if I came into sudden wealth? Part of me thinks it would be enough money to heal the past and I would think phew all done now

However I was ill with an addiction and I would probably have gambled away money thinking well I can afford a  gamble with far less worries now......that never goes well for an addict

I don't honestly know......its the devil and the angel over the shoulders....destructive gambling is a split mind control illness. 

Hang on I do know!......I needed serious help and before I got that help gambling addiction was my slave master

Best wishes to everyone on the forum

Hi

Having controls / blocks in place helps us learn to  trust our self in many more cases.

Only by abstaining could I stop causing myself more pains.

Being in the recovery program I get to understand more about my self.

Being in the recovery program helps me exchange unhealthy habits in to healthy habits. 

In time I would not see money as an answer to my emotional triggers.

For me money helps us have more choices in our life.

Yet for me money was not going to reduce my fears or heal my pains.

I use to think that money was going to give me a path to happiness and being succesful.

For me happiness was abaout me being the ehalthiest most productive person I can be each day.

For me being succesful is down to my healthy actions and my healthy words..

If I have access to very little money I started to value money and what money represents.

When I worked out my hourly rate how much money I earned an hour only then I understood throwing money away I was working for nothing.

I had worked to earn it,what would I say if my boss asked me to work for nothing, how wouold I react to that question.

Taking the last large amount of money lost I would understood how long it took me to earn that money.

So gambling was losing time in my life.

Some might measure being rich as to how much money you have saved up.

Yet money only gives us more choices, money would not heal my hurt inner child.

Just for today only I no longer need or need to gamble.

For me my progress was all about slow healthy babys steps.

For me my recovery is not about who is right wrong or who is cleaver.

For me my recovery is about healing my pains.

For me my recovery is about facing my fears.

For me my recovery is about reducing my unhealthy reactions to people life and situation in my life today..

Internal wealth comes about  due to our healthy actions and our healthy words.

I do not want or need gamble just for today.

The desire to gamble go awayis misleading.

For me a desire would indicate a healthy realtionship.

When I ran away emotionally indicated I was unable to heal my pains, 

Before my recovery I could not reduce my fears.

Love and peace to everyone

Dave L

AKA Dave of Beckenham

The answer is always yes! I am such a C U next Tuesday with that stuff xx