Might seem premature...............................

Great stuff SBB and congrats on your psychological breakthrough!

I went through one which sounds kind of similar, over 3.5 years ago and haven't looked back.

Would urge you to.use that momentum and keep pushing forward and making positive changes. I just read yr 50 wisdom thingys - sound like good values to get living by.

stand you in good stead for the lows as getting through these is when true confidence comes.

Best

Louis

cardhue wrote: Great stuff SBB and congrats on your psychological breakthrough! I went through one which sounds kind of similar, over 3.5 years ago and haven't looked back. Would urge you to.use that momentum and keep pushing forward and making positive changes. I just read yr 50 wisdom thingys - sound like good values to get living by. stand you in good stead for the lows as getting through these is when true confidence comes. Best Louis

Thank you for the good advice Louis - Its an ongoing journey, but my strength is coming as my momentum moves me forward.

I really am enjoying the positive feels I am getting from it.

Sbb

Great Skyblueblue as thats the moment of clarity and psychological breakthrough that is essential to beat a gambling addiction.

In my view it simply doesnt happen until that defining moment when you are ready to see the chink of light. The surge of positivity is better than anything I can think of

I cant stress enough that until this pure moment of realisation comes many will continue to gamble. Some experience an all time low which snaps them into reaching out for real help. Everyone experiences those desperate lows but the power of the addiction is immense.

Feeling" blessed to live to tell the tale" is a superb way of putting it. Thats the reality of one of the most dangerous addictions and form of mind control. I put gambling up there as dangerous as anything. Its a spiral of downward misery until final destruction.

Now you work on it like the" rub on rub off" martial arts training 🙂 Ho Ho.... I keep thinking of that form of training to start again Pure of body and mind is the strength needed.

It really is about saving lives

Best wishes from everyone on the forum

Joydivider wrote:

Great Skyblueblue as thats the moment of clarity and psychological breakthrough that is essential to beat a gambling addiction.

In my view it simply doesnt happen until that defining moment when you are ready to see the chink of light. The surge of positivity is better than anything I can think of

I cant stress enough that until this pure moment of realisation comes many will continue to gamble. Some experience an all time low which snaps them into reaching out for real help. Everyone experiences those desperate lows but the power of the addiction is immense.

Feeling" blessed to live to tell the tale" is a superb way of putting it. Thats the reality of one of the most dangerous addictions and form of mind control. I put gambling up there as dangerous as anything. Its a spiral of downward misery until final destruction.

Now you work on it like the" rub on rub off" martial arts training 🙂 Ho Ho.... I keep thinking of that form of training to start again Pure of body and mind is the strength needed.

It really is about saving lives

Best wishes from everyone on the forum

Thanks Mister Miyaki - the mind will never pure or the body strong...im too long in the tooth for either sadly 🙂

However im washing off the past and polishing my future.

I am now openly talking about it to people, which i think helps to cement it as something that i am/was.

Thanks again

Sbb

Happy new year Sbb - and counting down the days, one by one, with you 🙂

It WAS skyblueblue and that is both a scary and self enlightening thing to have to deal with.

Its almost easier to tell my mother about the gambling because I was clinically depressed and trying to self destruct. I had given up on life other than ticking over and just subsisting. I didnt want to die but I didnt really want to live

When people understand the addiction they will realise that self loathing is a large part of it. Whether thats loathing for current circumstance or letting a past girlfriend hurt my self esteem, it all plays on the mind I got into a cyclical rut of claiming benefits and seeing no way out of that. It was leading to anxiety attacks which Ive only really had in recent years

Telling my parents that I had given up on life is a whole other thing. Even the doctor on certain days would feel there wasnt much wrong with me as I can be quite lucid and upbeat.

Ive always gambled but Ive always been prone to depression. I was an inward looking child that could be happy within my own world. School and everything else just brought out issues of inadequacy at sport or other self esteem issues. Im a nice person but Im not good socially unless its a loving one to one relationship...or rather I am but not in false work situations and Ive done some duff jobs because I didnt feel capable of much else....see confusion all the way 🙂

Its all something to be discussed in counselling. Maybe it is what make up the personality traits compulsive gambler. I now know that the lows were just as important as the highs when playing. I actually do liken it to self harm in a directly physical sense.

Although I couldnt do that, part of my mind was thinking I am useless anyway so lets go and have a gamble.

Ive replied again because the self loathing and links to wrist cutting is a critical aspect of a complex addiction.

I tell them when Im renewing my exclusions that I am a stress and depression gambler

Best wishes to everyone on the forum