Just thought I'd start a thread on something that seems so simple,but is something I've found so hard to come by...being patient.
I've been gambling for over 20,years now,progressively getting worse and losing more money as I'm earning more money,increasing my debt to around 28.5k.
I think I've discovered that when I'm gambling,in my head I'm thinking "if I can have a big win now,pay off my debts and get straight,life will be sweet". The truth is,I'm not going to win 28.5k,and even if I did,I would think I could win more and carry on til I was in deeper trouble.
When gambling,and losing,I found I went into a kind of panic mode,upping my stakes to try win back the money I'd lost quicker than I would with the smaller stakes,but ultimately losing
my money quicker is all that
happens. I always felt in such a rush to win money,blocking out any logical thinking and simply gambling in a blind panic on blackjack or roulette.
I have only been 12 days gamble free but am starting to be able to take a step back when the gambling urges arise and think more logically about the consequences of my gambling. I need to be patient on paying off my debts,it will happen eventually but in the meantime as long as I'm not betting my money my life will slowly begin to improve.
I just wanted to share my experience of taking that step back and thinking before you spend. There is no quick fix to a gambling addiction and we must forget the losses and look to the future with a gamble free life. Taking each day at a time,being patient.
It's difficult because people want everything to be sorted out immediately but debts and relationships etc take time to repair. It is the exact opposite to the quick fix buzz you might get through gambling. Probably one of the reasons it is so hard to stop.
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