By now I have not been gambling for months, after I finally took my addiction serious after being in the shadows for 20 years on and off I attended cognitive behavioural therapy , went to different GA meetings and got involved with this forum , and I read here very frequently to keep alert, because I know that I need to keep aware of the danger of relapse. Because of that I stopped counting days, since it is one day at the time anyway ! I'm working on taking better care of myself, because when I was gambling, I kept every money on hold to gamble. When I was gambling I was so restless and wary all the time. Deciding to ask for help was a major step, but I am happy I allow myself to get it out and take my time to heal . After running from myself and others for years I am making steps outside again. This forum is like a lifeline to me to keep in touch with the reality of this addiction, which is still trying to manipulate my brain for being conditioned for so many years to escape any kind of emotion.
Hey - big well done on all the positive steps you have taken to beat this addiction. It is not just about willpower alone but also figuring out why we gamble in the first place. Very hard thing to do but sounds like your starting to do that which will certainly help you to continue on this road of recovery. I have gone down the therapy route and although it didnt make sense at first, now I have committed to being gamble free I can see how it all fits together.
Good luck on your journey, keep this site and your diary close and I will keep popping in on you to see your progress!
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
