For three days this week and three more days next week I am at a training class in a city about 60 miles from my home. I have to drive past two casinos on the way there and the way back each day of the training. I’ve been checking my feelings as I drive past them to see if there is any urge or desire to stop for a quick gambling session on the way home. So far nothing of the sort, just driving right on past thinking how glad I feel not to be there losing more money. Maybe because my last relapse is still only 2+ weeks past and is still very fresh in my head. I still feel the sting of being out of control and the next day feeling distraught, hung over, not even knowing exactly how much I had lost. So humbling to come crashing down so hard so fast. I tend to have the most trouble when the bad experience has had a chance to fade out of my immediate memory for a while.
Anyway, just glad to be gambling free another day, and glad I’m not feeling the temptations at all. But I am now trying to be more aware of when the danger may strike again so that I can be ready and preempt the attack by double reinforcing my defenses and safeguards. I am more determined than ever to never gamble again.
Cheers fellow non-gamblers and soon to be non-gamblers!