I hope you can follow my response in this format I’ll be popping a proper post on here through the night at work,
but just a bit food for thought.
(Geordie),
Darren,
(I completely understand where you are coming from, why? is a simple question, what’s the point etc … very simply, we will all, at some point, have to be in a position to be able to self regulate again, we cannot always rely on someone being there to wipe our bottoms and look after our piggy bank for us.)
It may be true that one day we will all have to self-regulate, but that day for me, if ever, will be in the far distant future. I’ve allowed gambling to ruin my life for 35 years, maybe after 35 years clean I’ll consider self regulation. To use your metaphor Darren, I’d rather have somebody wiping my arse than following me round with a huge bucket and shovel cleaning up the shit I’d created. Likewise the piggy bank I’ve proven time and time again I cant trust myself with my own money so this is a case of me doing what I need to do to maintain a healthy gamble free lifestyle. Having somebody willing to help in this way helps me it dosn’t prevent me from gambling, it is support. My life is not hampered in anyway what so ever.
(You seem to think I will fail with this strategy, I know I will not, and the main reason being? Because I have never before tried to give up the gambling habit with a truth and honesty within myself that I want to quit, not just for a day or week or month, but for the remainder of my life.)
One word springs to mind here; bollocks. How can you possibly know, how can anyone know what tomorrow has in store? You say in your first post on this thread you are here because you relapsed after a year’s abstinence. You genuinely may want to quit for life, but that will only be achieved one day at a time.
(Some people need support therapy, or alternative therapies ie hypnotherapy etc in order to have a standing chance in succeeding with their stopping, I personally believe it is purely a mental state of mind … cold turkey facing it head on is the only way to go for me.)
Surely a contradiction, you are here, this is Gambling Therapy, if it was as easy as cold turkey sites like this would not be around as there would be no need.I too believe it’s a mental state of mind, a mind that has been distorted over great lengths of time, 25 years in your case, do you really think you can get rid of all the irrationality that gambling creates with a spell of cold turkey?
(I was a heavy smoker for over 20 years and stopped about 3 years ago through cold turkey … I found it relatively easy … why?? Because I wanted to stop, nothing more, nothing less.)
As you said in your first post alcohol and drugs are physical addiction, as is smoking, I know it’s very hard to quit. However once your body stops craving the substance it is being fed it will eventually revert back to coping perfectly well without it. You also said gambling is a mental addiction, to be honest I don’t really view gambling as the addiction. I view it as a coping mechanism that we’ve used as a crutch as we weren’t able to cope with life. Gambling in my eyes is a consequence of mental and emotional problems
(I have gambled nigh on a half of my life, now is not the first time I have attempted to quit … but it is the first time I’ve attempted to quit for good and wanted to, there is a big difference!)
There is a big difference (look I do agree with some things). But a different approach is needed you are taking a risk, so whats different for you.?
(Day 25 … deep breaths and plenty of negative thoughts towards gambling … it’s a mind game folks, stay strong!! )
It’s no game mate.