Hi i-did-it,
Great work on staying away from gambling for this long. Remember, these feelings are just part of the recovery process, they will weaken in time. Any type of addiction does take a while to cleanse because those connections are so incredibly strong in our brain. The more you say no, the weaker they get, and then new connections will form based on new activities you pursue. This is why I say it is incredibly important for a lifestyle change when breaking an addiction, but it sounds like you are doing okay there. I have taken up exercise and reading, and it is pretty amazing. For the longest time, I had no idea what I wanted to be. I just knew that I really enjoyed learning about a bunch of topics. I guess this is why I took up reading so easily. Instead of wasting money on gambling and being secretive, I took my girlfriend out for dinner this weekend and bought us some books after. Felt pretty good. Stay strong and hang in there, these feeling will pass.
–Nick