Well done for reaching day 25 !
In answer to your statement/question
“I feel a very similar buzz from hard work so maybe not a bad thing?”
I think this is worrying, This is what I meant in you are replacing one addiction with another and not getting to the root cause, so although you are trying to put things right by working and earning extra money (which can’t be a bad thing) you are only feeding the void left by gambling/buzz and not getting to the root problem, and only filling the hole of gambling and for how long ?
Please don’t think I am trying to be problematic, everyone who reads this post can see how hard your trying and you are doing the right things, I personally think that you don’t want to be gaining that buzz from other places like work but trying to suppress those feelings.
You can try and put everything into your work but if you gamble again you will be back to square one and maybe lose everything you have earned in the last 100 days, whilst not really learning anything about yourself
But
If you put that time which you always found to gamble (and are now filling with work) into actually trying to
suppress the gambling then you will have a much better chance of refraining from gambling and understanding why you gamble.
Cold turkey is so far serving you well I just think adding more weapons to your armour will help you fight against this addiction,
Do you or have you ever been to G.A ? have you ever sought counselling ? would it be something you would entertain ?
The reason I say this
I was going to G.A and doing well I put my all into it and was reaping the rewards of not gambling and making myself stronger at the same time.
Then last year I started up a removal business, it went amazingly well and was instantly making profit, within 8 months I had 10 people working for me. I had put my heart and soul to get it where it was, working all hours of the day and night, with working all these hours I had less time for myself and with that meant I had less time for my recovery (although I thought I had beaten the addiction) so I had more less stopped going,
As the stress built up of working all the hours coupled with more money in my pocket, the time lapse between me not working on my recovery and not going to my meetings,,,,, all this led me to a relapse, and losing everything I had built whilst letting people down on the way,
Although I have tried many times of chucking myself into work it hasn’t fill that void yet of gambling yet.
This is why I have came to the conclusion that I need real help and by getting that I will have to put my recovery before anything else, let’s face it we’ve been doing it for years with our gambling.
I think everyone has a different way of dealing/fighting with the addiction and I am not saying that what I am saying is right, It is just my views but it is coming from someone who has tried alot of ways to beat the addiction and has picked up little tips on the way.
Speak soon and hope you have had a good day