[Jonny123987]

I’m also broke. So I’m sure that has something to do with it. Like Vera said, “stopping is easy” it’s the not starting again part that’s very hard. On all of my relapses when I placed that first bet I always felt I had control in my life again and if I won I’d do such and such and be a winner this time. Truth is that I won quiet often and was a decent gambler. The problem is that I am a compulsive gambler. I could have control for 200 straight days but on day 201 I would go crazy and loose 20k in a day. Basically what I’m saying is that no matter what plan I have in place or scheme I’ve figured out I always end up playing to long, chasing money, make poor bets, and end up losing more than I started with. If I could have walked away when I was up I would be up a lot. And knowing that usually makes me go back and try again. I know that I can’t win at gambling because I never know when to pull out. Most stock pickers decide before they buy a stock how much they want to make on it. Maybe 15% or so might be a goal. Us gamblers are crazy… We take $500 into a casino or online and want to make it turn into $2500. That’s a 400% increase over a short period of time. To have that happen in the stock market would be a huge big deal. But to us gamblers that seems natural. This is all the fog that gambling and other addictions pull over us to cloud us from the reality that gambling is very bad.

[Jonny123987]

Yo Brendan,

Thanks for chiming in. Nice to hear from folks on this site. I am gamble free for 15 days now. I feel good about that but am still upset that I gambled so large and lost my savings and more.

As you know I just had a microdiscectomy on my L5/S1 and am slowly recovering. I’m only able to sit around all day. My right leg has atrophied very badly and I’m worried it will never be the same. This usually would lead me to gambling. The crazy thing is that I have $1200 in my bank account and have credit on some of my cards. I could gamble very easily right now if I wanted too. But I’m not going too. I know that gambling is a loosing proposition for me. I can never win back what I lost therefor all I’ll do is continue to chase. Once on the chase I loose site of where I started and when I wanted to stop.

I’m very fortunate for a number of reasons and I like to keep reminding myself of those reasons. I’m very blessed and just need to stop harming myself. I need to let the power of positive energy into my life and let it flow again. The world rewards those who believe in positivity.

[Jonny123987]

Hey I Did It! I hope the 24th is treating you well. Congrats on the dinner out this year. Cooking a feast is fun but always a pain to clean up. But I love getting together with family during the holidays.

I’ve been a sports better for over 20 years and I’ll tell you it is a very tough one. I haven’t watched sports in over a week. I wonder a little if I like sports as much as I think I do if I can’t gamble on them.

I don’t have cable either which makes it easier not to know whats going on in the sports world.

I used to think that gambling on different games meant something. I would think sots would be a tough thing to stop But the truth is ALL addictions are hard to stop. The rate that people do actually stop something once addicted is pretty low statistically. It takes at least 3 months to change a habit. The problem for us is that we can’t stop thinking about all the losses and we can’t just walk away. We NEED to get that money back. So we gamble more and more for more and the casino eventually takes us. I’m rambling… The meds are strong for my back. 🙂

[Jonny123987]

Awesome work JayKay. A month is awesome. You can’t get to 5 weeks without 4. I’m at 2 weeks and starting to come out of the haze. One day at a time. 🙂

[Jonny123987]

Where did you go? What’s going on?

[Jonny123987]

Good job on seeking help Heinz! Read the thing that Charles and Vera have to say. They seem to offer good and sound advise. You’re so young still and have a great life ahead of you if you quit NOW. Am excited to see your gamble free days grow as mine do too. Today is a new day and all we have to do is not gamble today. 🙂

[Jonny123987]

Killer work I Did it! Being gamble free isn’t easy but feels much better than gambling. I wish you a happy holidays!

[Jonny123987]

Good job on 50 days gamble free brother. That’s something to be proud of. I hear you on the christmas thing. I just recently started living gamble free and it’s been tough. I too have a 20 years gambling history and am finding it difficult thinking about my losses of money, time, youth, opportunity, etc. I feel a bit helpless at times but then I try to change my mindset that can’t ever gamble again and that I never win and if I do I continue to bet until it’s all gone. I love my family most days and find it difficult to spend the little money I have giving them presents. I definitely feel a little bad, but also realize that I need to take care of myself and the best present I can give right now is to become me again for all of them. If they truly love us they should just want us to be happy. Christmas does t need to be a time for money, it’s a time for family and spending time with them. Every year goes by faster and faster and the best opportunity we have is spending time with the few people in the world that really care.
I got an email from one of my gambling sites today. I’m sure it was a christmas bonus. I even tried to logon to see what it was but they would;t allow me as I’ve been gamble blocked from the site. I was a tad disappointed but then the feeling went away and I moved on and didn’t care what they sent me or wanted to tell me.

[Jonny123987]

Heck yeah 3racer. Good job on staying gamble free. I’m at 14 days myself. The cloud or fog we are in when gambling is crazy. The only way to get a life back is to stop gambling. Let’s keep it up.

[Jonny123987]

Hey Guys,

Today is day 14 I believe. Feels good to get more days. 🙂

I had back surgery yesterday and am still very sore. I was feeling extremely lonely going into the hospital. I was scared. I didn’t feel like gambling which was good. My mom took a pre-op picture of me which I posted on Facebook and got close to 100 responses wishing me well and 40-50 comments. For some reason it made me feel really good and not so alone. It gave me a little more strength.

I just want to walk normally again. The doctor told my mom when they started the operation that they tested my nerves and I had very little nerve action in my right leg. He explained that by the end of the surgery my nerves were working great. I’m just hoping as the pain and swelling go down that my right leg comes back to life. Fingers crossed.

I am also getting disability which will be great when it arrives. My mom is letting mew stay at her house for a few weeks while I rehab and prepare to maybe go on this trip for work in late January. If I’m able to go on the trip I should be close to close to debt free while I’m gone. I have to find place when I get back and will be needing every cent I can muster. My debt is at around $16k currently. I have about 4K sitting with my mom and some money on the way in. Close to 3-4k. So I think I should be ok. But I have to take it one day at a time and remain gamble free.

I’m very grateful for all of you, my surgery (which was free), my family, and my friends, my dog, and being gamble free for 2 weeks. Yay. Day 14 today. Go day 14!

[Jonny123987]

Good work Brendan! Woohoo!

[Jonny123987]

Hi Vera,

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I took a couple days off away from the site. I’m on day 9. I had a few urges but they seem to pass if I do something that takes my mind away from that thought. I find that I’m bored and don’t want to do things that are healthy for me. Just want to watch TV and think about losses.

I can’t believe you’ve been on here since 2008. That’s amazing. And good for you to get 350 days under you belt. I’m right behind you at 9. Hehe.

Thanks for your concern about my back surgery. That means a lot. Hows your back feeling today? Did it get any better? Where does it hurt?

[Jonny123987]

Good work 3rAcer!! Right on!

[Jonny123987]

Btw – No one ever responds to this post. Is it a US thing? haha.

[Jonny123987]

I’m on day 7. Had a few urges but feeling better. I have surgery on my back scheduled on Wednesday. Hopefully it’s successful and I’ll be able to resume my old lifestyle physically. If it goes well I’Lp travel for 2 months for work. If I take every cent from that trip and save it I can be close to debt free by then. It still hurts to have lost so much but I know the only way to get it back is to work hard and figure out what I’m passionate about and pursue those dreams and ambitions further.

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