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So proud of you.. a huge well done to you and i see you have grasped the just for today way.. it is the best way i have found too.. it is so so true.. dont worry about days.. just this day dont gamble and all those todays add up but its only this one that is important for your recovery.. you are going so well and so good to see you are going to counselling too.. everything thrown at this addiciton gives us a better chance of making it , and Izzi.. you are making it

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Can i just say that what you are going through is temporary and things change.. you can turn your life around. Break things into small pieces, break your day down into manageable chunks. Fill your time with things other than gambling, and other than thinking about not gambling..
Fake it till you make it, just start doing things, you might not enjoy them at first but that is temporary too.. gambling messes with our minds, its just the addiction it stuffs our way of thinking up.. you can do this Maverick. It doesnt matter if you have relapsed its getting back up, moving forward and putting things in your day that help you not hinder you..
Put blocks on your computers, ban from places you gamble at, give someone else your money, have just what you need for the day, a coffee, lunch, travel etc..
Reach out to everyone you can.. find every source of help you can.. if you get those thoughts of suicide, tell people.. not just here, but in real life face to face go and talk to the doctor, get to a hospital, ring your counsellor, talk to friends and family, get it out and onto paper.. but do not think and think on it.. i have had people commit suicide in my life.. its not pretty for the ones left behind.. it devastates their life for the rest of their lives.. always asking what if i did this, how i could have helped more.. it leaves a scar on so many people.. forever. Suicide is not an option just scrap that one.. you can go to rehab eventually, check yourself into psychiatric hospital if you have to but do not do nothing about it..
Your situation is changeable it doesnt have to stay this way..
do you know how many years i have relapsed for? many many many.. just get back up and continue on, dont worry about days gamble free just dont gamble for this day.. today. Dont gamble for this hour.. make it impossible for yourself to gamble.. if you cant ban give someone your cash, your cards, get them to monitor your accounts, to dish out money when you need it.. would that be worse than feeling how you are right now.. if you dont have money you cant gamble.. ban everywhere you can.. keep going to meetings, go to more if you can.. just sit and listen if you have to.. its a safe place to go with people who get where you are.. tell your counsellor honestly how you are feeling.. honestly..
We are here for you Mav, you need to be here for you too.. there are many people who care about you.. give yourself a chance at recovery

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Hello my friend

Long time no see.. i am so glad to see you again… i have always loved your posts.. so happy you are posting and sharing with us again.. way to go, what postiive things you have put in your life.. be proud of you Kin, you were always very very hard on yourself.. be kind to you

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Hey.. just keep hanging on.. if you fall get back up.. if it takes a thousand times it does but it just takes that one flick of a switch in our brain and something changes to want recovery so so badly.. i think it was more survival instinct for me..
You are doing good being here sharing your pain.. dont ever feel you are whining, i used to too but this is what this is here for.. to work through our gamble free days and any days we gamble too.. this is to help us on our journey for a gamble free life and there are so many emotions we will go through to get there.. they are all ok, they are ever changing too. the sadness , the depression, the pain is all temporary too.. just hang in there, hope to see you in group again soon

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Have a look at what you have in place to stop another relapse, are there other things you can add, banning from venues, sites, going to gamblers anonymous meetings, going to counselling.. have an emergency plan for when urges arise.. when i get urges i let everyone i know in GA know that i have urges, i out the urges so they are not a secret.. you need to throw all you can at this addiciton because ultimately this addiciton wants to take us down.. the more you deny the gambling monster a feed, the more it will quieten down over time but it usually gets a bit worse before it gets better.. look at what you can add to your recovery.. try a combination of things…

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Keep going Adam that is wonderful those days are adding up to weeks and a month.. good job.. just keep going for today.

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Im sorry to hear of your husbands unemployment and congratulations on getting that job. Your grandaughters must love coming to visit. Well done Carole sure beats gambling hey..

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Are you ok? You used to be here so often and always in on the monthly pacts, i hope things are going well for you, i always worry when i dont see people here, i always want everyone to be ok

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Hey Geordie

How you doing today?

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I saw you post on Lizbeths thread, was wondering how you are doing yourself.. there is a group on now no one is there, it is un moderated, but thought you may want to pop in and say hi, i have missed you and our coffees…

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Hi Liberty

It is never ever too late.. just take this day for how it is, and keep going. Let the feelings come and go, they will change, its temporary, everything changes, please hang in there..

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So glad you dont have the urges, i have never experienced that after gambling… so glad for you LIzbeth.. phew. Its definately progressive so it is good you have stopped now while you have some level of sanity there to walk away.. thank god..

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I am so proud of you for coming here and saying you gambled and then you are straight back on here and continuing on.. that is wonderful.. it is something i have never been able to do.. once i go once i am gone for a long time. I am so glad that is not the case for everyone. I dont want to sound like im lecturing or anything but can i say please please be super careful now you have had a taste for it.. i cringe when i hear people say i didnt lose much or i came out even.. often very soon after they are back.. it doesnt mean you will be its just the trickiness of the addiction.. the wonderful thing is though you are here, totally transparent telling us all about your life not hiding anything and being upfront saying , i gambled, then your next post is back into life.. just wonderful to see. Please dont be hard on yourself.. be careful but dont punish yourself .. you have done amazingly well in recovery.. just keep going again on the gamble free path. I am sure your grandson will love easter this year with that easter basket you have collected.. be kind to you Lizbeth

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Whatever the amounts, compulsive gamblers will eventually lose whatever they win because they put it back in, then by losing it they chase it again, a vicious cycle but one that can be stopped with a real desire to want to leave it in the past. Yes the money is gone, it’s devastating and crippling.. Time is on your side you are young. You can stop now and begin a life of recovery but you’ve gotta want it like nothing on earth and be willing to put as much effort into recovery as you would into gambling.. You can ban from casinos, put blockers online, attend gamblers anonymous, post, read, journal here, talk one on one, join the groups. Get someone to help with control of your money, lower limits, carry little cash, go to counselling. Use everything available to help you on this journey of recovery and discovery.. Hoping to see you more often

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Gambling is about so much more than money.. it takes far more than dollars… and is about more than dollars.. if it were just about the money we would walk away when we win..

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