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+--- Thread: Gambling: Addiction or Habit? (/showthread.php?tid=3296)
Gambling: Addiction or Habit? - Guest - 10-12-2011
Just want to throw this question out there to see what sort of response it brings.
Is gambling really an addiction or is it just a habit?????
I have spent/lost several 10's maybe even 100's of thousands of pounds over the years and after my last major mess up I went to my first GA meeting almost 6 weeks ago and have been every week since (and I will continue to attend meetings in the future just maybe not every week).
Have I admitted to people that I have a gambling problem, quite simply yes I have. But the most important person who needed to admit it was me! Before attending a meeting I told myself that I had a problem and I thought that I had admitted it to myself then, but the truth of it is that I am only just now (probably over the last couple of weeks or so) fully admitting to myself that I have a problem with gambling, But does this mean that I'm a gambling addict? I thought it did until after having a conversation with my partner and I now believe that I'm indeed not a gambling addict but I do accept and fully admit that I am a extremely selfish person who has a very compulsive personality and that I had let gambling become a habit.
I have lots of habits (some of them you could even call OCD habits) but not a single one of these other habits has ever effected or hurt anyone else.
Although this sounds very controversial, I don't believe that I'm a recovering gambling addict as I have nothing to recover from!! What I have done over the previous few weeks and will continue to do is break/change my habit.
Each morning when I wake up I don't say to myself "Today I will not gamble" but every day when I wake I will say to myself "Today I will not be selfish, and let my habits hurt anyone close to me"
I'm not trying to come over arrogant or to even be controversial, this is just how I feel. Human nature means that we all like to be told "well done" but to be perfectly honest I don't want a well done for not having a bet for x amount of time. I constantly remind myself how MY selfishness has hurt those that I love and cherish.
However you look at your habit/problem/illness/addiction or any other wording you wish to use I wish you well for the future
Stay safe
MJH