02-07-2013, 10:45 AM
Is it really about winning and losing?!
I used to think it was, but that was when the addiction had its grips into me, that was when I was a puppet to my addiction and it held the strings.
The only thing that would happen if I 'won' was it would allow me to gamble more and for longer. I used to go into a bookies with the pure intention to win money, whether it be for a bill, a new tv, a overdue debt, etc... but as soon as I got into that zone all my intentions went out of the window. The reasons for going in were just a lure, a trap set by my illness to get me into action so I could temporarily escape from the pain and frustration of my immediate life.
Until the 'fog of gambling' lifted from my thoughts I could not see beyond the 'madness' you speak of. It is the same for most of us when we first stop gambling, until we get that clarity of thought seeing our gambling as anything different is a difficult task.
You have to let go Andy! The past is the past, it has gone, you cannot get it back, you know this. Even if you were to go and place a bet and win do you really think you'll be able to walk away, I don't think so. There are many things that I regret from my past, even some that I find hard to come to terms with now but, and I quote, 'life must go on'.
Please Andy, just try and concentrate on not gambling for the moment, nothing else, one day at a time. If that is too difficult then do an hour at a time. Get a little bit of time away from gambling under your belt for now.
I good friend of mine in GA often says "put the fire out first, then we can work on the destruction caused". Keep it simple, the first few weeks/months are going to be difficult enough without having to worry about changing and 'working the program'. Once the pain has died down then you can look at getting better.
I did it (miraculously) and so can you!
Big Dave (Eastcote/Uxbridge)
I used to think it was, but that was when the addiction had its grips into me, that was when I was a puppet to my addiction and it held the strings.
The only thing that would happen if I 'won' was it would allow me to gamble more and for longer. I used to go into a bookies with the pure intention to win money, whether it be for a bill, a new tv, a overdue debt, etc... but as soon as I got into that zone all my intentions went out of the window. The reasons for going in were just a lure, a trap set by my illness to get me into action so I could temporarily escape from the pain and frustration of my immediate life.
Until the 'fog of gambling' lifted from my thoughts I could not see beyond the 'madness' you speak of. It is the same for most of us when we first stop gambling, until we get that clarity of thought seeing our gambling as anything different is a difficult task.
You have to let go Andy! The past is the past, it has gone, you cannot get it back, you know this. Even if you were to go and place a bet and win do you really think you'll be able to walk away, I don't think so. There are many things that I regret from my past, even some that I find hard to come to terms with now but, and I quote, 'life must go on'.
Please Andy, just try and concentrate on not gambling for the moment, nothing else, one day at a time. If that is too difficult then do an hour at a time. Get a little bit of time away from gambling under your belt for now.
I good friend of mine in GA often says "put the fire out first, then we can work on the destruction caused". Keep it simple, the first few weeks/months are going to be difficult enough without having to worry about changing and 'working the program'. Once the pain has died down then you can look at getting better.
I did it (miraculously) and so can you!
Big Dave (Eastcote/Uxbridge)