09-12-2010, 12:27 AM
Glenn,
firstly you dont have to thank me for taking my time to come on here and post advice or suggestions. Believe me when I say its my own therapy to help others overcome the demons, I am myself only one day from my next bet but I would like to share something today with you.
I took the long way to realise that gambling was the thing that made me ill, I took some very deep soul searching also. I will never be more than 1minuite, 1 hour or one day away from failure in going back to that "old" life.
I always belived I was "uncureable" "unstoppable" and that it was just "me". For me to hear you speak those words that your life is much better free from gambling gives me great satisfaction its the satisfaction I have every day also.
I am going to divulge some things that are very close to me today in this post. When I found GA it was a relief to be understood, I just couldnt possibly stay away from the fruit machine, I was the one who no matter what the jackpot managed to fill it up...sometimes spending silly silly money doing so. One thing I dont look at now is that "past" or what i have lost.
GA saved my life as it showed me the path I must take, to live "one day at a time" to not take things for granted, to focus, to work hard, to stay decent, to be a better man.
Unfortunately for me my "focus" to GA was interupted by other cercumstances in my life and I found staying on the programme very difficult.
I realise now that it wasnt what I lost in terms of money it was what I lost in terms of "me" as a person, how I treated family, how I treated friends and how I treated myself. This desease Glenn will never leave me, like it wont leave you, three weeks is a fantastic effort and you seem to have been awoken into GA and the new life but it is a long long road.
Now after 3+ years of realisation I am going home to see family and Im excited as are they, they can see that change in me, they can see I have matured, that I live with pride and dignity and i deserve to be successfull in what i do.
My story could have been so much different believe me...
At 22 you have that chance, that opportunity to stay happy, stay focussed and I am sure distractions will arrive, meeting a GF will be one, work, life etc will be others but always keep what you have seen in three weeks fresh in your mind..because you had 8+ years before I realised and I could have been so much more.
"just for today" I didnt gamble because god granted me the serenity to accept the things I couldnt change the courage to change the things I could and the wisdom to know the difference..
TC B
firstly you dont have to thank me for taking my time to come on here and post advice or suggestions. Believe me when I say its my own therapy to help others overcome the demons, I am myself only one day from my next bet but I would like to share something today with you.
I took the long way to realise that gambling was the thing that made me ill, I took some very deep soul searching also. I will never be more than 1minuite, 1 hour or one day away from failure in going back to that "old" life.
I always belived I was "uncureable" "unstoppable" and that it was just "me". For me to hear you speak those words that your life is much better free from gambling gives me great satisfaction its the satisfaction I have every day also.
I am going to divulge some things that are very close to me today in this post. When I found GA it was a relief to be understood, I just couldnt possibly stay away from the fruit machine, I was the one who no matter what the jackpot managed to fill it up...sometimes spending silly silly money doing so. One thing I dont look at now is that "past" or what i have lost.
GA saved my life as it showed me the path I must take, to live "one day at a time" to not take things for granted, to focus, to work hard, to stay decent, to be a better man.
Unfortunately for me my "focus" to GA was interupted by other cercumstances in my life and I found staying on the programme very difficult.
I realise now that it wasnt what I lost in terms of money it was what I lost in terms of "me" as a person, how I treated family, how I treated friends and how I treated myself. This desease Glenn will never leave me, like it wont leave you, three weeks is a fantastic effort and you seem to have been awoken into GA and the new life but it is a long long road.
Now after 3+ years of realisation I am going home to see family and Im excited as are they, they can see that change in me, they can see I have matured, that I live with pride and dignity and i deserve to be successfull in what i do.
My story could have been so much different believe me...
At 22 you have that chance, that opportunity to stay happy, stay focussed and I am sure distractions will arrive, meeting a GF will be one, work, life etc will be others but always keep what you have seen in three weeks fresh in your mind..because you had 8+ years before I realised and I could have been so much more.
"just for today" I didnt gamble because god granted me the serenity to accept the things I couldnt change the courage to change the things I could and the wisdom to know the difference..
TC B