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When people say "Take one day at a time"
#1
I have posted on here before with my problem and find myself in the same predicament many months on. I no longer gamble every day and haven't for well over a year, however, I have a different type of problem, which is actually just as bad. I don't bet for several weeks then have a moment of weakness and end up playing roulette and losing hundreds in the space of a few hours. This is obviously soul destroying and very frustrating as I get paid monthly and end up in a worse financial position than the month before after going weeks at a time being extremely careful with my money. I am desperate to quit and after every setback I seem as determined as ever to stop only to fall back into the same trap. Anyway, my question to the experienced posters on here is this - I try to take the advice on this site and take things one day at a time but find after going for weeks without even contemplating a bet once the decision to gamble enters my head the decision has already been made. How do you overcome this overpowering feeling? Do you experience this and what do you do to overcome it? My latest setback was on the 1st of June after going almost four weeks without a bet. This happened because a scheduled meeting finished early and driving home the thought entered my head that I wasn't expected back for a few hours and so the opportunity was there. I drove for forty five minutes trying to tell myself about the one day at a time rule and it wasn't enough. I know the advice will be to go to a meeting and I am stupid for not going but I will give myself every opportunity to fix this on my own. I have faced other difficulties in life and overcome them through planning and sheer determination. I know I can beat this. Please see boyond my arrogance when giving advice. Incidentally, in the past if I lost I was back the next day. This doesn't happen now. I admit defeat and move on. Good as gold for the next few weeks.
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#2
Hey Guest,
I think your answer is very much in your post but you cannot see this. If you dont have access to cash then you cannot gamble!! If your meeting finished early and you only had a tenner in your pocket to get home, then you may well have been pleasedto go home early.

The point to this is we can say "oh i am better off I didnt gamble for 30days in a row" but the slips are always bigger as you have benerated more cash.

Dont beat yourself up over the slips as this breeds guilt and whats gone is well and truly gone, if you need exitement in boredom then get yourself into a new hobby!!

the "just for today" rule works but you must couple it with understanding yourself and in that understanding except given favourable conditions, ie boredom, cash card etc in wallet you will probably escape...

realise it, face it and change it.

Take Care

Barrie
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#3
Hi guys and thankyou for your feedback and advice. Although I still have some slips my position now compared to two years ago when I first came across this site is night and day. At that time I gambled everyday and the psycological effect this had on me was unbelievable. I come on this site regularly and always manage to pick up on a good piece of advice or an excellent tip. It is amazing really, the first thing I noticed when I stopped gambling every day was how little I spend. I was devasted when I slipped up last week but I am determined this will be my last time.

Dave,
You are correct I am afraid of going to meetings but probably not for the reasons you would think. I know G.A. is anonymous but I also know that people are only human and I would hate to go to a meeting and recognise someone or have them recognise me only for that person to quit after a few weeks and let it slip to someone else what was said and who he met at a meeting. I admit that if I ever do go it would be to a meeting about forty miles from where I live/grew up. As I said previously, I want to fix this myself. I don't want to be labelled with something for the rest of my life just because I have made a mess of two years of my life.
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#4
I thankyou for your feedback and your honesty.
I come to this site because I currently have a problem and I believe this site provides the best information, the best advice available for someone in my position. I am not new to this site. I have been visiting it for some time now and I believe the wealth of Knowledge I have picked up from other people, has enabled me to have a better understanding of my problem. As for being ashamed of my problem - of course I am. I am a husband and a father who should never have allowed this situation to get so far as to thinking I have a problem. As I have said previously, I don't gamble everyday and I don't think about gambling everyday but for some reason I seem to slip up every three to four weeks. I believe I can fix this because I need to believe I can fix this. I read the stories on this site and everyday they remind me that life is too precious.
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