Even though my first message in this thread included some criticism of the moderators, I appreciate the people who run this website and their work. I don’t want to focus on the negative side anymore.
I created this thread to declare my fight against gambling, and I believe this step is already significant progress that should be appreciated. So, I appreciate myself for stepping up, and I’m confident that everyone here who has created their own topics to share their stories should appreciate themselves. You have done what 99% of gamblers, unfortunately, haven’t done yet, and that’s a giant step.
I invite everyone who reads this to join me in this thread, participate in discussions, ask questions, give recommendations, and criticize me for things you disagree with. I believe that our synergy and cooperation will help us overcome common struggles. From my side, I’ll read your topics and will try to help with what I can.
Today is my 17th gamble-free day. Even though it is true that I haven’t gambled for this period, I cheated a bit: I couldn’t gamble because I didn’t have money. So, the real challenge will come next week when I get money.
I have tried quitting gambling around 20 times, so I know the mental processes that will start. I’ll negotiate with myself, convincing myself that I’ve figured out how to win, and that betting will help me earn money to accelerate my move to the new city I’m planning.
Due to my past failures, I believe I have a cheatsheet on how to act now. I’ve planned how I will spend my money, so at the end of the day, I will invest in good things and won’t have money for gambling. Not the greatest strategy, but it will be alright for now.
I plan to write a new message next Friday. Until then, I will focus on my daily commitments by reading some scientific papers on gambling addiction.
By the way, I’ve already read Anna Lembke’s “Dopamine Nation”—a great book that I recommend to everyone here. If you haven’t read it, you should. The book is small, doesn’t require much time, but is very beneficial and insightful.