Thank you for your response and input — hopefully my experiences will shed insight and guide you towards a solution that works for you.
For me, gambling is in my arsenal of addictions so while I have had periods of abstinence, it was during those times that I would toggle to one of my other addictions instead. However, over time, I’ve slowly kicked each of these other addictions one by one (and am continuing to throughout today).
Specifically….
I quit smoking after college by going from cloves to marlboro reds to mediums to lights to ultra lights to bumming ultra lights to quitting. This addiction is no longer something I can toggle to.
I smoked A LOT of pot up through April 2017 (since I had a medical marijuana card) at which point I decided it was more of a crutch than an answer. This is also an addiction I can no longer toggle to.
I was a functional alcoholic up to the point I got my DUI in 2007 and although I quit drinking briefly, I ended up drinking very heavily from 2010 to 2012 (until I started my life over in a new city/state). While I still drink occasionally, I’m now deciding to rid myself o this habit since it’s a gateway to gambling (I was drunk when I decided to start my last binge earlier this month).
Ultimately, I’ve replaced my addictions with other things like working out, cooking and volunteering.
The reason why I’m so confidant that quitting alcohol and gambling this time around will stick is because I no longer have an arsenal of bad habits to rely on. Instead, I’m going to go all-in (gambling pun-intended) with all the positive things I’ve being doing instead by hitting the gym more often, being more consistent with my volunteer activities, and becoming a more seasoned cook. As well, by actively participating in this forum, I feel as though I have a network of people who understand (more so than my friends and family ever could).
While I can’t promise that I won’t feel life’s stresses and won’t get extremely bored with an abstinent life, I’m recognizing that while self-imposed “negatives” (gambling/drinking) may distract me from what I may be feeling at the time, they are definitely not fixing the problem.
For me, my sole objective is to recognize that life is hard and could be worse.
The great thing is that I volunteer at a hospital by helping cancer patients so while I may think my life sucks, it could definitely be worse.
That said, my recommendation is to start volunteering if you can. It’s been a life-changer for me.