I too had all sorts of feelings to deal with and thoughts. I did spend a lot of time alone and this definitely,doesn’t help the situation. We lose perspective and turn inward and imagine all sorts of things. Thoughts run amok. We have to stick to some basic things. There does come a time when we switch from paimfulabstinence Imto recovery and it comes when step by step we consciously seek out support, counselling and work with it. We deal with the cause of’our gambling and as I me ti’ Ed earlier this can be complex. Most of us on here had hundreds of relapses and periods of abstinence before one day it was enough, we hit rock bottom for most of us. I did, but we can take those steps to stop before we do lose everything. Prison, homeless, mental hospital or suicide, that is the end state destination for rock bottoms that just get worse and worse. And it does, take it from me. And we have all felt,that descent you speak of and still carried on. Some to stealing and prison. I have met good people who ended up in prison because of it.
We all deserve to have happiness in life and this addiction will strip that away. No chance if we keep the programme running. GA did help me initially and I didn’t even have the fare to get there as it gives a focus with like minded people.
Once we get and ad it to ourselves that our lives have bec e u manageable and that we are powerless over gambling, and a higher power can restore us to sanity that is the time that we begin the change and the climb back. This works, and I am living prooof of it. Compulsive gamblers never win, we just cannot gamble responsibly and it really,is as simple as that. Accept that fact and begin the journey to recover yourself back. It is worth it. Once we take that fist bet, the addiction takes over and we replay the programme over and over again. Time to stop that and time to see else life has to offer, because it does.
