[Don14765]

Rising: congratulations on your sustained sobriety! You are a pioneer and Lead the way for people like myself who have a hard time staying on track…
You prove it can be done !!

I too, ask those questions…

What am I doing ?
Am I trying to
Recoup my losses(yes!!)
– do I really need to gamble??
– What would be the worst that would happen to me if I stayed even a week of being gamble free?
-why can’t I see that I’ve spend $200 in 9 days and won nothing??

If you don’t mind me saying …you have some good sobriety behind you and at this point with so much sobriety…

You’re Probably thinking “I could’ve started earlier “but you could take consolation in knowing that I am just getting on track and it is so difficult for me to even have a week of sobriety…. so you are miles ahead of me on that road..

An accomplishment For you to be proud of 😁

Thanks for paving the way, and showing people like myself and others that it can be done -if you truly reached your bottom and if you truly want change in your life…

[Don14765]

Jvr- glad you’re able to find something you’ve once had-
And be able to
Re-insert it back into
Your life…
I have all but abandoned my guitar
Playing and I question why….
Most of my thoughts are gambling related
And
I need to reincorporate something
That’s been part of me as well
Kudos
To you for doing that !

[Don14765]

Rising… congrats on a great milestone!

And also , thank you for your rigourous honesty about your urges, I would happen to Think after almost a year the urges would go away? But kudos you for being able to
Avoid those feelings
Of
Urges and to do something else…

I too, want to always remember the thousands of dollars I have spent
And wasted on gambling
When
The odds are so NOT in our favour….

[Don14765]

JVR: glad to hear you’ve gotten out
And danced your heart out..
If that’s what helps you to cope
And stay gamble free…
Too
That they have those substances there at the raves that can trigger you😕

But you’re doing your best to avoid that and that’s great!!

Regarding your work- a lot of “macho thinking “
Men will indeed get intimidated by a woman
Doing their job and they feel
Helpless and vulnerable…
Most guys feel the need to support
Or even control a woman…
So yes
Best to keep doing your job and avoid
Letting
Those guys bother you..

Also, we men think differently than women, we always put intimacy first in our lives and we don’t really need to feel” attached emotionally “

Or at least that’s what I think I have discovered over the years of analyzing why men and women are so different?

And yes! You are so correct, if you are attractive to them that is their issues to deal with for sure! There are some teachers at my school and then I find extremely attractive but I still trying to remain professional because most of them are married..

And yes-
Keep avoiding negative triggers and people that are toxic to you for
Sure …

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by Don14765. Reason: Spelling /punctuation

[Don14765]

@ Lavende94
Congrats on your sobriety-
I’ve had to reset my sobriety date
BUT! This morning I had $330
That I could have spent on lottery
–
But instead I delegated the money to a couple bills…
I too, have very strong urges to gamble
And withdrawal symptoms…

An old sponsor of mine
Once said “you have to go through
The pain of change in order to change your life, because we are tired of “staying the same “and losing money all the time..

I often think of that ….
So when I feel strong urges
And I ignore them,
I know I’m doing the right thing
And I’m trudging through the
“Pain of change”

[Don14765]

Hi- yes- the more sobriety you get
Gives us all hope that we can
Get sobriety as well….
I know that each time
I choose to gamble-
There is 0 control..
I told myself I will only spend this amount or that amount, but I always end up going over what I can afford to spend 😕so that tells me that I have no control over this disease…

So my only option to succeed is to
Stop
Gambling….

[Don14765]

DE: today I am day # 3 myself…
You are not alone with relapses…
Sometimes our stories are different as to why we relapse…
But also hate starting over time and again

You have more sobriety amassed than
I have ever had- thats a plus !

I am still struggling to get past one week…
Be proud of your self for that accomplishment- you’re able to
Put many many days together…
It’s a great booster
For guys like me –
Just starting to see what sobriety looks like

[Don14765]

De: thanks for your support…
I do feel Motivated to change, but I know there will be “rough patches”

Of when I really want to make a bet…
And yes!
Thank you for your advice of “keeping the money away “because if I didn’t allot that money to bills I’m sure I would have gambled it away:(

[Don14765]

Jvr: sorry to hear about the loss of your uncle.. BUT!

It sounds like you have done (and are doing) all that you could do to avoid breaking down with addictions, like gambling, because of your grief…

Going to your sponsors ….calling people …
All great , necessary steps….while grieving..

I , unfortunately, didn’t do that when I lost my parents….
But -it has been a few years and I haven’t “melted down” that bad
Since then…

I think you’re definitely on the right track
Taking all those necessary steps –

Keep up the great work …
And yes..
Watch out for “vultures “
Hoping to swoop in and take advantage of you when you’re down….

Keep being strong and taking the right
Steps (like you’re doing)
And I think you’ll be fine

[Don14765]

Rising: thanks for checking in-
I tested myself for COVID yesterday..
Negative –
But I slept most of the day(no gambling!)

And took the day off work…
Today I’m feeling better – still not at work;
But
I’m refusing all gambling hits as toxic
And hope to keep this up for the rest
Of the day…
Maybe I’ll do some puzzles
And watch baseball to direct my feelings/urges
To a better place 🙂

[Don14765]

Lavende94:
I also want to win- but all these methods:
Casino; online betting, even tickets at the store- they all bring depression
When I lose -they seem all fixed For the house to win ?
I think to not even take a chance
Would be the best decision….
Please don’t feel
Hopeless!
And I’m positive there have been times in your motherhood where you’ve made good decisions….
When we’re down -the negative feelings come in…
And when addictions show their ugly face

Please Don’t listen to those negative feelings !
I am aiming to make today another gamble -free day…
I hope you can too

[Don14765]

Lavende94: you are not alone…
This will be day one for me too (Sept 27/22)

I messed up yesterday…but let’s do this !
We can both get some sobriety….

One day at a time…

Please don’t let anybody or anything
Bother you ..
I’ve always turned to
Gambling
To soothe raw, angry feelings
–
Always made me feel worse when I lost
My money to gambling ….

[Don14765]

Thanks Rising ; for your support…
I want to start out by having a
Small goal (one week?) to look up to …

One day at a time yes- for sure!
And thanks again for your posts
Of giving your family the extra money
You have …
This has helped me tremendously!

[Don14765]

Rising: congrats on day 319 being gamble free!
You pave the way and give hope for people like me who struggle to get even a week of sobriety
Behind them!
And yes- please be careful of that “wave”
That can hit you when you feel down
Or sensitive that one day…

Just gotta be on guard and ready for that I guess is what you can do to prepare ?

Great idea to allot your money
To family ! If we don’t have
Extra money on hand ; we take away
A way for gambling to creep back into our life 🙂

This has helped me immensely (thanks !)
A week or so ago when I had a couple thousand
Re-imbursement
From a hearing aid..
Listening to what you have done-
I delegated the money to a charge card
And my line of credit..

I Always wonder what would’ve happened to me have I not read your post!

I took away opportunities for a gambling
Binge –
Thank you !!!
Please keep up the great sobriety
It certainly
Helps people like me
Who struggle

[Don14765]

Hello all: I guess I was kinda looking
For a response to my last post…
Maybe perhaps not because I am somewhat new to the forum ?
Anyhow-! I hope everyone is sober today…
For a Monday

I was tempted to gamble at the store today-
I fought off(white knuckling it?)
The urges
And I was wondering if a hope of being
Gamble -free for this week
Would be a start?
So far ;
My day 1 gamble free is going
Ok- but I gotta keep
Reminding myself why I can’t?

I tell
myself all the hundreds if not thousands of dollars I have wasted trying to win “the big one”
Or “I’ll be happier if I win a lot of money “

I’ve seen a lot of Sobriety on this forum, I wonder what even a week of it would look like? I don’t think I’ve ever had even a week of sobriety in the last couple years?

I wanna keep reminding myself why I should stay gamble free…

[Author]

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