[problemgambler99]

My names tyler, college senior

The last time I gambled was Saturday feb. 17th 2018. It wasn’t my lowest of lows so far in 2018, but it was still a very low point for me. Ive been in the casino consistently since the new year started. In January I went 15 out of 31 days (Some days multiple times a day) and so far in Feb. Ive been there 9 times. February 5th was my lowest of lows. I lost 1500 and it was all the money I had. Most ive ever lost. a-lot of the money was money I had won from the casino, but thats no excuse. I went broke and didnt have a job. I said Id never go back, but have been multiple times since. Im really trying to quit, so I finally seeked my first bit of help out by joinging this sight a few days ago. It has already been of tremedous help. My old girlfriend used to tell me to always go find help, but the way I am seeking help is difficult. This site as been incredibly helpful and I am truley thankful for people who have reached out to me. My ex used to be the only one I could rely on to talk to about my addiction. She was there with me through it for years. We split up a few months ago for different reasons, but she is still there for me from time to time. But i can no longer rely on her. I need to do better for me. This site was my first step and is already helping me with my progression.

Just tryna get better day by day. I got this

[velvet]

Hello Tyler and thanks for starting a thread in the Gambling Therapy forums

Here at Gambling Therapy we pride ourselves on being a caring and diverse online community who can help and support you with the difficulties you’re currently facing. We understand that this might be a tough time for you, particularly if you’re new to recovery, so come here as often as you need to and participate in the forums, access online groups and connect to the live advice helpline if you need one to one support. We’re in this together!

Here on the forum you can share your experiences in a safe, supportive and accepting environment. The beauty of writing it all down is that you can take your time and you will be creating a record of your progress that you can look back on if it ever feels like you’re not moving forward. So, share as much or as little as you like but do try to stick to keeping just one thread in this forum so people know where to find you if they want to be updated on your progress or share something with you.

As well as the forums New Members are invited to join Charles in the New Members Practical Advice Group On Mondays at 21:00 (UK) and Thursday at 19:00(UK)

And on that note….

I’m going to hand you over to our community because I’m sure they will have some words of wisdom for you 🙂

Take care

The Gambling Therapy Team

PS: Let me just remind you to take a look at our privacy policy and terms and conditions so you know how it all works!

[Raynor98k]

Hi Tyler,

I am glad you are finding this site helpful. Truth be told, I knew I had a problem for years, but it was only until I took action (reached out to this site, put up blockers, etc) is when things started to change. It sounds like you have other things going on in your life, but you recognize that you are the most important thing, and you want to help yourself with this issue. For that, I applaud you.

I posted this on your other thread, but I will ask if you have excluded yourself from nearby casinos? I ask because this is an incredibly important second step you can take. It is important you start to put up your blockers now when you have a clear mindset, because when you start to have urges with no blockers/plan in place, that’s when it’s easy to slip back to old habits.

Getting over this addiction was very eye opening to me. I started to learn as much as I could about what happens to the brain when someone becomes addicted to something. I wanted to learn as much as I could so that I could understand what was going on. If you are interested in this path, I will save you the search. These two videos helped me the most:

This is a TED Talk from Dr. Pamela Peeke about the behaviors of addiction. She talks most about a food addiction, but the bottom line is that every addiction is formed the same way. It can be alcohol, drugs, gambling, other behavioral addictions (porn), anything really. It really opens your eyes that you are really not alone. Everyone is fighting their own battles.

The second video is my favorite. It is a lecture by Dr. Kevin T. McCauley about the brain and recovery. I like this because he goes into in depth detail about how dopamine is released during activities and the actual amounts. It’s scary how much gets released for addictive activities. I also enjoy his talks because he is an admitted sugar addict, and I feel I can relate to him. See, even doctors can be addicts, that’s a little comforting in a weird way. It’s a little long (90 min), but well worth it. The video can be found here:

I suggest self excluding (if you haven’t already), and then start to do your homework on what addiction actually is. It is comforting to know that, although we have a brain illness, it can be reversed. The brain is always changing, and it is a truly fascinating organ. Take care and keep posting.

–Nick

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