Great to hear you used your salary for non gambling purposes, Lauren. Hard to believe we went through so much money when we gambled and still managed to pay bills and debts! Don’t know how we did it! It creates a lot of stress when we have to “rob Peter to pay Paul”. It sure cancels out the buzz gambling gives us when we think of the hangover it brings.
I know the feeling of contentment when you have paid up everything for the month, filled the freezer and have no money left to gamble with. The temptation diminishes when we know it can’t be fulfilled. Being in the overdraft reminds us that we are not free to gamble. When I was cleaned out online I also faced over limit bank charges due to some sinister method the Gambling Site used to make withdrawals vanish and then reappear in my bank account. I won’t dwell on it now, but revisiting my bank statements online shows me the reality of gambling, Lauren. Can you look back on yours when you feel you are missing the “buzz” to refresh your memory of what gambling is really all about?
That gambling friend of yours makes me feel uneasy. I would give her a VERY wide berth. I like the sound of your ex boyfriend, however. I think I would turn up at his graduation, dolled up to the nines as a token of gratitude for his help in attaining your Masters. Congrats on that achievement! I regret not doing further studies when I still had a sharp mind. Another thing gambling stole from me.
Time to focus on NOW and leave the past behind.
Would you be entitled to a back to education grant? Look into it. There is no reason why you can’t do a doctorate or a PHD. Why not, now that you have stopped gambling FOR LIFE!!