Welcome to the site. If anyone understands your situation it is me. I started gambling when I was recovering from kidney cancer surgery in 2011. Five and a half years of destruction ending up in destitution. I started as I was so used to working and my recuperation was delayed after going back to work and having to stop again. The reasons why I gambled to such destruction were multiple but the reality was I self destructed and lost my faith that anything would turn out well again. I was wrong, of course. I was angry at how everything had turned out. My relationship ship went at the same time as soon as I got out of hospital.
I am now two years and nine months gambling free. If I can do it so can you.
I would recommend getting counselling support. Having a cancer diagnosis and gambling to destruction is not that an unusual phenomenon. To get a terminal diagnosis is a very hard thing but doctors really don’t know everything. You have done five years and that is great, well done. A close friend of mine with metastatic cancer is recovering and getting better very slowly on a combo of traditional and natural treatments.
We have to admit to ourselves that we are powerless over gambling and let our higher power, whatever you believe that to be, to take the reins, But you must get counselling support from a gambling specific or addictions counsellor. When we have a cancer diagnosis, there are many emotions we need to work through. I never sought counselling help when I had cancer and I believe if I did I might have avoided a trail of destruction through gambling.
This site is great, to journal o to join the groups in chat.
Good luck and keep posting.
