Nice Post Sad. I am glad that you did not gamble yesterday. I hope Today also is a good day for you. I like the story you mentioned about the boy and the way the dad reacted to the problem. How about if I say ” our gambling is the child” and we at the same time are the father!? Can we get close to our self in a loving manner and see what is it that the gambling mind wants to tell us, by acting out like that, compulsive behavior? That is what I am trying to do, to listen to my gambling mind. There are two steps in there. First is when I am not gambling(how am i feeling? is there any thing that I am not happy with, or some thing that I rather not to think about it) here is my theory ” if i don,t look carefully or not listen carefully to my thought now, Later my subconscious, may act out, as he could not show me or tell me what was wrong, there for he acts out by the way of Gambling, drinking, ignoring the reality, becoming addicted. He is feds up with me not understanding him. I look at it like the situation between the father and the son in your story.
I had a very good advice from shuller in one of the posts, giving me a link to Dr Garbor Mate speaking about neuroplasticity. I think you would like to listen to few of his talks. here is the link to that site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgiqMQTfw1Y
To remind you your own words:
I wish a few trips would cure compulsive gambling. But.I would probably find a casino .lol. Keep working on your recovery Sam.
As all people helpful people in here said, there is no cure compulsive gambling, but to control that, think about barriers. that is the only way Sad, no other magic potions.
You said you probably find a casino.. i know you were joking but, behind that, I can see myself when i was self excluding myself from the betting shops around me(at the same time my visual mind, was seeing the betting shop which were far from me)meaning of you are kidding me, I can take you far from your home to gamble again…..this was the negative way of me looking at it….the same time he may be is telling me : don’t just ban yourself here do it any where that you think you may one day go and gamble.
Sad you are a good person. Use all the support in here and believe me if you follow what they say, and put barriers in place, you will find yourself in a better place.
To end my post, I thank you again for being here, and tell you that I am visiting my neighbor every day, even if it is for few minutes. I enjoy that.
Take care Sad. One day at a time.