[charles]

I know a lot of people, here and at the meetings I go to, refer to themselves as a recovering compulsive gambler.
If that works for them then great but I prefer to just stick with what i know is true for me – I am a Compulsive Gambler.
I will never be "recovered", I will always be a Compulsive gambler, accepting that fact helps keep me safe.  I’m not scared of my next bet;  I just accept I can’t make it, one day at a time.
I do work recovery but I’m recovering in terms of my character, I’m a better person now than I was when I was gambling.
I haven’t had a bet in a while and hopefully that will continue.  Whether or not I ever place a bet again though I will always be a compulsive gambler.  One who is currently choosing not to place his next bet.

[jackie58]

I don’t see how I could ever be a recovering Compulsive Gambler.  I guess some people are, but in the past when I thought I could control the gambling it has always ended up controlling me.
 

[stanciulete]

Once you are a compulsive gambler..you always will be…thats my opinion..is very hard and different from tabasco or *****..

[stanciulete]

Once you are a compulsive gambler..you always will be…thats my opinion..is very hard and different from tabasco or *****..

[RhonaM]

A lot of states have passed laws recently permitting a greater amount of lawful gambling, or rather permitting more casinos, bingo halls and slots in numerous areas. It does bring in more tax revenue and gambling, like any activity, is harmless when done for fun and in moderation. However, the darker side is people locked in a gambling addiction, which takes a heavy toll on both sufferers and the country as a whole.

[Meg1979]

i totally agree. I dont believe its something you are ever truly free of, always there lurking. I think by saying that its a great way of owning it and being truly honest with yourself about it

[Revolutioninlife]

Hi, Can you say the same thing through your facebook account, and let people know ? if yes, have you done it? if not, why do you think that you can’t? Please don’t take it as my challenge to u. I am not rude either. I am impressed with what you have written. But i am confused if it is the truth.

[charles]

Hi Revolution, thanks for the question.

I don’t do Facebook or social media. I tried it once and soon found I had loads of friends I didn’t actually know lol

My family know I’m a Compulsive Gambler and a few other peole who “need to know” do as well. I also declare that I am a Compulsive gambler at the GA meetings I go to each week.

The point I was trying to make though doesn’t really depend on who or how many people I declare it to. The point is that I have accepted the fact that I am a Compulsive gambler and am quite happy that I will always be one. This acceptance makes it harder for my addiction to try and convince me I can ever gamble “normally”.

I don’t “fight” the addiction any more, it’s won!! Now i don’t have to fight it it can no longer bloody my nose, it can’t hurt me unless I ever decide to return to the ring so to speak.

By accepting that I am a Compulsive gambler, always will be and can never return to that normal gambling, I can just get on with the rest of my life.

I still couldn’t do it on my own of course, if we could do that then none of us would be here in the first place. That’s why I still get to my meetings.

I think this is your first post here? It’s good to meet you. I hope you can post a little more about yourself by starting your own thread. Then you can start getting the support that will help you deal with this addiction.

[sam.sam]

Does being a compulsive gambler only affects you? or only loosing some money is the problem? I think NO. so I was thinking about the question, are we recovering compulsive gamblers or just compulsive gamblers? recovery to me is not only stop gambling but placing every thing in our life where it is supposed to be. when we gamble we are all over the world, and not near where we should be. families are far, friends do not exist any more, health getting away and so on. So I prefer to say recovering. as soon as i stop gambling i start about my life, the one i had before, laughter’s and happy times. I want them back. I am agree with you when you say we are all one bet away from becoming compulsive again but at the same time we are in recovery of our life and good things that we have lost. is not that right when we say we are not trying to be perfect, but progress, even if it is baby steps? It was something that came to my mind, and said better say than keep it in me.. Love you all. sam

[charles]

You could say that I will always be a Compulsive gambler, who isn’t gambling, but I AM recovering as a human being 🙂

[Revolutioninlife]

Do you really believe that Gambling has become an addiction on you? I think that it is a main question here to ask yourself/myself? Addiction is a sickness/disease of some kind of habit. It makes us bad than we are without this habit. Addiction affects our thinking and beheviour. But by the time , i believe it can be cured/recovered. As you said, we can be of better character than we are now. I still have the same thoughts as U, but it is not helping. I am gambling again and again. Thus I have started thinking like “I have an addiction /a mental disease, that needs treatment. But of course I can help myself more on my treatment by changing the way I used to think before.” Yes, m loosing selfrespect bcoz of it. But nobody noticed it.:) I believe, I have been recovered by 1%. There is long way to go but I am sure my treatment is not going to affect any my daily work besides this. As you said, you are not afraid of ur next bet, but my problem today is I am afraid of desire to put next bet bcoz as you said I agree that We all are one bet away from becoming compulsive gambler AGAIN. I repeat AGAIN. I also dont want to say, i am recoveing, but I will definately shout one day in this way “I HAVE BEEN COMPULSIVE GAMBLER, GAMBLING CAN’T BE ADDICTION ANYMORE” This is my plan. For this i believe, we should find a practical meaning for our life, we should be motivated on we are doing and on our plan. We should know that we cant follow money and run after it. It will follow us, if we do our work and if we are on the right path. we should never give up just because of some unsuccessful attempts. We will made it, everybody have unsuccess story, on different forms. Everybody have gone through some kind of depression everyday. This is how life continues…

[charles]

If anyone needs to know whether thay have an addiction then for me the best place for them to look would be at the Gamblers Anonymous website and check out the 20 Questions they have there.
This is turning into a good discussion.

Revolution can I ask, what would I gain by being “cured” as a Compulsive gambler? As a CG there is only one thing in life I can not do normally and that is to gamble. Part of my recovery is to accept that and then get on with enjoying everything else life has to offer. If I ever considered myself “cured” then what would be there to stop me gambling? After all if I was no longer a Compulsive gambler then why would I not place a bet?

I really hope you start your own thread Revolution. You say you are “gambling again and again”. Maybe you can tell us a little about your own story, what things have or haven’t worked for you? What barriers you can put in place? The things you are doing in your own recovery?

If anyone considers themselves a “Recovering Compulsive gambler” that’s fine as long as it works for them. Personally I’m happy to remain a Compulsive gambler who isn’t gambling. My own recovery hopefully will never reach an end as for me it is a life long process as I continue to work on improvement. I never want to think I am perfect with no more work required. 🙂

[Author]

Posts