[charles]

I can remember when I first started to get help for my gambling problem.

 

Up until then I had thought I was a gambler, I gambled, that’s what gamblers do and what I thought I would always do.

 

Then I looked around the room at my first GA meeting and saw others just like me, some of whom weren’t gambling.  It gave me hope, if they could do it I could do it.  They were no better than me.

 

Now when I sit at a GA meeting I haven’t had a bet in some time.  We get returning members.  People who thought they had “cracked it” and didn’t need meetings any more.  Usually they are in deeper trouble than they were to start with.  Now I know I’m no better than them, that’s why I keep going.

 

If you are a new member here, or struggling, take a look around.  Read the success stories.  They are no better than you, what are they doing that you could apply to your own situation?  If you are doing well then make sure you look at some of the not so successful stories, maybe some of the returners who after a period of abstinence stopped posting.  We are no better than them.  When we need support to stop gambling it’s important to keep using support to help us stay stopped and maintain recovery.

 

Finally, these days when it comes to betting? Well these days I’m no bettor! 🙂

[desdemona]

Great Post Charles!! None of us is no better than anyone else as we’ve not walked in anyone shoes. I remember being surprised the first when a cg mentioned they had embezzled money from an employer, and thinking I wasn’t as bad as she was, as a compulsive gambler because I had not done that. Today I can so easily see how this could happen with this nasty addiction that will do anything to survive. A person “borrows” the money, planning to repay it with their “winnings.” Then they lose that money and soon they have “borrowed” more money than they can repay. I really feel for people that have gotten themselves in these kinds of situations because by the grace of God, go I. Let’s just all be non bettors, like you said. Carole

[Anonymous]

Charles I almost gave up hope. I read a thread and yours was the last comment. I misinterpreted and thought you were back gambling . I felt myself deflate and immediately thought there is no recovery.. It made me realise how much your recovery means to others here. It made me think that you have a huge responsibility to others once you decide to work for GT. I then realised that while we all say our recovery is for us, we all have a responsibility to those around us .being gamble free meant my child got a computer this Christmas which is a necessity for his for homework and socialising. Maybe it is my mind getting better but I am seeing the enormity of the situation I have created for my family, really for the first time. I can’t believe how selfish I have been. So the shock of thinking you had fallen off the wagon has kick started something in my brain, but I am so relieved that you have not. For you but also selfishly for all of us on here. We so need to read about recovery success stories!

[charles]

Hi sad, sorry to worry you!

Yes it’s important to see the success stories – there are many in the forum and if you go to GA no doubt you hear more there as well.

It’s important to maintain our focus on our own recovery though. I can’t remember who but a long time ago someone said to me “No heroes.” It’s important, if we hold someone up as a hero then what does it do to our own recovery if they gamble? I know I have respect here, I know I have respect at the GA meetings I go to.

I don’t have a problem with that but I’ve also seen the flip side
of that. If we hold up someone as “a hero” then where does that put us if they gamble, it can really knock our own recovery. I’ve seen it happen. If someone realises that they are in some way “lauded” then if they are struggling or having a bad day it makes it harder for them to talk about it, if they slip it makes it harder to come clean. I’ve seen that as well.

The topic group today was on Hope, it’s an important topic and seeing the success stories is a big part of it. Hope was the biggest thing I got from my first GA meeting as i looked around the room and into the eyes of Compulsive Gamblers who were no longer gambling.

So whilst it helps to see the success stories, it helps to see the things that work for others and, if possible, apply them to our own situation, it’s important to stay focussed. That way we don’t let anything or anyone elses actions harm our own recovery.

[charles]

Maybe I should add that if we continue to work recovery then we continue to get better every day 🙂

[Author]

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