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  • This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by Anonymous.
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    • #31295
      JessicaLP
      Participant

      I am early into my recovery and today was one of the tougher days. Right now I have the urge to gamble so bad, and I know when I receive any little bit of money come Thursday I will hand my debit card over to someone who I can trust.

      For people who are longer into their recovery what did you guys do to get through these hard days? Because right now I feel like my mind will not turn off about gambling and how lost and “bored” I am without it until I sleep. Sleeping seems to be an outlet for me and I should have other outlets.

      Jessica

    • #31296
      kin
      Participant

      Dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain that is responsible for: mood, movement, higher thought processes and the sense of well being.

      A lot of the side effects with gambling addiction withdrawal are due to these low levels of dopamine and other neurotransmitters that are released when the addiction stops.
      The worse the addiction, the more intense the withdrawal symptoms. Gambling addiction withdrawal is also due to membranes in the brain being destabilized.

      This means that the ongoing addiction has altered the electrical and chemical balance of the brain and that it does not function normally. This brain destabilization may take months to year to correct.

    • #31297
      kin
      Participant

      Autobiography of an addict in 5 short chapters

      Chapter 1

      I walk down the street,
      There is a deep hole in the sidewalk,
      I fall in.
      I am lost.……I am hopeless,
      It take forever to find a way out.

      Chapter 2

      I walk down the same street ,
      There is a deep hole in the sidewalk,
      I pretend I dun see it,
      I fall in again.
      I can’t believe I am in the same place.
      But I believe it isn’t my fault.
      It still takes a long time to get out.

      Chapter 3

      I walk down the same street ,
      There is a deep hole in the sidewalk ,
      I see it is there
      I still fall in…..it‘s a habit
      I know where I am
      It is my fault
      I get out immediately

      Chapter 4

      I walk down the same street ,
      There is a deep hole in the sidewalk ,
      I walk around it

      Chapter 5

      I walk down another street.

      Where are you now?

    • #31298
      kin
      Participant

      Wolf Parable
      An elder Apache was teaching his grandchildren about life.
      He said to them ,”A fight is going on inside me; it is a terrible fight
      and it is between two wolves.

      One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, competition, superiority, and ego.

      The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

      This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person too.”
      They thought about it for a minute
      and then one child asked his grandfather,
      “Which wolf will win?”

      The old Grandpa simply replied, “The one you feed.

      Are you feeding your addiction or your recovery?

    • #31299
      female g
      Participant

      Kin is very right about dopamine and brain chemistry. I run into alot of difficulty after a month of recovery. I am trying to make sure there is lots of other activities to keep my mind occupied and tired out mentally and physically. Access to cash is a given to gambling addiction. protect it and give over responsibility to someone you trust while in early recovery. Or get your bank cards to zero withdrawal amount if in a casino. Tear up credit cards a must too. Going to GA meetings or one one councilling helps a lot too. You can try hypnosis on line as well that can work and is free. Support groups like ours here are great too. FG If on line gambling use blockers too.

    • #31300
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Jessica there is so much to learn about this addiction ..it is really difficult to stop at the start so well done .. You have had some really good advice from FG and Kin.

      How did I stop from getting bored?

      I wrote and wrote and wrote. Sometimes my ideas were not well received but I wrote anyway. This is my recovery and I think maybe tip-toeing around people has contributed to my disorder. I have always disliked conflict.

      I joined several online sites.

      I joined the Australian “fight for you hundred day challenge ” which was really good.

      I joined into GAMTALK chats , moderated by ken l who writes on here sometimes and gives great advice. He put me in touch with someone I can ring!

      I joined setting captives free( which closed down on oct 1st)

      I went to as many of the groups on here as I could , and also wrote regularly on the forums and to lots of different people .

      There is also a fabulous site called SMART RECOVERY . It’s a bit hard to get around but
      here is the link

      So I would say I was so busy working on my recovery I wasn’t bored!

      Hope this helps.

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