Getting Past Gambling

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A place to come and share experiences, to find support and strength, for those of us who are putting gambling behind us and finding new exciting and happier ways to live our lives.
" You never achieve real success unless you like what you are doing."
*Dale Carnegie {1888-1955 American Author & Achievement Expert}


ARE YOU GAMBLING WITH....
... the feelings of those you love most?
... with your family's security and happiness?
... with the roof over your children's heads?
... with money that you can't afford to lose?
... with the trust that your partner/parents/children/friends have in you?
.... with your future?


ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS TO SEE IF YOU ARE AT RISK:.....
Do you think about gambling every day?
Do you chase your losses?
Do you feel depressed because of your gambling?
Do you hide your gambling from people close to you?
Do you borrow money so you can gamble?
Do you argue with family or friends over money or gambling?
Do you often gamble until your last dollar is gone?
Do you let bills go unpaid because you use the money for gambling?
Do you find that you are not talking honestly to anyone about how often or how much you spend on gambling?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you may have a problem.

Top Tips To Beat Your Gambling Problem.


Tell others about your problem and decision.
It is easier to overcome your problem if you have some support.
Take financial control.
Become aware of the situations that have turned your gambling into a problem.
For example, when you are bored, angry, have some spare cash, feeling lucky or thinking about losses.
Think about your thinking.
How you think about your gambling will strongly influence how you act.

Money Management.
To gain perspective on the value of money, try to reorganise your finances.
For example, pay bills by direct debit, have your partner collect your wages and leave the credit cards at home when you go out.

Organise your time.
When gambling becomes a problem, it takes up may hours of the week.
Many gamblers feel a "gap" when they reduce their gambling time. Try socialising or taking up a hobby or sport.

Relaxation is important.
A lot of problem gamblers are intense about many areas of their lives.
Learning to relax is one way of overcoming the initial strong desire to return to gambling.

Saying positive things to yourself can determine how you feel and act.
It requires a deliberate effort to overcome negative self-talk.
Try to remember the good things about not betting.

Make a commitment to be honest to yourself and others.
If relationships have broken down due to dishonesty make a big effort to be totally honest in the future.

Remember that it sometimes takes a few efforts to reach your goal.

KEEP FOCUSSED ON YOUR SUCCESSES.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Wisdom of the Rooms


Quote of the Week

"Anger is one letter away from Danger."

When I came into the program I was so angry, but I didn't realize how much. For years I had used drugs and alcohol to numb these feelings, to manage and hide them. When these were taken away, my anger quickly turned to rage, and I soon found that I had turned much of this rage inward. In fact today I still believe that a core characteristic of alcoholism is self-loathing.
Thank God for the Steps. By working the 12 Steps I learned to forgive others and myself, take responsibility for my part, and I learned how to surrender to a Higher Power. Slowly I began to release a lot of the shame and resentment that made up a lot of my rage.
But I still get angry sometimes. And these days I've learned that when I do get angry, I'm still in danger of turning it inward and acting in self-destructive ways. I'm quick to isolate and grow more depressed, to tell someone off and create resentments, or even to eat too much and go into self-loathing. Thankfully today I've learned to acknowledge and deal with my anger before it turns into rage.
Today I realize that anger is one letter away from danger.
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posted by LindaH @ 5:10 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Quote of the Week

"Anger and resentment are masks for fear."

When I came into the program, I was pretty angry. With the alcohol and drugs gone, I very quickly got in touch with my feelings, and for me that meant my anger quickly turned into rage. Oh, and resentments - I had a lot of those as well. Without having developed the spiritual tools to deal with my feelings yet, I was pretty miserable.
As I began working my way through the program, I learned in the twelve and twelve that we were driven by a hundred forms of self centered fear. After doing a thorough 4th step that included a fear inventory, I found I was driven by way more than just a hundred! It took years, though, for me to realize the connection between my fears and the anger and resentment I felt.
Today I not only see the connection, but I feel it all the time. In fact, today I know that whenever I'm feeling uncomfortable, impatient, quick to snap at people, or just generally irritable, I'm usually in fear of something. And, again, the twelve and twelve tells me it's usually that I'm afraid of losing something or of not getting something I demand. The good news is that today I have a solution. Today, when I'm feeling angry or resentful, I stop and ask myself what I'm afraid of. Doing this allows me to take the mask off my fears and that always leads me to a solution.
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posted by LindaH @ 10:43 AM 0 comments