Bernme posted an update in the group Community3 years, 3 months ago
I am feeling a little proud of myself this morning. Haven’t had that feeling in awhile. I was able to successfully delete my online gambling account so I cannot reactivate. Baby step but it felt good. All the best to everyone!
An amazing start on a journey of maintaining recovery ODAAT and I know it took guts to delete your account. As an advocate and maintained gambling recovery for almost 14-yrs this pandemic has made online gambling explode and has had an increase of 41% of people turning to the internet to gamble and since many casinos are either closed or less capacity allowed. Many don’t the stats of problem or addicted gambling… 1 in every 5 persons will try suicide and makes this cunning addiction and disease the #1 addiction claiming precious lives from this illness.
Over 17+million are problem gamblers and higher if we include the world population. This addiction is touching our teens and young college kids, and our senior population like never before. No, gambling will NEVER BE BANNED, that would not be fair to those people who actually enjoy it for what it is… a few hours of fun and entertainment. But for those who become addicted? It becomes a nightmare. It devastates families and has negative impacts on our own communities. For those who get caught up in this addiction seems the triggers and cravings never END. That will only be stopped when you abstain from it. Learning the tools and the skills to break the “Cycle” and become free of the bondage of this sick insidious disease. It can be done. My HP gets the credit for me being able to write and share the wonders of an amazing life without having to place a BET TODAY. I say this as I should not be here.
I am one of the five who tried suicide, TWICE. But my higher power had another plan. He gave me my authentic God-given purpose in this one life we are chosen to be given. Look, I sure know from my experiences that we may have a problem with gambling, but we also ARE the solution to this problem…RECOVERY. I am one of God’s walking MIRACLES. Look, suicide is only a permanent solution to a temporary problem. After talking with my husband after I got on the road and my recovery journey did I find out how devastating he would have been if I had been successful at taking my life. My one huge FEAR as I progressively got deeper into my addicted gambling was I would die and he would learn all the crap I did and what I’d leave behind. That was my one big fear. And even after all that?
He still stayed and supported me when I began this journey. He didn’t have to and when I was doing out-patient treatment after being released from the crisis center he also did therapy along with me and separately.
He needed to learn to safeguard himself, our finances in the event I relapsed, and while learning how to be of proper support to me. That is why I enjoy coming here and sharing hope and hopefully encouraging everyone here. It may have been a hard few years getting back to living without gambling by doing the work necessary and processing the underlying issues, the WHY that had me running to addicted gambling in the first place. This is an important part of the journey. The other is to begin using the tools and skills we learn to keep our path moving forward. Step One for me was the most difficult. Could I ever come to a place where I could actually say I will never gamble again? YES! And life has been AMAZING ever since. Just take each day as it comes. It gets easier as time passes.
Know this will be a lifetime of process and get comfortable with that. I know I will be a work in progress until my last breath and that’s OK with me!!
I’m so proud of you!!!!
An amazing start on a journey of maintaining recovery ODAAT and I know it took guts to delete your account. As an advocate and maintained gambling recovery for almost 14-yrs this pandemic has made online gambling explode and has had an increase of 41% of people turning to the internet to gamble and since many casinos are either closed or less capacity allowed. Many don’t the stats of problem or addicted gambling… 1 in every 5 persons will try suicide and makes this cunning addiction and disease the #1 addiction claiming precious lives from this illness.
Over 17+million are problem gamblers and higher if we include the world population. This addiction is touching our teens and young college kids, and our senior population like never before. No, gambling will NEVER BE BANNED, that would not be fair to those people who actually enjoy it for what it is… a few hours of fun and entertainment. But for those who become addicted? It becomes a nightmare. It devastates families and has negative impacts on our own communities. For those who get caught up in this addiction seems the triggers and cravings never END. That will only be stopped when you abstain from it. Learning the tools and the skills to break the “Cycle” and become free of the bondage of this sick insidious disease. It can be done. My HP gets the credit for me being able to write and share the wonders of an amazing life without having to place a BET TODAY. I say this as I should not be here.
I am one of the five who tried suicide, TWICE. But my higher power had another plan. He gave me my authentic God-given purpose in this one life we are chosen to be given. Look, I sure know from my experiences that we may have a problem with gambling, but we also ARE the solution to this problem…RECOVERY. I am one of God’s walking MIRACLES. Look, suicide is only a permanent solution to a temporary problem. After talking with my husband after I got on the road and my recovery journey did I find out how devastating he would have been if I had been successful at taking my life. My one huge FEAR as I progressively got deeper into my addicted gambling was I would die and he would learn all the crap I did and what I’d leave behind. That was my one big fear. And even after all that?
He still stayed and supported me when I began this journey. He didn’t have to and when I was doing out-patient treatment after being released from the crisis center he also did therapy along with me and separately.
He needed to learn to safeguard himself, our finances in the event I relapsed, and while learning how to be of proper support to me. That is why I enjoy coming here and sharing hope and hopefully encouraging everyone here. It may have been a hard few years getting back to living without gambling by doing the work necessary and processing the underlying issues, the WHY that had me running to addicted gambling in the first place. This is an important part of the journey. The other is to begin using the tools and skills we learn to keep our path moving forward. Step One for me was the most difficult. Could I ever come to a place where I could actually say I will never gamble again? YES! And life has been AMAZING ever since. Just take each day as it comes. It gets easier as time passes.
Know this will be a lifetime of process and get comfortable with that. I know I will be a work in progress until my last breath and that’s OK with me!!
Good job. Stay strong and keep moving foo