Post Number Of Days Gamble Free

Thank you NSR for your sweet words and yummy cake. You have been so encouraging since the day I found this incredible forum, and that stands true to this moment.
I will never truly make sense of this gambling addiction. It is so hard to be an addict without a "substance" to abuse. Our brains are incredible and mysterious, and the aftermath of years and years of putting my last dollar on a sinking ship, or to burn in a bonfire, still bewilders me to no end. I have read and understood the fundamentals of gambling addiction, but am at a loss when I try to explain it to anyone. All I know is that it gets easier. The hard work is understanding that Never Again needs to exist forever. I can't play ... Period... And it was so exhausting breaking promises to myself and loved ones...The easy part is, with each passing day, the thought barely exists anymore. Time truly heals, it will never be gone, this addiction, but time has helped heal the brain. The fight mellows, the urge weakens and things become "normal".
To Hank, honestly, just keep on Keeping on. It seems so hard at first, but it's just that incredibly mysterious brain of yours trying to convince you "one more time", as NSR mentioned. Keep fighting those random thoughts, and as she said, the hours, days, etc. just seem to start actually moving. Don't worry about trying to fill the void with something bigger and better, just celebrate no regret...money in your pocket, a task completed, a conversation with a friend, a show you've been wanting to watch, a ... Anything! Just celebrate beating another urge!
I have rambled long enough! I am no saint, nor an expert. All I know is I have been in this crazy dark place too many times to count, and it feels great to have put a few days between me and that girl I used to know...

Thank you Cantdoitalone and Nsr. For years I battled drug addiction. I stopped using drugs but now I realize I was never truly clean. I made my drug of choice gambling. Now that gambling is gone I do feel strange being an addict with no substance to abuse. I have been looking for something to fill that void but I realize I need to change my way of thinking. I am trying to focus on my family and my work. I am also trying to accept there is no easy way out of the financial hole I have put myself in and I am ok with that. It is going to take a lot of work and I will celebrate the small wins along the way. Today marks one month of me being truly "clean" .

That is a brilliant update Hank !

It's so important to celebrate the little victories . Addiction is a powerful and destructive thing to experience . Every day we defy the urge is another day we gain the strength we to take back our lives .

Congratulations and I hope you enjoy your well deserved victory cake !
We celebrate with you .

Thank you so much. I really enjoyed the cake, especially the macarons lol. I am so very thankful I found this forum.

UnluckyHank wrote:I am so very thankful I found this forum.

We're glad you did too . Can't wait to cook up your 60 day cake !

For the record , I am an absolute fool for macarons . If you threw one off of a bridge , I'd probably jump in after it .

I am so sorry, I haven't post in here for so long and I was even thinking about deleting the account but I went to look at my old posts and decided to do one more post even if I do not feel good. I am in a bad place on this planet. My life has been terrible for many other aspects of my mental health but hey..... if that can make anyone smile...

I left, stop gambling on September 18th, 2020.
That is 815 days gambling free.

Hey SkunkyJosh,

I am happy to see that you have been gamble free for quite sometime, however I am sad to hear that you are still feeling the burden in other aspects of your life.

I hope that you have some support and that you have access to the help that you need. Please check on other areas of PsychForum and I hope they can provide you with some extra support.

Hi Skunkyjosh ,

Congratulations on staying gamble-free . That's a fantastic achievement and you should be proud of it .

I'm sorry too that you're having a hard time right now . I hope you take Aries' suggestion and look into other areas around the forum . There's a lot of support here and sometimes it helps just to be able to talk about the stuff we're dealing with .

55 days gamble free, I am trying to decide what kind of cake I want for my 60th. This being the first time I have stopped gambling I have realized a few things. Just because I quit gambling it doesn't mean my life automatically gets better. I do believe that the only chance I have on bettering my circumstances is if I am not gambling. I still have a long road ahead but I look forward to walking it without gambling.

Well done Hank !

UnluckyHank wrote:I am trying to decide what kind of cake I want for my 60th.

We're getting everything ready now . It's going to be a cake made of pride , happiness , serenity and determination . Can't wait to serve it up and celebrate with you !

UnluckyHank wrote:I still have a long road ahead but I look forward to walking it without gambling.

You are not alone on your journey . We're with you every step of the way .