Anybody out there

I left this forum years ago. It was inactive
Has anything improved ??
I need to talk to fellow addicts

It's been pretty quiet here lately , but you can talk to me if you want to .

Thank you. Do you have experience of dealing with addiction?
I was caught recently at this. Going to court. If my wife finds out its divorce. Im also nervous about it getting reported.
luckily its not in my local town .
I wont go to jail but might get a conviction.
im hoping for a plea

I am a gambling addict in recovery . I have years of experience with the misery of compulsion . It's a horrible thing to have in your life .

I'm sorry for your circumstances . Have you considered therapy ? Compulsive behavior is not simply making poor choices . We don't do these things because we want to , we do them because the urge is overwhelming and it can feel as if we are powerless to deny it .

Quite often , will power is not enough to put a stop to it .

Thanks but hoping to speak to shoplifters
How did you over come you gambling and

I put roadblocks up between me and my money . I used a daily self-hypnosis video to cope with the urges . Disclaimer - I did not actually get hypnotized and it did not "cure" me . It did impart a positive message in my mind that made the compulsion easier to deal with . I used distractions . That was key . I made lists of stuff I could do when the urge hit - take a walk , read a few pages of a book , do an online puzzle , sing a song to myself or along with the radio . I tried everything and kept what worked .

At my worst moments , I got in the shower . Can't do squat when you're naked and soaking wet .

I found that the longer I could go without giving in to a compulsion , the weaker the compulsion became . In my case , the first 3-6 months were the worst . It was like denying a toddler his toy . My addiction reacted with tantrums - pleading , bargaining , persuading and eventually screaming and demanding that I go and gamble . It was , honestly , Hell . I had no peace .

The voice was in my head from the moment I woke until the moment I went to sleep . Eventually , by not giving in , the screaming became talking , the talking became whispers and the whispers slowed to a stop . I am 5 years in recovery now . The voice still , on rare occasions , pops up " suggesting " that I can go and gamble like normal people do . It's still trying to come back and take over again . But it has no more power over me , nor will it again . I am wise to the lies .


One thing I read stood out to me : An urge will pass whether you act on it or not .

That helped me and I found it to be true .