Got addicted to gambling at age 18

Well I'm going on 2 months of not gambling and it feels good

Congratulations Joe !

That is a fantastic achievement . Glad to hear from you .

*mod edit* Gambling clearly does all three things kills, steals and destroys at all levels. Don't let the theif take away your right and inheritance as a living being in this world. Congrats on your abstinence, currently im 20 days gf and I feel great.

Hi Joe!

Hoping all is still going well.

I too began my journey into this dark underworld at the age of 18. Unlike you I did not see the light until much later (into my 30s).
Just wanted to post and wish you well, as what you have achieved so far is awesome.

Since this post I have relapsed and stopped about 7 times and I'm on day 7 of no gambling

Welcome back Joe !

We've all been there - relapse after relapse , never making it for more than a few months or days , getting suckered into believing the BS that the addiction tells us in order to keep itself fed and alive .

This vicious cycle can be broken . The basics of recovery are simple - the more you refuse to gamble , the easier it becomes to refuse to gamble . I know in my heart that my addiction will always be waiting for me to give it that one opportunity to come back to life . It doesn't matter how long I've been in recovery - 4 years or 40 - it's waiting for that moment of stress , complacency or weakness when it can convince me that " This time will be different " or " You can control it now ."

Lies , all of it . We are in a battle with our own brains . Addiction changes us and there's no changing back . There is only the awareness of our disease and the way it manifests itself , the carrot on a stick that has us risking and losing everything while we try to get something for nothing and/or escape from the life-stuff that stresses us out .

You can do this Joe . It's a long , hard fight but we'll be with you . You're not alone .

Thank you NSR. Just take it day by day and hope for give best.

Joe , you need a battle plan . We've all been through this countless times . Just hoping that we're going to be able to resist the urges " this time " is practically setting ourselves up for failure . We have to be pro-active . This isn't a bad habit or poor life-choices . It's a compulsion - an overwhelming urge that defies logic and willpower .

This is a battle for control of your life . No army would go to war without a strategic plan . You shouldn't either .