Hardest thing to get through in Gambling Addiction?

There are many aspects to gambling addiction which keeps bringing us back or causes huge problems in our lives. I was curious what people thought was the hardest part to overcome. I have put up and commented on what I thought were the biggest obstacles for me..

ABSTINENCE– This was the hardest for me. I chased forever and it became my routine for 15 years. As soon as I got my pay for the last two months, it was gone in a few hours. If I was lucky, it last a few days. When I said I would quit (by pure self-determination!), I would go back to gambling 2 or 3 days later. It was a never-ending cycle. I didn't seek outside help and was determined to beat it on my own. This of course was the addiction speaking and trying to sustain its life.

DEBT– The amount I lost eventually became so big that no matter how much I realistically won in sports gambling, I wouldn't even match 10% of what I loss. Eventually dealing with debt was manageable because I gave up my finances to my wife and stuck to a budget I could sustain. I still have lots of debt, but I pay it piece by piece and try lot to not let it stop me from living. I am happy with this way of life so I don't focus on that huge number anymore. One day it will be gone (probably in about 15 years, but who cares!)

CHANGING CHARACTER DEFICITS – This was the second hardest thing for me to change. The constant lying. It became so natural to me that I lied about the stupidest and meaningless things. This is still an on-going change and I try to change myself to be better all the time
Forgiving yourself – Many people put themselves down so much because they can't believe they did something so bad and they feel that they deserve to be punished or think they don't deserve anything. Their self-esteem hits rock bottom. I view this addiction as a unhealthy reaction to gambling. It could have happened to ANYONE under the right condition. Gambling unfortunately filled a deficit that I had in my life, even before I knew the deficit what there. Since I didn't have as much control as I thought over this addiction, I don't beat myself as much anymore.

DEALING WITH FAMILY– This addiction thrives in secrecy. I did everything I could to hide it. After relapsing after being 3.5 yrs gamble-free, I didn't really care what others thought of me anymore and I ended up emailing all my family members about my problem (about 40 people). Some responses were supportive and other were a bit more critical. In the end it was helpful for people to know and I don't really care what they think about me. They are entitled to their own opinion, but I will focus on what is best for me.

like you, abstinence is by far the toughest.....countless times after a bad loss, I vowed to quit, but time after time, there I was again, back to gambling.

The other hard part is the loss of self esteem and misery at the thought of what I could have done with the money; feeling foolish and miserable.

Self forgiveness was tough for me . Even now , I sometimes struggle to keep from kicking myself over the things I did when I was gambling . I try to remind myself that I didn't choose to become addicted , but the very nature of accountability includes those feelings of remorse , shame and regret .

It's a delicate balance , but as time goes by and I remain gamble-free and dedicated to recovery , the past becomes much less important than the future . I don't mind the scars . They're proof of healing .

The hardest thing for me is the feeling that I am giving up ALL the fun and exciting evenings with my spouse in the casino.

Initially, it was a real challenge when we start finding other way to entertain ourselves beside gambling but after a long abstinence, it gradually got better and we don’t miss it as much anymore.

In fact, it is nice to enjoy the simple life again. Have nice meals with friends and family, massages and see the world.

How about ... quitting gambling and watching a game you would normally have bet on and seeing the team win.
Not only would you have enjoyed the match more you would have been quids up
I find that tough to take.