Gamblers Anonymous?

GA is not for me.
To give someone control over my finances is not recovery.

Recovery is not giving up control or power ...
Recovery is gaining control over ourselves.

True - GA is not for everyone . We are all different and we have to find our own path out of addiction .

I wish you well RF and I hope you find your own recovery .

Rottenfish, I agree completely with you. As you said, recovery is getting control of yourself. That is my take.

Yes, I get it.

Feels so invasive. So demeaning.

What's more demeaning? spouse throwing me and stuff out. having to tell my kids there is no money for for that. looking my accountant in eye as the IRS debt grows out of control. looking myself in the mirror after another 48 hr bender. considering the most lethal solution to garner money for loved ones.

Can I really look at what I have done to myself? To my loved ones?

I want to run and hide. I want is to disguise it. What I want is to operate at a "dark" level and my own money my own secrets are mine. If I keep it dark, I can keep doing it.

Shining light in the dark spots is actually incredibly liberating. It is freeing.

Not to say you have to do it w/ GA person -- but do it w/ SOMEONE. Do it w/ a trusted relative, friend.

In my area of GA you would not BELIEVE the high level of financial people (masters in tax accounting, financial planning, corporate officers and mgrs) that give their time and services for free - in the hopes of helping another w/ analyzing the financial mess and making a plan for resurrection.

You aren't "forced" to follow GA outline. It is suggested. The model of recovery w/ GA has decades of methodical reasoning because - THEY'VE HELPED PEOPLE in the past. Mere suggestions. You can use GA without every recovery element - maybe today that is how it would work for you.

This addiction has a HIGH rate of suicide. It is not to be taken lightly.

Take what you like and leave the rest.

GA got me out of hell. It helped me break the chains of possession - I was completely possessed by this demon called gambling. It seemed nothing would stop me from getting my fix.

Whatever works for you. If it isn't working stay open minded and continue to try. But please, don't shut down a recovery route for others because you've rejected it. It may be of great help to someone suffering - might not be your rout, but humility is another measure of growth.

GA in not for me either, but I did go for about 11 months. I haven't gone in a two and half years, but I don't need GA in my recovery anymore. I do recommend it to almost everyone to try. Finding support and being to talk about a common evil is how we shed light on this secretive addiction. This addiction thrives in secrecy and the more information we have from other people's experiences, the better equipped we are to battling it. It probably won't get me to your definition of 'recovery' (since they do preach to hand over finances, as do I), but it definitely guides you in the right direction.

Kudos to you, uskat! I couldn't have said it better. I too believe that GA helps a lot of people; maybe not all people who are addicts, but a lot. I don't like to see someone come on here and seemingly debase an organization who has helped so many people. In fact, it's usually my first suggestion to any new person who comes on here, looking for help. I understand it may not be for everybody; but don't knock it for others it may help. I myself didn't take well to GA the first couple of times I attended a meeting; but being in a major urban area, there were quite a few different ones in different locations I could choose to attend. The strength of GA is that you meet others who are in the same boat as yourself, and they understand all your feelings and weaknesses as pertaining to gambling. They can help you with good suggestions, whereas your family and friends may not be able to. Normal people who are not gambling addicts don't understand what it's like; they may blame the person, rather than the disease. The other thing I always allude to is that if a person really wants to quit gambling, he/she has to make himself/herself accountable. It's the secrecy which facilitates it to continue. GA is one place that can offer you that accountability. Most people cannot defeat this thing by themselves, contrary to what they may think. Most need help, and GA is a valuable source of that. You just need to find a chapter that suits you.

I agree with everyone. Choose your own path.

uskat wrote:Yes, I get it.

Feels so invasive. So demeaning.

What's more demeaning? spouse throwing me and stuff out. having to tell my kids there is no money for for that. looking my accountant in eye as the IRS debt grows out of control. looking myself in the mirror after another 48 hr bender. considering the most lethal solution to garner money for loved ones.

Can I really look at what I have done to myself? To my loved ones?

I want to run and hide. I want is to disguise it. What I want is to operate at a "dark" level and my own money my own secrets are mine. If I keep it dark, I can keep doing it.

Shining light in the dark spots is actually incredibly liberating. It is freeing.

Not to say you have to do it w/ GA person -- but do it w/ SOMEONE. Do it w/ a trusted relative, friend.

In my area of GA you would not BELIEVE the high level of financial people (masters in tax accounting, financial planning, corporate officers and mgrs) that give their time and services for free - in the hopes of helping another w/ analyzing the financial mess and making a plan for resurrection.

You aren't "forced" to follow GA outline. It is suggested. The model of recovery w/ GA has decades of methodical reasoning because - THEY'VE HELPED PEOPLE in the past. Mere suggestions. You can use GA without every recovery element - maybe today that is how it would work for you.

This addiction has a HIGH rate of suicide. It is not to be taken lightly.

Take what you like and leave the rest.

GA got me out of hell. It helped me break the chains of possession - I was completely possessed by this demon called gambling. It seemed nothing would stop me from getting my fix.

Whatever works for you. If it isn't working stay open minded and continue to try. But please, don't shut down a recovery route for others because you've rejected it. It may be of great help to someone suffering - might not be your rout, but humility is another measure of growth.

This is absolutely how I feel about it all. I just happened to screw the pooch before I had a good amount of headway under my belt, but in a way it's made me more resilient. It's all about that liberation through visibility, absolutely.