Self-Help for Gambling Addiction: A Personal Story
For most people with this uncontrolled habit they are told abstaining from gambling is the only way for them to recover from this illness. Having myself tried this method I fine it may not be the cure for everyone. I have abstained many times over the years for different periods of time , but fine myself always returning back to this bad habit. After many times of relasp I had ask myself why can’t I stop this illness that is affecting my life in a negative manner. It took me sometime and much research finding the answer to my question. First I thought about all the different labels that are giving to this illness.
Deciding what label fit me was the first step. I felt my problem comes under the heading of an impulse disorder. My impulse to gamble became so strong I forgot all about the weapon of self control. We all have the ability to control our life and decided which road for us to take. Self control is most imorptant because it keeps are life in check. Forgetting about this weapon had caused me to gamble uncontrollable. Even are worst habits if useing are ability to control them to some point we keep them under check. I found that abstaining from ganbling caused me to have much anxiety and anger inside of me . The anger came from wanting to do something I once enjoyed. Also by abstaining it did noting for the desire I had to gamble . To me abstaining seemed to make the desire stronger. Many gambers who have abstained from gambling for many years have told me if they had to stop today it would be amost impossible . The reson fort thinking that way is because gambling has become much easier to access, and more excpet by society and almost every where you go there is some form of gambling .
I know many problem gamblers who abstained for many years and still need the support of a group, I asked myself why and the only answer is that the desier for gambling still burns inside of them and a relasp could happen at anytime. For myself I can’t see supressing a feeling that one has for a life time, it would seem to bring stress and frustration into one’s life Depriving yourself of a feeling or a need could only make you desire it more. My next step was how do I control my proplem. Thinking abut it I decided to use the power of myself control. I thought it would be easier to control something then to try and suppress feelings and the need to do something you desier. Also I believe the power of one’s mine is also another weapon that if used can overcome many problems we encounter in our life.My deciding to use self control over abstaining was based on several things. First knowing I would never lose the desier for gambling. Second knowing relaspe could affect me at any time. Third the ease of access to gambling, and the most important of all mine over matter. I will be in control of my own mine not the other way around. So my decidion to use self control over abstaining was what I decided was the answer to the battle I have been fighting for many years.
