Currently looking for members to share the journey of not taking any more gambling risks beginning today, August 22, 2010.
Mary Joe - I'm sorry if this seems a little 1/2 butt, however I am looking to rid myself of everything except poker playing. Do you consider this worthy of your journey?
Absolutely! Thanks “Long time coming” for responding to my comment. Poker playing is a card game and is not as bad as loosing all of your money in such a short time trying to get the ultimate “big win” jackpot. Those programed computers will allow you to win a little bit only to take it back shortly thereafter with no spins. When the computers replaced simple bingo, I use to hit $2500 jackpots all of the time. My biggest win was $11,900. This is when I became hooked and thought that I was special. Only to realize later on that you can’t win everytime you play. This was a rude awakening for me. I’ve lost far more than I’ve won and I was pulled into believing that it would happen again…soon…NOT!
We must wein ourselves off and keep our money in our purses or pockets. I realized that I was contributing to the construction work going on around the casino’s.
They build parking garages and hotels. I paid for those.
so you posted this on the 22nd - how have the last two days been?
All of the games are made for you to lose in the casino/obviously.
The worst thing for a first timer is to win. Perhaps if you had lost at the beginning then you would not have gone deeper.
Actually, it was the 23rd when I posted. I put the wrong date on my email. I’m okay because I don’t have any money to go back with. Also, I’m planning on going to meet with the support group on Friday from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. I have plenty to share. I had an awesome email response earlier and somehow lost it. I will try to write it again. Be on the look out for it.
MJS
I attended my first GA group meeting on Friday evening from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. I must admit that I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many people were in attendance. The group had started the round table introductions with a summary of the straw that broke the camel's back which made "us" aware of the fact that we had a real disease. We really are compulsive gamblers who would not stop because we just knew that the next spin would be the one.... the jackpot. We had absolutely no control over ourselves from the moment of entering the casino(s). It is almost like the big "eye" - camera picked up on us entering and targeted us to strip us of every dollar we walked in with. Sure, we all had that one "big" win in the beginning when the machines ousted Bingo. But that was the trick of the devil to get us hooked immediately. I kept my promise to my husband to attend and now I will not ever miss another meeting. The Church where we have our meetings is so beautiful and serene until if puts you in a peaceful state of mind upon entry. I'm determined to NEVER enter a casino again to gamble. Now I will take it one day at a time for the rest of my life. I will find VICTORY.
Mary Joe
I don't know where to begin - so much to say. I attended a GA meeting and felt it was a waste of time. Too much time going around the room reading documents, etc. etc. I feel I would do best by being on this website AND attend a support group at a church, but NOT GA.
I always liked to gamble, but prior to 1996 I lived in CA and gambling wasn't so accessible. Now I live in Oregon and there are poker machines on every street in bars, pancake restaurants, delicatessens. Which doesn't make it easy at all to stay away from those places.
I have gotten myself in huge financial trouble - visiting the payday loan outfits in order to pay my bills. Its really getting bad and I don't have the strength to stop. It's affecting my health and my self esteem. I feel like doing something drastic at times.
It effects my relationships with my friends because I never have money to go to lunch with them or whatever.
I'm going to stop now - its 3 am Oregon time. It feels good to be able to talk about this without someone making me feel like a failure.
Peggy,
Well I hope that all is ok with you. I do know where you are coming from, on the meetings. I have done them and when I stay in the meeting I do stay away, but yes the reading of the stuff, and for me the room was filled with so many men. My feelings are hard to come across when there are that many men, and feel they gamble way different then us woman. Please Peggy hang in there, I to feel so overwhelmed by my bills and the finacial mess that I have made. So I too am trying to find the support with this site and from church. So I will keep you in my prayers, and hope that all is ok with you. Please feel free anytime to contact me anytime.
Peggyr888:
I know what you mean about the round table GA session. My first meeting that I attended was in a church. When I went to the 2nd session the following Friday, the doors were locked and I could not get in. I really don't know what to expect from any other meetings. I did get to see and meet people that I did not know which was kind of cool. Knowing that each of us opted to seek a support group to help us STOP gambling for what ever reason(s) was a good feeling. I can truly say that conversing with people with the same problem via internet is much easier for me to discuss my deepest feelings without being judged. I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma and really haven't read any comments from others seeking GA in Tulsa, or Oklahoma for that matter. Maybe in time others will see the light and leave casinos RUNNING, SCREAMING,SHOUTING AND CRYING for help! Gambling will make you CRAZY!
Mary Joe
I like your humor of the running screaming shouting ect....because I don't know why we all don't do it. When you see how your life has been destroyed because of gambling it just amazes me that we keep going back for this punishment. Well I hope for me it is done because again I CHOOSE not to gamble. Like Peggy stated earlier we even destroy relationships with people because we have no money to go and do things. I thank GOD that I have a strong network of friends. I am from Chicago and the boats are everywhere here, Thanks be to GOD that I do not have to drive past them all the time. Well heres to another day of NOT GAMBLING...good luck Mary Jo...Peggy and all others that CHOOSE not to gamble today!
Tubbytad: Thank you for your comments. Thank you so much for joining our mission. Together, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. All praises to God! Now, this is something to shout about! Much Love, Joy & Happiness!