I'm Rob and I'm in recovery for a gambling addiction. I had expected that once I stopped gambling that everything would be 100% perfect in my life, but that wasn't the case. Things are better, much much better, but I want to give you an honest look at some of the thoughts I have on a daily basis.
What To Expect As a Recovering Gambling Addict
Problems!
We think that gambling is the only problem that we have in life until we stop gambling haha.
What actually happens is that we spend so much time obsessing over the things that stem from gambling (money problems, relationship issues, stress, anxiety, loss of sleep) that we simply ignore the day to day issues that we would have otherwise experienced.
As we stop finding ourselves in crisis mode, we begin to be able to notice the smaller issues that need our attention. Honestly it can feel like we have MORE problems once we stop gambling, but in reality, we are just actually giving the things we were already experiencing the time of day.
Common Challenges
As a recovering gambling addict, here are some common challenges that may arise in early recovery, I've attached a video link that answers each of these questions you may have:
Debt
Lack of trust from family and friends
Not knowing what to do with your time now
Guilt or shame
Gambling urges
Handling Life's Challenges
The truth is that it isn't all rainbows and sunshine, but at least now without gambling I have a chance to have a life, where before I had no chance at happiness.
Being present enough to recognize that you have issues on a daily basis is a blessing in disguise because for a really long time I would just push problems to the side in favor of placing my next wager.
Better days are ahead of us, even if they aren't all great days.
If you want to know more about my gambling addiction story, read this article
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