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Shivers down my spine.(Gambling addiction)

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    Shivers down my spine.(Gambling addiction)

    Hello everyone,
    I am new here,i have no addictions,although i was addicted to gambling many years ago,and like the alcoholic who works in the bar,i worked in the casino biz for 20 years.For 15 years i have been in another profession and do not gamble or even step into a casino.
    I watched many lives destroyed from gambling,and met people who have since commited suicide and are no more.
    I began to study pyhcology,and started to see the ways the mind changes at various stages in gambling process.To cut a long story short,i started to belive that the chemicals in the brain start to change at diffrent points,depending on the level of loss or winning.Those who were losing a lot became quieter and more withdrawn the more they lost,if they started to win,thier personality began to change accordingly.If they began to win and actualy make profit,they became louder,more friendly.The more they won the louder and more social they became with the surounding people.The same winners,would revert back to the quiet depressed,angry state when the losing streak began to take hold.
    None of them had the ability to stand up and walk away with the winnings.
    I felt that the "losers" needed the chemical fix from within the brain that led them to have the high and low feelings they experienced.
    The rush of adreneline,from a winning or losing bet,was the one thing that seemed to bring them back on a daily basis.
    For myself,i discovered a way to get my adreneline fix,without using money in its basic form in a risk fashion that was designed to make me lose in the long run.
    If what i do for a living now is classed as gambling,then i am still an addict,but the diffrence is that i use my judgement to make sure that the odds are stacked in my favour and although i sometimes lose,i know that in the overall scheme of life,i become a winner.
    I use my knowledge and experience to place my "bets",and generally know before i part with my money that i will win,as i have the learnt knowledge to turn my money into a winning and profitable "bet",I am an antiques dealer.
    When i do lose,it is due to carelessness,(breaking an expensive vase,for example),a deed of breaking trust(were i give the item on credit,and never get paid),or simple stupidity(were i may buy an item and not check it is not damaged or do not bother to research it enough).
    The feelings i got when gambling,in winning or losing are the same in buying and selling antiques,they give me the same rush of blood or feelings of depression,depending on the outcome from using my judgement(as in gambling) .
    Coupled with a balanced diet,and physical exercise,i find my brains chemicals are kept under control,and i do not have the horrible feelings i had on a daily basis years ago,when all i could think about all day was were i could get the money for the next bet.
    I also find that i am more at peace with myself,because i actualy know what tomorrow should bring,wereas in gambling,no matter how much i had,it could all be gone in hours.
    I have no idea if my story can help anyone,but for those with a gambling addiction,if it inspires just one person to get thier life under thier own control,then it was worth taking my time to write these words.
    Luck to me,is not an outside force,it is a force within the soul,if the soul makes the right decisions,the luck comes by itself,i now belive,i make my own luck,which translates into my peace of mind.It is not for a horse to decide ,or a croupier turning the right or wrong card,or the ball to fall into the right number for me to feel i had a good or bad day.The decision making which brings me luck on a daily basis includes the thought that i will not place my money on a risk that is stacked against me.
    A one pound bet on the lottery at 17 million to one odds against me is a foolish move,and betting the one pound on an antique or collectors item i know to be worth ten pounds,is the much better,peace of mind giving action i now prefer to take.
    Good luck,to everyone with any type of addiction....take back control of your mind...and be proud,even if you have nothing else...the feeling of self control,is better than money,drugs,drink or even sex...AND...with that control,when mastered,all of those things are still there to tempt you,but because you are the master,you obtain PEACE.
    (Those who do not wish to be the master of thier own lives,probrably don't come onto this type of website.):new:

    #2
    Shivers down my spine.(Gambling addiction)

    Hi and welcome. I think that real, chemical reactions in the brain are part and parcel of addiction, and appreciate you sharing your insights about gambling. It is sad to think about the devastation that any of these addictions - gambling, drugs, alcohol, etc. - can cause not only to the addict but to the loved ones too.

    I'm glad you found your way out and it sounds like a very interesting solution. I'm glad you shared here. We never know how our words might help others. And many, many more people read each post than reply to each post. So IMO, all sharing about solutions is good sharing.

    :welcome:

    DG
    Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
    Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07


    One day at a time.

    Comment


      #3
      Shivers down my spine.(Gambling addiction)

      Hello there Hoper.
      A huge welcome to MWO.
      I love your descriptions of the brain changes that accompany the gambling addiction, they seem so similar in chasing any buzz. I havent been addicted to gambling but I have to drugs and alcohol.
      Its wonderful to hear how you have turned your life around and still manage to get your "high" for want of a better word and lead a productive and happy life. Thats inspirational to me.
      Thank you for sharing your story.
      Living now and not just existing since 9th July 2008
      Nicotine Free since 6th February 2009

      Comment


        #4
        Shivers down my spine.(Gambling addiction)

        Doggygirl;753131 wrote: Hi and welcome. I think that real, chemical reactions in the brain are part and parcel of addiction, and appreciate you sharing your insights about gambling. It is sad to think about the devastation that any of these addictions - gambling, drugs, alcohol, etc. - can cause not only to the addict but to the loved ones too.

        I'm glad you found your way out and it sounds like a very interesting solution. I'm glad you shared here. We never know how our words might help others. And many, many more people read each post than reply to each post. So IMO, all sharing about solutions is good sharing.

        :welcome:

        DG
        I absoloutely agree with your observation about the loved ones who suffer the devastation inflicted upon them by the addicted.They suffer increadible pain and misery and as you rightly say,should never be forgotten when talking about addiction.Thankyou.:goodjob:

        Comment


          #5
          Shivers down my spine.(Gambling addiction)

          startingover;753133 wrote: Hello there Hoper.
          A huge welcome to MWO.
          I love your descriptions of the brain changes that accompany the gambling addiction, they seem so similar in chasing any buzz. I havent been addicted to gambling but I have to drugs and alcohol.
          Its wonderful to hear how you have turned your life around and still manage to get your "high" for want of a better word and lead a productive and happy life. Thats inspirational to me.
          Thank you for sharing your story.
          Thankyou for your kind words.
          Drugs & alcohol are items one puts into the body to cause the feelings the gambler gets.The outcome is the same,the inability to stop.
          The feeling of desperation,the "buzz",the high's and lows,also the same.But with those items,the addission of an extra chemical to the body,can and does leave the users in a greater danger of losing thier lives,from organ failure,accidents ect.
          I once read a book,called "Think and grow rich",by Napoleon Hill(nothing much to do with money),this also helped me on my path off addiction to gambling.If you are still using those items,and find you can not find the path to peace,it is worth investing a few pounds in that book.It carries no guarantee that it will stop the addiction,but i am sure it will lead you to the path of thought that helps start the process of self control,using ones own life experiences to get there.As everyone has diffrent experiences in life,the book showed me things my mind had no idea of how to attain.
          As with any self help,the mind must be seeking the help in the first place,and the actions required to reach the goal must be turned into actions,instead of remaining as thoughts.
          The book states that if you really love someone,addicted or not,you should tell them that this book exists,I love humanity,so i tell you about it's existance.It has sold more copies than the bible,so it is not a secret.
          Good luck.(Which is something you make yourself).:h

          Comment


            #6
            Shivers down my spine.(Gambling addiction)

            Hoper, thank you, I have heard of that book, in fact I think my mum has it.....I will get myself a copy.
            I am currently free from any substances and have been for over a year for alcohol and 10 months for anything else so doing well right now.
            And funnily enough, since I cleaned up my act, my luck DID change and continues to do so.
            Living now and not just existing since 9th July 2008
            Nicotine Free since 6th February 2009

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