Saturday, December 8, 2007

Money/Debt

When I was in the cycle, I thought money was the root of my problems…Money also seemed to be the only answer to my problems.

Many Compulsive Gamblers tend to exhaust all funds available to them. Family savings, college education or retirement funds disappear. We max out credit cards, we take out loans, we sell jewelry and other things of value...remortgage our homes....often, we do not stop until our resources are exhausted.

Over and over again, we realize how much trouble we're in...how out of control things have become and we vow to stop. We MUST stop.
If only we can get out of this mess....so we take out a loan or a second mortgage in order to consolidate our debts.

Relief.

All is well.

This crisis has passed.

Inevitably we begin gambling again....

only to find ourselves back in the same debt we were in before PLUS that consolidation loan :(

some of us are able to consolidate again,
and again.

Debt is often the reason that we seek help.

I know that when *I* attended my first g.a. meeting, I didn't want to stop gambling....I wanted a loan.

It feels like debt is the problem.
G.A. says this addiction isn't a financial problem (although we often have created them). They also say that our financial problems are often the easiest to solve.

As I sobbed through my SECOND g.a. meeting (several years after the first one)...I scoffed at that line....this financial problem was the biggest problem I had ever faced...and likely I would never be free of it.

Overwhelming debt is also the reason that many people relapse..thinking...I'll STOP this time..I'll WIN and I'll STOP...and then I can pay off some of this DEBT!

Gambling is not the way out of debt for compulsive gamblers.

I cannot play because even if I HIT...I cannot win.....because I cannot stop.

The first step to paying off our debts is to stop gambling.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

So true...so true. I can relate to your post in so many ways. I've stayed clear of gambling for over 4 months now with help programs. I'm getting my life back. But, I remember all the loans, maxed credit cards, the pawning of personal items, etc... in the past. Total insanity to feed my habit!!! "All I need is one big win and I'll control my debts', I'd remember thinking. My thinking was so messed up. Not today, one day at a time.

Anonymous said...

I had been going pretty well until the weekend that just passed. I tried to go for a bit of fun and hopefully get a little win. Of course I didn't so I kept chasing until all my money was gone plus loans and credit cards maxed. I am just reading through your blogs and nodding with each one as I know exactly what you're talking about and how you feel. Thanks so much for this. I try to read these more regularly so I can try and think more before I make stupid choices.

Anonymous said...


am almost dying of this sadness . in less than 2 weeks i lost 900 usd in one online place than 600 eu at least in land based , than about 970 pounds . to add this the win of maby 1000 from above places its about 4000 credits . something is wrong about this place i live in /for 3 weeks i was thinking why spend 50 euro for weekend i delayed it to cut bk expansec from losses ,and each weekend was worse than the other .

i left with a last 900 with no money comming or stady work . gambling has ruined my life and burned me opportunities . only god can help me now .