What
do we do when we get the urge??
USE
these weapons of mass DEFENSE !!
Many
compulsive gamblers, especially those in early stages of
recovery,
experience
urges to gamble.
Repetition of the gambling behavior over a
relatively long period of time,
combined with thoughts of gambling and associated
pleasurable feelings,
causes the compulsive gambler to experience
cravings.
Sometimes these urges to bet are so intense and
overpowering
that
they cause the gambler to relapse.
Following (from the HUB) are suggestions to cope whenever
the urge to gamble HITS .
SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT URGES FROM OCCURRING
Attend
Gamblers Anonymous meetings as often as needed, but at least
once a week.
Become
more involved in the Gamblers Anonymous Program. Take a
Trusted Servant position.
Telephone other GA members on a regular basis.
Read
and re-read the Gamblers Anonymous Combo Book. Many GA
members have said, "Everything I need to stay away from a
bet is right here in this little yellow book."
Ask
another Gamblers Anonymous member to be your sponsor.
Read
and LIVE the Gamblers Anonymous Steps of Recovery. At first,
it is OK to have a healthy skepticism about working the
Steps. However, thousands of GA members have reported that
the more they become involved in the Steps of Recovery, the
less likely they are to gamble. It is suggested that you ask
another GA member - preferably your sponsor - to help guide
you through the Steps.
Don't
go in or near establishments where gambling is available,
including web sites on the Internet. Shop in stores or
supermarkets that are gambling-free or where gambling is out
of sight.
Don't
look at anything that will remind you of gambling - for
example, the sports or stock market sections of the
newspaper, lottery tickets, racing programs, or
advertisements for casinos or other forms of gambling.
Don't
associate with people who gamble. (This may mean curtailing
relationships with friends or relatives.)
Avoid
getting caught up in conversations about gambling.
Carry
only the bare minimum amount of money that you need for the
day. If possible, have your paycheck direct-deposited or put
someone you trust in charge of your finances. Destroy your
credit, debit, and ATM cards - anything that will put a
barrier between you and excess cash.
Establish an anniversary date - that is, your first Gamblers
Anonymous meeting after your last bet. Many GA members gain
a healthy inner confidence from knowing that they have
acquired the habit of not wagering over time.
Change
your attitude. There is a world of difference in the
statements "I have to stop gambling" and "I want to stop
gambling." Think about it. If you have to do
anything, then you probably won't want to.
Change
your behavior. This is one of the most difficult tasks in
all of human endeavors, let alone in the Gamblers Anonymous
Program. However, it states in the yellow combo book that it
is necessary for a compulsive gambler to bring about a
character change in order to prevent a relapse. GA members
have reported that character defects such as anger,
impatience, laziness, self-ptiy, etc., have led them back to
gambling. Replacing negative habits with healthy ones is
vital for maintaining abstinence.
Consider getting your body into better physical condition.
It has been said, "Bring the body and the mind will follow."
If compulsive gambling is a sickness of the mind, then it
makes sense for a compulsive gambler to be in relatively
good physical condition. Remember the saying: "Healthy body,
healthy mind."
SUGGESTIONS FOR WHEN YOU HAVE AN URGE TO GAMBLE
First
acknowledge the urge. Become acutely aware of it - how you
feel and what is going on in your mind. Then say to
yourself, "Oh, OK. I am now having an urge to gamble. Right
now I want to gamble. TOO BAD I DON'T GAMBLE ANYMORE."
OK. So
your urge to gamble is very strong. Again, acknowledge the
urge and become aware of what is happening and say to
yourself, "OK, maybe I'll gamble in 10 minutes." Wait 10
minutes. If the urge is still there, say to yourself, "OK,
maybe I'll gamble in another 10 minutes." Then find
something else to do for 10 minutes. If the urge persists,
keep putting off gambling for 10-minutes stretches. Keep
doing this. The urge to gamble will pass.
Make
believe your mind is a slide projector and the thoughts that
enter your brain are slides. Go to a quiet place, close your
eyes and CHANGE THE SLIDE! Refuse to entertain thoughts
about gambling. Think about a family member, a loved one,
your job, a pleasant activity - anything but gambling. You
can do it if you quiet your mind and concentrate.
Accept
the fact that you cannot gamble safely. This may seem
painfully obvious, but many GA members have reported
relapsing after having debated mentally with themselves on
this point. Among some of the common inner arguments: "It'll
be different this time," "I'm not that bad yet," "I'll quit
once I get even," and "I'm due." Acceptance is one of the
key components of the GA program.
Say
the Serenity Prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I
can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Repeat the
prayer until the urge dissipates. A quieting of the mind
will quiet the urge to gamble.
Work
Recovery Steps Two and Three. Envision yourself giving the
urge to gamble to a Higher Power. Many GA members live by
saying, "Let go and let God."
Go to
a Gamblers Anonymous meeting regardless of the way you feel.
Go to
a quiet place and meditate. One simple method might be to
close your eyes and stare out into space, visualizing the
urge as a concrete object (it doesn't matter what it is).
Concentrate on it for several minutes. As you hold the
object in you mind, visualize it breaking up into tiny
pieces. Your urge to gamble will disintegrate with it.
Telephone someone you trust. Tell him or her about your urge
to gamble.
Leaving cash, checks, and credit cards behind, go and meet
with someone.
Stop
dwelling on the urge. Get outside of yourself. Go and help
someone else.
Think
the bet all the way through and weigh the consequences. Most
of us don't consider the possibility that if we gamble, we
might lose. Consider the possibility that you will lose.
Think of all the other times you have lost. All forms of
gambling are losing propositions. You will probably lose
again. Will losing this money - in addition to money already
lost and problems you already have - really make you feel
better? And if you were to win, what would happen to the
money? What has happened to all the money from past
winnings? Where is it? What is the cause of your current
financial situation? Isn't it gambling that has put you into
this predicament? Can't you see yourself betting away any
winnings - PLUS MORE? Isn't it true that with a win you
might pay off a few bills, yet set aside some cash for MORE
GAMBLING? Isn't it true that any winnings would be used as
ammunition to keep waging the war of gambling?
Write
about the pros and cons of gambling in your life. Take a
sheet of paper and divide it into two columns. On the left
side, list all the good things that gambling has given you.
On the right side, list all the bad things that have
happened to you as a result of your gambling. Be through and
honest. (Note: You may want to rate each item from 1 - 10 in
terms of importance, with 10 being the most important and 1
being the least. When you're through, total up each column
and compare the score.) Once the list is complete, use this
tool as a reminder of the effects of gambling in your life.
Make a
decision about how you will spend your free time instead of
gambling.
Make a
decision that you won't gamble JUST FOR TODAY!
YOU
CAN DO IT!!
- - - -
Gamblers Anonymous - - - -
TO ALL GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS MEMBERS,
PARTICULARLY THE NEW GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS MEMBERS:
1. Attend as many meetings as
possible, but at least one full meeting per week. MEETINGS
MAKE IT.
2. Telephone other members as often as possible
between meetings.
Use the Telephone List!
3. Don't test or tempt yourself. Don't associate
with acquaintances who gamble.
Don't go in or near gambling establishments.
DON'T GAMBLE FOR ANYTHING.
This includes the stock
market, commodities, options, buying or playing lottery
tickets, raffle tickets, flipping a coin or entering the
office sport pool.
4. Live the Gamblers Anonymous Program ONE DAY
AT A TIME.
Don't try to solve all your
problems at once.
5. Read the RECOVERY and UNITY steps often and
continuously review the Twenty Questions. Follow the steps
in your daily affairs. These steps are the basis for the
entire Gamblers Anonymous Program and practicing them is the
key to your growth. If you have any questions, ask them of
your Trusted Servants and Sponsors.
6. When you are ready, the Trusted Servants will
conduct a Pressure Relief Group meeting, or reevaluation for
you and your spouse (if married), and adherence to it will
aid in your recovery.
7. Be patient! The days and weeks will pass soon
enough, and as you continue to attend meetings and abstain
from gambling, your recovery will really accelerate.
What is the definition of
gambling?
GAMBLING, for the
compulsive gambler is defined as follows:
Any betting or
wagering, for self or others, whether for money or not, no
matter how slight or insignificant, where the outcome is
uncertain or depends upon chance or "skill" constitutes
gambling.
Material Provided By:
Montana Gamblers Anonymous
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