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golfjumper's Posts

Do I have an Addiction to Gambling?
3/30/2007 1:44:00 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
This has been a question of mine for many years. I've gone in and out of casinos and have come close to lossing everything - but I always seem to be able to pick myself back up and get out of the nightmare... At what point would or should I consider myself addicted? The only information I have found that is "somewhat" useful, is the following list I've found on other sites, which I've tried to answer for myself. If anyone has any thoughts or ideas on what I should do next, please let me know!

Did you ever lose time from work due to gambling? (yes)
Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy? (no)
Did gambling affect your reputation? (no)
Have you ever felt remorse after gambling? (no, usually very good, especially when I win)
Did you ever gamble to get money in which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties? (no)
Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency? (no)
After losing, did you feel you must return as soon as possible to win back your losses? (of course!)
After a win, did you have a strong urge to return and win more? (no, go home and spend it)
Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone? (yes)
Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling? (no)
Have you ever sold anything to finance your gambling? (yes)
Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures? (no)
Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself and your family? (no)
Did you ever gamble longer than you planned? (yes)
Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble? (no)
Have you ever committed, or considered committing an illegal act to finance gambling? (no)
Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping? (no)
Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble? (no)
Have you ever considered self-destruction as a result of your gambling? (no)

Am I addicted???

Yours Truely,
Mr. Possibly Addicted to Gambling

Re: Just quit
4/3/2007 11:14:19 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
Good job Jen. I used to smoke many years ago and it was one of the hardest things for me to do. It takes a long time to really over come everything that the smoke does to your body (almost a year), but everyday, you'll feel better and better. Good luck! And stick with the gum!
Re: Input?
4/3/2007 11:16:29 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
Hello Tink - Just make sure you stay on top of it. Your friend really needs you, although may not realize it yet.

GJ
Re: Input?
4/6/2007 1:48:42 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
Maybe you should just talk with your friend and assist in getting help. In fact, this site has a pretty extensive zip code locator to help you find someone in your area. Get professional involved, that's why they are there... Good luck!
Re: Hey Whats up!?
4/10/2007 10:51:26 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
Hey you! You're right, this site is really cool... pretty new, but being on the ground floor of something new just makes me feel special :) The way I look at drug addiction (I was there once but it took me forever to get out - now I'm stuck with a stupid gambling addiction (not as bad as drugs though!) is that your body deserves more. The drugs really screwed up my body - short and especially long term. Luckily, you've only been on them for a year or so. You need to be careful, life is too short. Maybe someday you'll want to get married, have a family and especially a baby. The drugs really screw with the insides. Damage to your organs, brain, and especially your mind.

But the hard part is, it is an addiction. It is not easy to stop. Think of yourself as being on a rollercoaster... You don't want it to stop...the high just feels good. When you get off, the only thing you are thinking about is getting back on. If you had a free pass to Magic Mountain and no one else was there, you would get on and off rides so quick, you'd make yourself sick. Rollercoasters work just like drugs - they mess with the chemicals in your brain to the point that they physically start to hurt your body. Hope to hear from you soon...
Re: Do I have an Addiction to Gambling?
4/14/2007 9:27:16 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
You're right... I really do enjoy it (when I have the money) :) But luckily I don't live near Vegas. There are some Indian Casino's around here, but that's is pretty normal all over Florida.

I have to admit though, that ever since the new laws took effect where we can't gamble online anymore, it really helped me. I used to gamble for hours every night. Sometimes winning - sometimes loosing. My co-worker's could start to tell when I had lost the night before. Things are seeming to get better now though.
Re: i admit
4/14/2007 9:40:05 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
I'm not sure 3 times a day is an addiction...that could be fairly normal, but you're going to tire your boyfriend out!! haha
Re: how do i stop?
4/14/2007 9:44:26 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
One thing you might want to try is hypnotism. Smoking is one of the legal addictions that really kill a lot of people every year. Normally, that would be the last thing on an addict's mind, so you have to think of your daughter's health. Have you ever tried sticking a cigarette into her mouth? Why don't you do it? It's the same thing as smoking in front of her. Maybe you can think about that next time to light up... Or, what else have you tried in the past?
Re: you'll always be in my heart
4/16/2007 8:55:45 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
JB - I'm really sorry for your loss...I can't even begin to understand what you are going through, but I can say all of us on this site will be here to help you through this rough time in your life.

GJ
Re: My Ex-Boyfriend
4/16/2007 10:03:53 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
This is truly amazing. You've been though situations that are unspeakable. It is good to hear that something good is coming out of the terrible times you have endured over the years.

I understand not being truly over this - it may take many more years (if ever). Addictions are terrible and they ruin lives (as as you have realized personally, they ruin more than just the addict's life). Hopefully, your ex-boyfriend has gotten the help he needs to rebuild his life. It sounds like you are already on the path to rebuilding yours... Good luck and check back soon - keep in touch.

GJ
Re: cant buy enough
4/17/2007 11:43:06 AM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
I kinda go through the same thing, except I shop when I'm bored...I've also found I would rather go out and buy new clothes instead of washing the old clothes I already have (dirty). That may not be an addiction for me though. I wonder at what point it would become an addiction though.

So, you get a good feeling when you buy and wear $200 jeans - do you ever feel good when you wear a $20 pair of jeans? Like, WOW I saved a lot of money and now I feel better? Just curious...
Re: My eyes from staring at my computer!
4/17/2007 11:21:16 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
I'm so addicted to YouTube! I can spend hours on there - there is so much content. I've especially been reading up a lot on the 911 Conspiracies. Amazing! Hours and hours every day. Help! I need to just take a vacation without any technology, for about a year.
Re: What is this thread all about?
4/18/2007 11:44:46 AM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
Without Jesus Christ in our lives, nothing would be possible - including recovering from addictions. Sometimes (or should I say, most of the time), we are tested in life. These tests are what help us grow.

I would be really interested in hearing how someone over came their addiction(s) through Jesus or through his works...

GJ
Re: Take away my dice: Please!
4/21/2007 8:35:31 AM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
Why don't you try giving all of your credit cards, cash and checks to your wife. Tell her to hide these and don't give them to you. Then, have her give you a set allowance every week.

When you feel like gambling, take a dollar from your pocket and put it in a jar. Whenever you spend quality time with your wife reading the bible together or something, take a dollar out of the jar.
Re: Well passed the weekend.
4/25/2007 10:38:58 AM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
That's really good... Hopefully it wasn't because you just didn't see anything you didn't want.

Maybe you already have everything you need in life? Do you go to church or are your a Christian? Good luck on this next up coming weekend!
Re: NJ Girl
4/25/2007 10:40:57 AM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
HAHA Yes, not buying them is a good first step. But I have never met a Twizzler Eater that doesn't eat the whole box in one sitting - I think that is how you are "supposed" to eat them :)
Re: Materialistic, is it a curse?
5/7/2007 8:44:12 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
Hey Stevie - I totally know what you mean! I don't know how old you are, but when I was younger (college days) - I was totally like that. I think a lot of the problem is fixed with age. If it isn't, you might want to look at who you are around (your friends, where you work, etc). And if you have any porno magazines - you should get rid of them.

When you see or meet someone for the first time, think about their life and what they could be going through. Maybe someone just realized they were dying of cancer or maybe another one just lost their spouse or mother or father... See what happens when you look at the opposite side people normally look and and let us know how it goes!!

-GJ
Re: Insomnia
5/12/2007 12:31:22 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
Hey Brad - you should try eating some cheese before you go to bed...its really interesting. Give it a try and good luck!

GolfJumper
Re: my cousin
5/18/2007 10:40:57 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
Addiction are real big problems...they change people. I often wonder if an addiction brings out the "real" person or someone that really isn't that person.

For example, do you think your cousin would be the type to steal money from people if she wasn't addicted to gambling? Just interesting to think about - kinda like what happened first, the chicken or the egg.
Re: Recovering Christians
5/22/2007 10:11:24 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
I don't think it's because they don't want other religions up there, it's probably just a space issue... After all, isn't March "Black History Month"? What would happen if someone came up with June as "White History Month"? People would be upset about that. What I'm getting at is that you can never please everyone. One other thought, I bet that if the people at Addicted were African American, they would have a thread called "Recovering African American's" but if they were white and put up "Recovery White's", they'd be shot! By the way, everyone out there who thinks there should be more religion categories on here, what religion are you? Now I'm curious what all the fuss is about.
Re: Church may not be the answer
8/30/2007 7:46:23 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
I think most people feel the same way. Addictions are hard to recover from - we need all the help we can get!
Re: The Right Food Choices
8/30/2007 7:48:22 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
If you think about it, food addiction really is a major concern in America. Look at THE BIGGEST LOOSER. It is basically a recovery show on food addictions. Amazing!
Re: Signs of a possible problem
9/4/2007 4:36:30 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
I seem to always have all of these signs. Luckily, gambling on the internet is not legal anymore so I am getting better and better each and every day.

Thanks Simon!!
Re: Shoes
9/4/2007 9:47:25 PM golfjumper
23 Posts golfjumper's Avatar
luckily, my wife doesn't buy a lot of shoes, but I have realized that woman spend a lot more on shopping than men do (or at least than I do and my friends). Maybe this is a chemical or something in their brain.

I just watched a show (20/20) this last Friday and this is actually a really big problem. Judith Wright was the lady on the show - she charges $500 an hour to fix these problems for upper execs.
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