reward yourself for not giving in to your addiction habit
say you like cake alot, this is just an exemple, for each day you dont buy lottery have a slice of cake... just dont overreward yourself or you will getting addicted to cake ;D
Be strong and fight the good fight
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Good idea, whitdemon. Instead of making it purely negative, e.g. having to force yourself to not do what you want, make it positive by doing something else you want to do but don't normally.
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Well you've taken the "first step". Not to sound clichéd, but recognising and admitting it really is the hardest part of recovering from an addiction. You need to find a Gamblers Anonymous or an addiction counsellor near you.
There are also countless services online, I don't know about Slovenia, but you can access gamblingtherapy.org or gamcare which are services in the UK. I volunteer with addicts and have a national certificate in addiction studies, you can add me for a chat if you ever need too. You'll be fine, visit those sites, look for a counsellor or meeting in your area, and look up "Harm Reduction". You can start to take your own Harm Reduction measures without help from anyone if you're not ready to speak to a stranger in depth yet.
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That is a really useful post. I think i still have chances to change my evolving addiction, before it goes out of control. I am glad i made this topic because it's a really good reminder. I think i will first reduce the amount of money, spent weekly for lottery. Then i will reduce it back to months, not weeks, slow progression, itch is strong with this one!! :D
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I use to be a drug addict and a bit of a kleptomaniac. I quit all that though.
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I'm addicted to computers (don't laugh, it's serious) i play games since 3 y/o and if i don't play at least 3-4 hours a day i rage like a crack addict :(
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Same for me ;)
Although, the worst part is that my internship requires me to use my own personal laptop...
I'm so tempted everyday :(
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I used to play scratch tickets pretty heavily when I worked at a convenience store. Over a couple months I had a good streak. My boss gave scratch tickets for an xmas bonus and I won $250 off of a Deal, or No Deal.
Went to cash them in, and I bought some random tickets, including a scratch keno. Went home after a shift, got baked and started drinking and scratched my ticket, I won $50,000. Thought it was a joke so I re-checked my numbers; sure enough I won. Took it to the OLGC (Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation) and verified it.
While I was waiting, I had $10 in my pocket. I love blackjack but my friend didn't like the looks of the dealers so he said to play roulette. I've never played before so I dropped $10 on 7. Dealer person looks at me and says "just to let you know, odds are 35:1 if you land on your number" Sure as shit, the ball dropped on 7 and I won another $350.
I had to be investigated and interview by the OLGC though because I was an "insider win" because I worked at a store which sells the tickets.
Since then I've stuck to online Blackjack and have funnelled and played with probably over $70,000 worth of funds.
Gambling is fun. I love the rush of placing random $100 bets down without even thinking.
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You're a statistical outlier who got and apparently often enough still gets lucky, nothing more.
Good going posting this shit on a thread where someone's admitting to and seeking help with a gambling addiction, ass. You're only encouraging his bad behaviour, and feeding his "but I CAN get lucky" mentality.
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and you seem just to be a troll. Thats ok, happy trolling :)
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Sure, because trolls usually ask people to take stuff seriously and be considerate of others. I think you need a dictionary.
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Looked it up, concluded that it is you who needs the dictionary (not that I needed to look it up in the first place, I know what a Troll is, and the slang definition of trolling):
troll [trohl]
verb (used with object)
1.
to sing or utter in a full, rolling voice.
2.
to sing in the manner of a round or catch.
3.
to fish for or in with a moving line, working the line up or down with a rod, as in fishing for pike, or trailing the line behind a slow-moving boat.
4.
to move (the line or bait) in doing this.
5.
to cause to turn round and round; roll.
noun
12.
a song whose parts are sung in succession; a round.
13.
the act of trolling.
14.
a lure used in trolling for fish.
15.
the fishing line containing the lure and hook for use in trolling.
Straight from dictionary.com
Or did you mean I should go wiki the slang term or even use urbandictionary?
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Irrelevant and useless comment that says absolutely nothing, other than that you're now attempting to troll me - to be clear, in the colloquial sense.
I meant the slang term, and you know that full well. I was referring to your usage of the word, also, which itself was referencing the colloquial use of the word, not a "fishing related term".
But I guess you had no valid comment to make in response to me, yet wanted to feel you had the upper hand, somehow. Unfortunate.
There was nothing troll-like in my original reply to you, not in the tone, topic, or content. I was pointing out that while there might be lots of lucky people winning stuff, like you did, there are many times more people suffering from a legitimate addiction, and gambling is built to make people lose money - as you apparently are also fully aware of, yourself, from reading your further comments.
However, to immediately jump to painting a picture of someone next-to-destitute, selling their furniture, lying to family and friends, to support their addiction, shows you apparently don't take this guys' potential problem seriously, or don't know much about addiction and addiction-related illnesses. That would make some sense, as you yourself have been fortunate enough to never have to worry about large losses (and I don't mean eating into your winning - but further than that), or your life suffering as the result of your behaviour in gambling. Every addiction must begin somewhere, and often-times, they get worse as conditions in life worsen - especially gambling addictions; and as I mentioned in a comment further in the thread, "addictions are rarely fully about the actual object of addiction, and usually are part of a bigger issue". The OP is apparently now edited, but when both of us had posted here first, it mentioned the OP had recently lost a job, a clear indicator of potential depression, lack of confidence, or feeling of despair, when mentioned in the context of having a burgeoning gambling problem.
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I don't need to have the upper hand on an internet forum. Arguing will get us nowhere.
I guess we can both be looked upon as trolls we're both going back and forth with each other to prove a point to either ourselves or again, each other.
Gambling is the same thing as smoking to me whereas there are so many studies and talks about how bad these things are, but still people think that they will be the next millionaire or that smoking won't kill them. Just two smaller examples.
When I read the OP there was NO mention of losing a job or anything else to set off a somewhat red flag into thinking this was a full blown legit addiction. The topic did have an asterisk next to it when I was browsing the forums; perhaps there is where some miscommunication lies? Perhaps that is why I responded the way I did because I did not have the knowledge of this "job loss".
Again I wouldn't even say that I have an addiction even though I have poured a lot of money into gambling despite having other NEEDS to take care of first. I just happened to catch a lucky break, that's all. I am not rich by any means and I live a rather SIMPLE, simple life. I know people who have played the lottery for 30+ years and haven't won anything; people were mad when I won because of that reason alone.
My friend junked out on oxy contin for years and I tried over and over to help him out; his family would call me up asking me to come over but he absolutely did not want help and rejected me every single time I tried to be there for him. Had to watch him spin out of control but you can't help people who don't want help.
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I don't really see anywhere in the thread where he states he needs help, rather trying to find someone in a similar situation as himself. He's just sharing the good experience he's had with gambling. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. It's like saying,
OP: Hey I drink, does anyone else drink here?
MisteStuckington: "Yeah I drink. One time when I drank, a girl thought I was cute and we got together."
Ansatsunin: "You're sharing a personal experience about drinking. Clearly you can see this man has a problem and seeking help. Why would you do such a thing?"
The point I'm trying to make is, I don't ever recall the OP asking for help, just seeing if anyone has a relatable problem.
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Thanks? :) I was kind of thinking the same.
If OP's problem was a TRUE addiction, he or she would alienate family and friends, likely end up losing their house and belongings and stuck in a rut owing thousands of dollars to the wrong types of people. I would have to assume this isn't the case because this person is getting on a frankin` gaming forum asking if people have similar problems.
But I'm the bad guy for telling a story ;) Cool :)
I wouldn't even classify myself as a gambling addict even though I've funnelled thousands of dollars into my HABIT. Yes, a habit.
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..?
Have you even read the OP?
"I need to change my perception, i know the chances of winning it, i know it is free tax for stupid people, so do drunkers know that alcohol is ruining their life but yet they continue. Hate myself.
Do you have any such problems too?"
The thread also contains the word "addiction", if the plight of this guy isn't clear enough to you.
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70k wasn't anything won, that was just the amount of money played with. Overall I have lost as much as I have won.
Even what I won, isn't a lot of money by any means. USA Powerball 300+ million is a lot of money.
If you think you have a gambling addiction and you are burning through money and pawning off your possessions to pay for your vice, then you may want to seek professional help. Or if there are means of doing so, blacklist yourself from the casino's and the stores you frequent to buy the scratch tickets.
You won't get rich gambling, period. It's all just luck of the draw.
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I don't start that big. I would never drop $100 off the hop; play small $1 hands until you build your pile and THEN lay bigger hands.
Still, all of these games are designed so that the House wins; not the player.
If you really want to make some money, save 10-15% of what you earn every time you get paid and put it into a savings account. Instead of spending that money on other things that are instant gratification types (snack food, smokes, drugs, alcohol, anything not necessarily NEEDED) you put it into savings and sit on it. Forget about it for years and then you have a bunch of money later on.
Could get into things like mutual and seg funds, GIC's etc but this isn't the venue for that.
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Addictions are for weak people. You either have yourself under control or not.
There's no shame in asking for help to overcome one, but in the end it's all up to you. If you're too weak nobody will be able to help you.
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Absolute bullshit. Addictions of many kinds can happen to anyone, no matter how "mentally strong" or intelligent they are, or how much willpower they have, due to a wildly varying number of reasons and situations. Anyone that knows even an iota about addiction and psychology in general can verify this.
And it never helps to stigmatise someone with a psychological condition, especially if they're reaching out for help, by saying they're weak, or bad, or evil, or whatever else negative. Good going being a jerk, though.
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True, but that doesn't change what I said. You don't stigmatise people who have a problem, and anyone can succumb to addictions. Also, like I mention in a comment further in the thread, addictions are rarely the sole problem someone has, but part of a greater underlying issue. The OP also hinted at this. Apparently he edited it and removed some stuff about recently losing a job or so.
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Just to help share, I also struggle with this addiction as well. Except mostly with scratch offs. It began as a small here and there buy the 1$ ones with some change from soda. It then quickly became something much much worse. I began making special trips to the store just to fill the desire to scratch. I kept telling myself, just one more and it will cover what I already spent. Never worked out.
I pretty much solved my problem by making it impossible for me to buy. Switch to a debit card or credit card and they will not be able to sell them to you :)
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I don't know how anybody can get addicted to something like that, to say the truth... :-/
All you can do is use your willpower. :D
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The same way you might like FPS games, while others might think they are toys built for absolute morons, for example. Different things mean different things to different people. Addictions are rarely fully about the actual object of addiction, and usually are part of a bigger issue. People can attribute meaning to things far from their actual nature or value, and then you can further define what that value even is, or if there even is an absolute objective assessment of said value.
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But I mean, gambling is like taking a handful of money, put it in a toilet and flush it, to me. :P
Guess it depends on the person.
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Having an opinion has nothing to do with how, and in what context and situation, you express it.
The comment you're referring to explained my stance quite well. One of the biggest reasons people don't seek help for their problems, for a longer time often, is because mental conditions are stigmatised, all the time. People are shamed into thinking "oh I'm depressed / have an addiction / whatever else, people will just think I'm lazy / stupid / weak".
I myself suffer from bouts of deep depression that influence and affect my daily life, and am only now - after having had these problems for years now (let's say from my 12th year of life, and I'll be 30 in August - do the math), finding I have the guts to think "fuck what people think" and seek help in some form, because I always was expected by those around me to "just get over it, stop being lazy", especially because I have an above average IQ. Like that's supposed to mean everything comes easy to me, or that I should just be able to fix myself without anyone giving a shit about me or helping me, or that I haven't experienced some rough stuff in my life that smarts cannot fix or help with. I've always had to deal with my own crap, even some pretty bad stuff, and any time I reached out in some way when I wasn't coping well, and things like work and/or friends began to suffer, I got put down as being lazy, unmotivated, told to "just get over it", "you're so smart, think your way out of it", "you'll be fine", etc.
Her opinion might very well have a valid point to make - you need to make steps yourself. But where I drew the line and called her out for acting like a jerk, was when she decided to call someone admitting a flaw, admitting having a problem - someone she had never met before, and knows nothing about other than that he has the beginnings of a gambling addiction - weak. He had the guts to post on a public forum about this burgeoning gambling problem, seeking opinions and thoughts. And she smacks him in the face with "addictions are for weak people". That's why I pointed out her acting like a jerk. You've never heard of the phrase "kicking a man while he's down"?
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That's why I made it clear and concrete to myself that I never gamble. I refuse to open even one chest in Dota 2 for example. I'm planning to sell all those Immortal chests from the compendium on the market, because I would make more.
The reason why I don't even try at gambling anymore is because I spent hundreds of dollars on an MMORPG when I was young on luck-based things and got disappointing yields all the time.
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I cant even get addicted to cigars...
Havent tried the more addictive drugs to test myself though. So, no I dont have such problems...
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I use to be addicted to drugs. Hard drugs are easier to quit then smoking in my opinion. Because smoking doesn't ruin your life like hard drugs.
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Fun fact - coffee is officially considered a hard drug. Per weight, caffeine is one of the most potent drugs there is, excepting stuff like LSD. Coffee addiction is a very real thing, a very strong physical and mental addiction. Try to cut down on it man - a little coffee is good for you and healthy, but too much can cause kidney problems and other dehydration symptoms, arrhythmia, and ridiculously grumpy mood swings that can affect your social life. Over time, the symptoms can accumulate as the body gets more and more used to having caffeine in it at all times.
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Good thing you don't live near a casino. I was losing some money for a few good months running to one. ><
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I'm probably addicted to spiciness. Maybe it's because I'm half Thai or possibly masochistic, but I love the burning sensation you get from a good quality chili. Even when I'm not specifically making Thai food or something, I'll put tons of chilli on most meals a normal person wouldn't like pizza, lasagna/any pasta, steak, burgers, hotdogs, eggs, etc. unless it's something like cereal or dessert, there's a good chance I'll dump a couple spoonfuls of chili on top of it.
And I don't use that weak store-bought, pre-packaged crap either, but buy fresh bags of bird's eye chili which I then dry and crush to make chili powder, slice and mix with fish sauce and lemon juice as a condiment(Prik Nam Pla), use fresh in stir fry, etc.
Hell, sometimes I'll snack on a couple straight out of the bag if I'm craving a fix, but don't feel like making actual food to go along with it. Honestly, even I'm surprised that after 20+ yrs, my taste buds and colon are still fine. At least it's cheaper than drugs, smoking, alcohol and gambling.
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f$&k! That moment when you realise that you have already spent shitloads of money on something that is never going to pay off.. yeah.
The worse part, i want more! I used to have an itch, buying lottery ticket every now and then(few months time). Now, every now and then has become a weekly task, with more money invested too.
I need to change my perception, i know the chances of winning it, i know it is free tax for stupid people, so do drunkers know that alcohol is ruining their life but yet they continue. Hate myself.
Do you have any such problems too?
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