Dear Gambling Community

I have been an active contributor to our gambling community here in Bitcointalk for a long time now. Over the past years I worked as a community manager and live streamer in a few casinos. I have shared much of my knowledge about this field and always strived to be honest. About six months ago I created a topic discussing my decision to take a break from gambling excessively. I had noticed my increased in gambling that time not only in spending more money but also in dedicating more time to it. 

However, a few months later I made a series of bad decisions. I gambled away a significant amount of money that was meant to pay off an important loan. On top of that, I borrowed more money and lost it again. I decided to share my story honestly with this community and with myself. Gambling is dangerous and not just for new players but also for experienced ones like me who are fully aware of its risks. I would say that knowledge alone isn’t enough but selfcontrol is even more important. Looking back to my situation it was greed and the desire to make money easily that tricked me into addiction. 

This topic is dedicated to discussing my healing process and the first steps I have taken to rebuild my life. I decided not to chase my losses and have self-excluded my accounts from many casinos. I won’t lie to you, over the past month I felt the urge to gamble for fun. But what has helped me to not do it is the support and encouragement from this community and some of its members, to restart everything and find more jobs.

Here are a few strategies I found helpful in staying away from gambling all this time: 
- Keeping myself busy and focusing on work. 
- Watching documentaries about people recovering from gambling addiction and how they have turned their lives around to the best. 
- Spending the money I earn on paying bills and expenses beside the friends I took loand from, which brings me relief and a sense of control fighting the chaos gambling created in my life. 

That said, I still remain in touch with the gambling field as part of my work and lifestyle which I genuinely enjoy. My deep knowledge of this field feels valuable to me and I choose not to let it go to waste. While this close connection between my healing process and working in the gambling industry is without actually gambling, doesn’t tempt me anymore. Day by day, the desire to gamble is fading and I feel stronger in my journey.

I would love to hear about your experiences if you faced addiction or any opinions, suggestions, or stories you like to share. Let’s support one another on this journey. 

Warm regards, 
GxSTxV