Yes, I do agree, in the beginning, we really don't know if we are into gambling addiction already. As usually there is this denial stage until it's too late. I admit that before, I didn't recognized the signs and symptoms as everyone in my circle are gamblers, including my wife. But when I lost my job and there was no money, that's when the time I realized that my priorities are wrong.
So when I got back, I change everything, I still gamble, but not like before. From time to time I will go online and play. Or go out with friends and families to play in land base casinos but that's it. No more returning back to my old self.
This is like a testimony, I love it when individuals make decisions and stand by it, thats to say that no matter how far some gamblers has gone into addiction, one actually gets of that shit, if they really make up their mind to do so, what you narrated may look too soft for people to understand, if one has not been into that shit called addiction, they wouldn't know how bad and traumatizing it is, if so, you're very disciplined, for you to stand buy your decision not to allow what you do to control you you, I highly commend you for that, I know it wasn't easy but overcoming that shit is worth emulating by gambling addicts congratulations man on the relieve you have now.