Working in the industry

I'm not an expert (in fact, far from it else I prob wouldn't be here!) but I'll ask you a few questions:

If an alcoholic worked in a pub, what would you advise?

If a drug addict worked in a hospital with access to prescription drugs, what would you advise?

If an obese person worked in a cake shop....you get the picture.

As patronising as it sounds (and I apologise for that), sometimes we need to hold a mirror to ourselves to find the answer.  There is absolutely no chance I would or could be gamble free if I worked in the industry.  I'm sure a lot on here would give you the same advice.  Get out whilst you can and protect your finances, physical and mental health. I know that changing jobs can be tough and I know that starting again can mean a lower wage, but you need to weigh things up and work out if you;d actually be better off.  Like I say....I'm no expert, but I wish someone had held a mirror to me sooner.

I wish you all the best with whatever decision or approach you take. Well done for being here and reaching out.

Hi

If we understand that the addictions and obsessions are a form of escape because we are emotionally vulnerable.

The ideal situation is to be completely 100% emotionally detached from all feeling and emotions towards gambling.

That for me I no longer hate gambling, I no longer love gambling,  I no longer hate other people gambling, that it means nothing to me.

Do we think that money will make us happy, that by stopping gambling will make us happy, for me that was not so.

What did I think success meant, getting some thing for nothing would make me feel successful, getting some cheap would make me feel successful, getting some one to do some thing would make me feel successful.

In time by my healthy actions and by my healthy words I would not only feel successful but also start to feel proud of myself.

There is an implication in the recovery program that pride is unhealthy, that is not so.

For me pride is a healthy reward I give to myself.

To become healthy I needed to learn to be self sufficient, if there is a job that needs doing I found asking advice I will learn to do things for myself.

For me today my addictions and obsessions are unhealthy, my addictions are a form of self abuse.

To go to work for hours weeks months and years and give my hard earned money to complete strangers while I and my family go with out makes no sense what so ever.

The recovery program helped me understand that I was like a rat in a wheel going faster and faster getting no where healthy.

I am a non religious person and have been able to find a healthy spiritual life with out being religious.

Please keep going to meetings, you will benefit from it in so many ways.

Love and peace to every one.

Dave L

AKA Dave of Beckenham

Hi TB :))

That's such a difficult one mate and a bit like an " Alcoholic in a brewery " or " Kid in a Sweet shop " dilemma and I feel your pain . 

The only advice I could honestly give is that it has to be all about your mindset really , I mean if you truly can't or don't wan't to leave your job due to the reason's given then it really does come down to you . 

I had a similar dilemma over access to fund's to gamble with , as I work in a mainly cash business and being self employed there was always access to cash which goes against the advice given here , so in order for that to work it had to be about my mindset and how much I wanted to give up more than I wanted my next bet , not easy at times but I did it and nearly 4yrs now without a bet , so it can be done . 

Funnily enough I have a couple of friend's from school who are betting shop managers who both have gambling problems but as of yet don't seem able to address their problem or maybe just don't see it yet ? , then on the other boot My uncle had his own Bookmakers for over 40 years and has never gambled in his life so make of that what you will but I believe seeing the punters in his shop who had gambling problems maybe told him what he needed to know about gambling ? and maybe you could use that same sort of analogy in helping you to get through ? .

As I said it's a tough one Bud and I wish you all the best 🙂

Alan  

I don't think it will work, as you are so close to temptation. Most people who have addictions probably need to be separated from exposure to some degree. Your temptation will wear down your resolve.

Move into a new career, your skills will be transferable to another job. So to me it does not sound like you are fully committed yet, because I don't believe anyone fully committed to quitting would continue to work in the industry.

Hi

I can assure you that I have met many people who are still working in the industry.

I think if any thing after finding a healthy recovery they often see them selves in people who are in action and it helps them see how hopeless gambling is.

During my addiction times I use to only remember the emotional highs and wins, sadly what I did was blank out and bury all the other times I was traumatized in pain and filled with panic.

In time as I filled my life with healthy productive habits as I wrote things down my needs my wants and my goals I have achieved so much more with my life today.

There was a person in recovery who was living on the street, he entered the recovery program, he got a job, found a place to rent, became healthy, met a person he fell in love with, mortgaged a home and had a happy family life.

Things I use to think were impossible seems so possible today.

If I am equal to all people, if another person can achieve some thing healthy so can I.

Being in the recovery program I am a self sufficient person, I learned how to do maintenance, I learned how to do wood work, I learned how to form concrete, I learned not to fear computers, I learned not to fear the opposite s*x.

Each step of each success was based up on learning from my mistakes and learning from my errors.

One saying I use is measure twice, cut once.

The benefits of working our recovery is incredible, fear panic guilt shame remorse boredom changing in to pride confidence healthy self esteem, enjoying intimate relationships today.

I was living in so many fears I did not know how much I was missing out on.

The recovery program empowers us all to become healthy once more, to be able to live in the moment and live just for today.

My guilt resentments regret hatred vengeance rage anger indicated that my hurt inner child was not healed.

If I am healed and healthy in my recovery then working in the industry will help me not hinder me.

Some people in the recovery program will be adversely affected by a person working in the industry being in the meeting.

That indicates they are blaming some one else for their addictions obsessions unhealthy actions and unhealthy words.

I have found it best to not mention our occupation in any case in meetings.

No matter what your job is.

The gambling establishments never made me do any thing I did not want to do.

The gambling establishments never lied deceived to my people people or my family.

The gambling establishments are clever that they encourage people to lose a sense of time and monetary values.

Yet that is just a business trying to be profitable.

The gambling establishments never hurt me, I hurt myself.

The gambling establishments made it possible for me to escape people life and situations when I was emotionally vulnerable.

I have no bad feelings towards the gambling establishments, I would like to think that I am emotionally detached from my feelings towards the gambling establishments and from trying to get some thing for nothing.

Please keep going to meetings, you will benefit from it in so many ways.

Love and peace to every one.

Dave L

AKA Dave of Beckenham