Hey guys, I’m Sarah, and poker has been my main issue. It’s been a rough journey, but I believe we can support each other. Talking about my struggles helps me stay accountable. Excited to get to know everyone and share our experiences.
Hey Sarah, welcome to QB! The poker room is where I used to spend a lot of my time. In fact, I’ve got friends playing in WSOP right now and I’m very happy for them, but that’s not where I belong, and it sounds like you either.
People who are addicted to gambling often write off poker because it’s a game of skill and justify it in a number of ways.
But the truth is if you’re losing and it’s affecting your life dramatically you’re addicted and need to stop immediately. We’re here to help be a support group for you, but one thing you should really consider is immediately calling 1-800-gambler and seeing what sort of services they can offer you.
Often times they’ll offer free virtual or even in-person counseling to help you get better. I’d also recommend you look into immediately excluding yourself from poker casinos, card rooms, and any online websites you may visit.
Self Exclusion is a powerful tool, but you need to take the step to make it happen. In many cases it’s super easy and just filling out and submitting a form. If you’re not capable of doing it try asking a family member or even using AI like ChatGPT to help fill it out. Just do it!!!
Anyways, hope you find this support forum helpful and glad to have you onboard in helping us all move past these negative dark times in our life that were temporary and onto the important things in life.
Recovery is possible! Everyday is better than the last.
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Wow thanks for the quick and thoughtful response.
You never know what to expect when putting yourself out there.
That’s cool to know that others out there are suffering like me. Makes me sick to my stomach. Really does. I never want to see the inside of a card room ever again. I’ll give the hotline a call today, I didn’t know they were that cool and easy to work with. Thanks again for the insight.
You’re welcome, and welcome here! Try to build a mental imagery of associating a card room with a negative thing. Something that disgusts you. Don’t use problem gambling, because that hasn’t worked in the past. Think of how awful the bathrooms smell, or the smell of vomit when you think of a cardroom. You can live your life so much happier and healthier if you never visit there again.