Only you can make
that decision. Most people turn to Gamblers Anonymous when
they become willing to admit that gambling has them licked.
Also in Gamblers Anonymous, a compulsive gambler is described
as a person whose gambling has caused growing and continuing
problems in any department of his or her life. Many Gamblers
Anonymous members went through terrifying experiences before
they were ready to accept help. Others were faced with a slow,
subtle deterioration which finally brought them to the point
of admitting defeat.
Gamblers Anonymous
Most of us have been in a state of denial and this has been
the barrier to becoming honest about ourselves. We’ve
held on to the belief that somehow we would learn to control
our drinking or drug use. Alcoholism is sometimes called the
disease of denial. The truth is, we are not being honest with
ourselves. Many of us fight the truth about ourselves until
faced with disaster or death. Only when the pain becomes unbearable
are some of us ready to be honest.
Gifford D.
The addict is out of control and experiences tremendous shame,
pain and self-loathing. The addict may wish to stop --- yet
repeatedly fails to do so. The unmanageability of addicts'
lives can be seen in the consequences they suffer: losing
relationships, difficulties with work, arrests, financial
troubles, a loss of interest in things (...), low self-esteem
and despair.
Sex Addicts Anonymous
The simple answer for myself is that I could not stop using
drugs. Ah, you say, "What is the definition of a drug?"
A drug to an addict is ANYTHING that we cannot control the
intake of. ANYTHING that makes our lives unmanageable. ANYTHING
that becomes the single thought and desire and controls our
actions. This is just for me and just for today.
Ron C.
When I was sent to a treatment center I was having a hard
time with the idea that I might be an alcoholic. My counselor
explained it like this: It’s easier to understand that
you are an alcoholic when you know that you are physically
dependent on alcohol, literally addicted to it. If you know
you need to drink morning, noon and night in order to avoid
the shakes or worse, the news that you are probably an alcoholic
comes as no great surprise. It’s harder when, like you,
you only drink on weekends or even every other weekend. It’s
harder to realize that you have no control over what’s
going to happen once you start drinking. Sometimes its OK,
you manage to have some fun and get home OK. Other times you
wake up God knows where having done God knows what. You don’t
know which way it’s going to turn out when you start
drinking. You have no control. Yet you keep trying, telling
yourself that this time you will control your drinking and
everything will be fine, when in fact you just don’t
know. You have the symptoms of alcoholism: the obsession with
drink makes you keep trying again despite your previous horrendous
experiences. The phenomenon of craving develops once you start
drinking taking away your ability to control when you stop
or what’s going to happen. You are an alcoholic.
Jean L.
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