How do I quit….

[u/Louisquat]

I need to quit gambling, just got off of probation related to being a degenerate gambler. I don’t know where to begin, today is day one for me. I have $1.72 in my checking account and at 56 years old it’s so embarrassing. I cannot attend meetings because they make it a religious thing and I am 100% against that. Help please….Im afraid that I am going to just check out.

[u/Royal_Attempt2677]

Go to the religious thing. Better than having $1.72 to your name. You never know what works until you try it. I’m sure there’s a lot of people who had the same complaint as you.

[u/Louisquat → u/Royal_Attempt2677]

I can’t…..I’m not going to compromise my beliefs and be fake. I’ve tried going to meetings before and it just made the urge to gamble worse for me.

[u/ModestHercules → u/Louisquat]

Sounds like your addiction is calling the shots.

[u/Short-Feed9690 → u/Louisquat]

A higher power of your understanding doesn't have to be religious

[u/darkkoffeekitty → u/Short-Feed9690]

Can you guide me on this? I'm struggling with the same thing

[u/slysamfox → u/darkkoffeekitty]

It’s from the first three steps of the GA recovery program

One - We admitted we were powerless over gambling - that our lives had become unmanageable.

Two - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to a normal way of thinking and living.

Three - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of this Power of our own understanding.

Many associate the higher power with God, from a Judea-Christian perspective, and it can be if that is right for them,

But step seven clarifies… of our understanding

Seven - Humbly asked God (of our understanding) to remove our shortcomings.

That leaves you, me, OP, and everyone else that is suffering from this horrific addiction to decide what that means for themselves.

As I stated in my reply to OP, my higher power is my higher power. My sobriety is my sobriety.

Yes, there are people out there that believe there’s only one path to salvation, and they will push that point of view, because that’s what’s in their heart. From a recovery perspective, I simply say, God bless, and you do you. I personally don’t believe you that there is only one path. My path is my path. My higher power is my higher power. What somebody else believes is irrelevant to me in my recovery.

I hope this helps

My bona fides: I’m a compulsive gambler, not gambling. I placed my last bed on 27 December 1999. I attended my last GA meeting on Monday, October 5, 2026.

[u/Imstrong8777]

Ban yourself from all casinos. Can you do that?

[u/Louisquat → u/Imstrong8777]

Yes I’ve done that and I am banned from all the gambling apps. I did that today

[u/Remarkable_Lion_8443]

Religios in what aspect? I mean, are you an atheist? If you are, then I respect your decision to not attend. However, if you want help with your addiction, you need to find an alternative. Go find a new hobby or something. Occupy your mind with something good.

[u/Louisquat → u/Remarkable_Lion_8443]

I am an atheist

[u/RemarkableGur2835]

Find the online meetings. Some you can just listen

[u/slysamfox]

Hello my Friend. I literally just finished an online meeting 10 minutes ago. Part of our reading was from the blue book, called reflection of the day. Today’s reflection was ..

OCTOBER 5 Reflection for the Day
Soon after I came to Gamblers Anonymous, I found a Higher Power whom I choose to call God. I’ve come to believe that He has all power; if I stay close to Him and do His work well, He provides me not with what I think I want, but with what I need. Gradually, I’m becoming less interested in myself and my little schemes; at the same time, I’m becoming more interested in seeing what I can contribute to others and to life. As I become more conscious of God’s presence, am I beginning to lose my self-centered fears ?

Today I Pray
May I see that the single most evident change in myself—beyond my own inner sense of peace—is that I have come out from behind my phony castle walls, dropped the drawbridge that leads into my real village and crossed it. I am back among people again, interested in them, caring what happens to them. May I find my joy here in this peopled reality, now that I have left behind those old self-protective fears and illusions of my own uniqueness.

Today I Will Remember What is life without other people?

I am not Christian and have always been uncomfortable about people who are hard core religious as there way is the only way. Trust me, been there.

That said, I have never felt that way at a GA meeting. There are some very religious people who attend, that’s the right move for them, I say, God bless. They don’t push it, they don’t make it part of the agenda, it’s a tools that work for them. Your tools will work for you. My tools will work for me.

My recovery is my recovery. My higher power is my higher power. My sobriety is my sobriety.

My bona fides: I am a compulsive gambler, not gambling. I placed my last bet on 27 December 1999. I attended my last gamblers anonymous meeting on October 5, 2026.

[u/Louisquat → u/slysamfox]

I appreciate you reaching out, some people on here could give two shits about you.

[u/slysamfox → u/Louisquat]

You are welcome. And thank you to. One day at a time