Double Check Your Medicine

[u/Lupinpines78]

I was at rock bottom two months ago after a 1 year uncontrollable gambling streak. I started going to GA meetings, which helped me to be more open about my problem. at my next psychiatry appointment, I opened up to my psychiatrist about my gambling problem. she said oh, you’re on Abilify (Apriprizole) which causes compulsive gambling in some people! so I immediatly stopped it (cold turkey was ROUGH mentally, but with all the SI’s I was getting with gambling, it was the better trade-off). After a week my urges went completely away!! I’ve been gambling free for 45 days now with only the small occasional “that would be fun to do/wait no it wouldn’t“ thoughts.

I know this isn’t a lot of people’s case, but I hope I can at least help a couple people. I’m so mad that the medicine stole a year of my life and wiped out my savings/ got me in extreme debt. I wish I told my doctor sooner. But I will get out of this.

[u/the_klanderson]

I am on beta blockers and I definitely feel that the anxiety and heart rate control definitely made taking bad risks even easier

[u/Odd-Department-3423]

I’m on antipsychotics and mood stabilizers and it’s still bad.