Gambling had isolated me and became my only focus and concern. It wasn't [about the money] - [it was] emotional. I gambled to get away from fear, responsibility, anxiety and depression. I did not know how to cope with life on life's terms, so i avoided those uncomfortable feelings and escaped into the "dream world" of gambling. Compulsive Gambling took from me much more than money, it took my whole being, my soul, so-to-speak, it turned me into someone I didn't recognize. I lost any morals or values that I [had]. In the end, I hated the person that was looking back at me in the mirror. It was this "desperation" that allowed me to look for another way. I honestly believed that the solution to my problem was within the problem. I had to try something different and ask for help.That gift of desperation turned out to be the foundation for me to begin to take responsibility for my actions and to find a better way of life.
J.L.