I don’t believe that the Gamblers Anonymous Program and the Twelve Steps work because I read it in a book, or because I hear other people say so. I believe it because I see other people recovering and because I know that I, too, am recovering. No longer do I believe that I am helpless and …
Many of us have had difficulty ridding ourselves of the ravages of guilt. During the early days in the Gamblers Anonymous Program, I either misunderstood certain of the Steps, or tried to apply them too quickly and too eagerly. The result was that I increased my feelings of guilt and worthlessness, rather than freeing myself …
Guilt is a cunning weapon in the armory of the compulsive gambler. We can use the weapon against ourselves in many subtle ways; it can be deftly wielded, for example, in an attempt to convince us that the Gamblers Anonymous Program doesn’t really work. I have to protect myself constantly against guilt and self-accusations concerning …
When I least expect it, my keen addictive mind will try to divert me back toward my old ideas and old ways. My mind is expert, in fact, at planting and nourishing negative feelings within me—feelings such as envy, fear, anxiety, or guilt. The minute I spot any of these poisonous feelings rising up, I …
Some of us, new in Gamblers Anonymous, couldn’t resist telling anyone who would listen just how terrible we were. Just as we often exaggerated our modest accomplishments by pride, so we exaggerated our defects through guilt. Racing about and confessing all, we somehow considered the widespread exposure of our sins to be true humility, considering it a great spiritual …
A friend in Gamblers Anonymous taught me to look at excessive guilt in an entirely new way, suggesting that guilt was nothing but a sort of reverse pride. A decent regret for what has happened is fine, he said. But guilt, no. I’ve since learned that condemning ourselves for mistakes we’ve made is just as …
Few of us are entirely free from a sense of guilt. We may feel guilty for things we’ve said or done—of things we’ve left unsaid or undone. We’re so used to that gnawing guilt that even when we’re accused falsely we still feel guilty. When I’m troubled by naggings of guilt, obviously I can’t put …
Adjusting myself to things as they are, and being able to love without trying to interfere with or control anyone else, however close to me—that’s one of the important things I search for and can find in Gamblers Anonymous. The learning is sometimes painful; however, the reward is life itself—full and serene. Is the Program …
The Gamblers Anonymous Program teaches me that not too many people can truthfully assert that they love everybody. Most of us have to admit that we’ve loved only a few, and that we’ve been quite indifferent to many. As for the rest, well, we’ve really disliked or hated them. We in Gamblers Anonymous find we …
Acceptance is a key. Too often I was unable to accept who I was, and therefore it was impossible to accept others. Before coming to Gamblers Anonymous, I hid from the truth because I was afraid of it. Now with the help of my GA brothers and sisters, I can walk through it. Today I …