And its to gambling. It may sound stupid, but i need help! I haven't gone a day without getting scratch tickets or going to the casino in i cant even remember how long. I know that its really really stupid, but i have a very addictive personality, and im addicted to it. I never win really big, but the feeling of possibly winning 50 thousand+ makes me keep going. I wake up telling myself no gambling today, but sure enough i find myself gambling all my money away. Its like a switch goes off in my head when im gambling, and i keep going, and i would never do that when im thinking clearly. Its weird. Anyway i have no one to talk to about it, and you guys always have good advice so i figured id share.

I can't say anything on that specific addiction, but I know how it feels to waste copious amounts of money on addictions. I wasted most of my college money (and a lot of my best friend's) on liquor, and I still feel like an ->-bleeped-<- for it. On the upside, I'm sure there's gambling support forums on the net somewhere. It's not easy dealing with any kind of addiction though, I do the same thing you're talking about every day with cigarette. I wake up and think "I'm going to go as long as possible without one", an hour later I end up caving and then I chain smoke because of the irritation of that defeat.

Contact Gambling support sites, even contact your family Dr. There is help and you need it. This is a serious problem and it is no joke and you do need help. The more you go untreated the more vulnerable you are. You are in great danger of losing everything, including your dignity.  I'm in Australia and we do have help networks, there must be the same in the USA. But YOU have to access them. That is the second step. You have taken the first and that is totally fantastic. Keep going don't give up, keep posting to your Susan's family we are here to help.

Keep going and keep positive.

Love

Cindy

Are you on any smoking cessation drugs or anti-depressants?

The way the law is written in most of the US contact information is available through you favorite gambling venue.  So if it's scratchers, then the state lottery agency or whatever group sells them sets aside money to treat this.  I'm sure it's in the phone book too.

Find this help in real life and in real time.  The web is OK for some stuff, but I think that any kind of recovery really takes other people being there with you.  No matter what it is you're quitting, you need a person who you can call - no matter what - and is going to pick up the phone and talk you out of doing it.

What works with AA is not the steps, it's everyone getting together to help each other work on the steps. (That's my take on it at least).