Gamblers Anonymous

No short cuts to recovery
Author : GA

Don’t look for short cuts. You don’t need any. Enjoy recovery, one day at a time.

Common to all compulsive gamblers is impatience. We wanted all the good things in life yesterday. We were always on the lookout for short cuts ... the easy way to get things, hence we took the easiest way we knew - gambling - and always fell flat on our faces.

Recovery within our fellowship requires a different attitude. It can’t be had overnight. There are no short cuts.

Look at members who have been free from gambling for several years. Perhaps one is even your sponsor. Their life is good. They have peace of mind. Their relationships are good. They seem to have the answers to most situations and conduct themselves in a calm, confident manner. You can’t help but admire such members and you can’t help wanting what they have. Have you taken the short cut of simply pretending to be like them?

This is truly a short cut back to gambling.

Others, the fortunate ones, discover that the only way to a lasting recovery is to take the long route, which requires an honest effort and a desire to get the Recovery Program into their lives.

Some wise person once said, “There is no gain without pain”. Ask any member who has had some genuine recovery in their lives and they will tell you they took the tried and tested route. They made the changes, however long it took. They made amends wherever possible. They took the Steps of Recovery starting with the First Step and worked their way through them all, one by one.

At this point you may be thinking to yourself, “But I came into this fellowship to get some peace and happiness back into my life, some respect and self-respect. Now you are telling me it will take years of hard work”.

Don’t be despondent. You will find that if you are on the true road to recovery, each day will bring you joy. Each achievement, however small, will strengthen your resolve to do more and the rewards will touch every department of your life

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