Ep. 83 - Twelve Steps to Freedom: How The 12 Steps Can Help With Gambling Problems
“If you’ve tried to deal with a gambling problem on your own and it didn’t work, try the 12 Steps of Recovery. It helped me to stop gambling and provided a guide for living a better life.”
Gambling had been a recurring and dammaging problem in Georgete’s life for twelve years. She had seen counsellors, attended local Gamblers Anonymous meetings, and went to a three-month residential treatment program. She would get some time away and then relapse. In early 2023, Georgete was “completely drained, hopeless and broke.” She says “I was ready to do whatever it takes to stop gambling” and started attending meetings through Recovery Road Online. She was initially sceptical of online meetings, but decided to have an open mind, listen to the people in the meetings, and follow their suggestions. In the beginning, Georgete was encourged to, “keep coming back, “ so she did. Later, it was suggested that she find a sponsor, so she did. The sponsor encouraged her to write responses to GA’s Twenty Questions, so she did. From there, she and her sponsor worked through the 12 Steps of Recovery. Now, more than a year away from gambling, Georgete is excited to tell us “it worked!”
Georgete joins us in this episode of Fold em, to share her experiences with working through the 12 Steps of Recovery. She describes each step of this program and how she approached it, as well as the positive benefits. Many people have hesitations and fears about working through this program. Listen in with an open mind. You get an opportunity to learn from someone with first-hand experience.
Listen to episode 83 and get answers to these questions:
What are the Twelve Steps? How can this program help someone who has struggled with gambling?
What’s involved with each of the Twelve Steps?
Will working through the Twelve Steps benefit me if I’m unsure about connecting with a Higher Power?
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What are the 12 Steps of Recovery?
The 12-Step Program, which was first developed and used by Alcoholics Anonymous, is a plan for overcoming addictions and compulsions. It is used in peer support groups that help people recover from substance use disorders, behavioural addictions (including gambling problems) and sometimes co-occuring mental health conditions. It also teaches new skills for coping with life, helps people to connect with support, and provides a model for maintaining long-term recovery.
In this episode of Fold em, Georgete tells us that, for her, the 12 Steps of Recovery are a “guide to living a better way of life.” Twelve years of gambling was devastating for her and her life. The 12 Steps provided her with a process for recovery. It provided a guide for forgiving herself and others, making amends with people she had harmed because of gambling, and taught her how to understand herself better and let go of resentments, fears and character defects that were holding her back. It also provided daily practices to cope with life’s challenges.
If you attend a 12-step meeting, such as Gamblers Anonymous, you will hear many of the program’s ideas and principles. To work through the 12 Steps in a more focused and individual way, it is recommended that you do this with a sponsor or as part of step group. It can be helpful to get guidance from someone who is experienced with and knowledgeable of the 12 Step Program.
To read about the 12 Steps, click here.
Do I Need to Be Religious or Believe in a Higher Power to Do a 12 Step Recovery Program?
Georgete tells us that many people have hesitations about a basic premise of the program - that people can help each other achieve abstinence from an addictive substance or behaviour, but healing from addiction comes through surrendering to a higher power. This higher power doesn’t need to a be a traditional Christian version of God. It can involve connecting with your own spirituality, to nature, or to the power of the recovery community. She notes that many people have been able to work through the 12 Steps and find their own meaning for a higher power and benefit from the program. What’s needed is a willingness to be open and give it a try.
Finding Freedom Through the 12 Steps
Georgete tells us that she and her online sponsor took many months as she wrote about, reflected upon, and talked through each of the 12 Steps. Here’s some of the changes and benefits she experienced as she did so:
Admitting Complete Defeat: Even when Georgete had stopped gambling in the past, her mind got pulled back into thinking that she could control it. Steps one through three helped her to admit that she can never control gambling on her own and she needed help.
Understanding and Letting Go of Resentments and Fears: Through steps four and five, Georgete says she was able to take an honest look at herself and the baggage of resentments and fears she carried around. She was able to see how this baggage contributed to her gambling, take more responsibility, and let it go.
Making Amends: Through steps eight and nine, Georgete took a frank look at all the people who had been harmed by her gambling. With the guidance of her sponsor, she was able to communicate honestly with these people and come clean with the truth. She says that it was a difficult, but freeing process.
Acquiring Skills for Living: Through steps ten to twelve, Georgete learned and implemented a process for reflecting upon, coping with, and addressing challenging life situations. She notes that it has helped her live more in sync with herself.
Helping Others: Step twelve invites you to continue daily recovery practices for your own wellness, but also to help others. Through sharing her experiences, strength and hope, Georgete says she hopes she can help even one person struggling with gambling.
Georgete ends the conversation by saying “addiction is a symptom of our life problems.” Through working through the 12 Steps of Recovery, she gained more awareness of the shortcomings and problems that were negatively impacting her life, learned how to cope differently, and to forgive herself and others. It also provided a way of connecting to a community of support and spiritual practices. She laughs as she says, “this life that I’m living is awesome and beautiful. I want others to have this too.”
To hear more from Georgete about her experiences with working through the 12 Steps of Recovery, list to episode 83 of Fold em. Listen now by clicking on the green play button at the top of this blog or the red Listen Now to Fold em button at the bottom.
If you have tried a 12-step meeting or recovery program and found it didn’t work for you, Georgete’s experience demonstrates the importance of staying persistent. Over twelve years of struggling with gambling relapses, she tried many different options for help, including in person meetings, counselling, workshops and treatment programs. Like her, keep at it until you find what fits best for you. Links to connect with support are at the bottom of this blog page.
Related Fold em Episodes
You can hear a conversation with Georgete when she was four months gambling free. She talks about what helped her to stop gambling and stay away in the early days of her recovery. Hear about her experiences with finding and starting to work with a sponsor and taking an honest look at the impact of gambling on her life. Listen now to episode sixty eight of Fold em by clicking on the play button below.
What Support is Available to Help With Gambling Concerns?
To learn more about gambling concerns and how to access resources and support, go to the home page of this website or listen to other episodes of Fold em.
Fold em is funded by Gambling Support BC.
We welcome your feedback and ideas for topics for upcoming episodes. Reach out through the Contact Us page on this website or through email at Foldempodcast@gmail.com.
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