You are a strong man Boneprone. I know I can't even think about walking past a roulette table without getting a twitch in my eye. I can't stop. Hopefully you can.

That is the worse advice you could ever give to someone who wants to get out.

It's like saying to an alcoholic to only drink occasionnally.

I quit cold turkey. And it was successfull.

I didn't touch at a cigarette for 2 years.

http://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_01_13_g...ithdrawal.html

"Quitting by the gradual withdrawal method. I discuss this method quite extensively in my seminars. I always tell how if there is anyone attending who knows a smoker who they really despise they should actively encourage them to follow the gradual withdrawal "cut down" approach. They should call them up ever day and tell them to just get rid of one cigarette. Meaning, if they usually smoke 40 a day, just smoke 39 on the first day of the attempt to quit. The next day they should be encouraged to smoke only 38 then 37 the next day and so on. Then the seminar participant should call these people every day to congratulate them and encourage them to continue. I must reemphasize, this should only be done to a smoker you really despise.

You see, most smokers will agree to this approach. It sounds so easy to just smoke one less each day. Thirty-nine cigarettes to a two pack a day smoker seems like nothing. The trick is to convince the person that you are only trying to help them. For the first week or two the one downside is you have to pretend to like the person and you have to talk to them every day. They won?t whine too bad either. When they are down to 30 from 40, they may start to complain a little. You really won?t be having fun yet. When the payoff comes is about three weeks into scam. Now you've got them to less than half their normal amount. They are in moderate withdrawal all the time.

A month into the approach you?ve got them into pretty major withdrawal. But be persistent. Call them and tell them how great they are doing and how proud you are of them. When they are in their 35th to 39th day, you have pulled off a major coup. This poor person is in peak withdrawal, suffering miserably and having absolutely nothing to show for it. They are no closer to ending withdrawal than the day you started the process. They are in chronic withdrawal, not treating him or herself to one or two a day, but actually depriving him or herself of 35 to 40 per day.

If you want to go in for the kill, when you got them down to zero, tell them don?t worry if things get tough, just take a puff every once in a while. If you can get them to fall for this, taking one puff every third day, they will remain in withdrawal forever. Did I mention you really should despise this person to do this to them? It is probably the cruelest practical joke that you could ever pull on anyone. You will undercut their chance to quit, make them suffer immeasurably and likely they will at some point throw in the towel, return to smoking, have such fear of quitting because of what they went through cutting down, that they will continue to smoke until it kills them. Like I said, you better really despise this person.

Hopefully there is no one you despise that much to do this to them. I hope nobody despises themselves enough to do this to themselves. Quitting cold turkey may be hard but quitting by this withdrawal technique is virtually impossible. If you have a choice between hard and impossible, go for hard. You will have something to show at the end of a hard process, but nothing but misery at the end of an impossible approach. Quit cold and in 72 hours it eases up. Cut down and it will basically get progressively worse for weeks, months, years if you let it.

I should mention, this is not a new technique. It has been around for decades. Talk to every long-term ex-smoker you know. Try to find one person who successfully used the cut down approach, gradually reducing to eventual zero over weeks or months. You will be hard pressed to find even one person who fits this bill. One other perspective that should help you see the flaw in the approach. Look at people here who had once quit for months or years and then relapsed. One day, after such a long time period, they take a drag and are smoking again. If one puff can do this after years or decades, guess what it will do after days or hours of being smoke free. It puts the smoker back to square one. All that any ex-smoker has to do to avoid relapse or chronic withdrawal is to - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!"

hehehehe LOL

It appears my air ticket is non-refundable.

It was only 500.00, but after breaking down to my wife today, we both find it best that I dont make Vegas.

We will see.

You guys have no idea how bad it is.

ITs fucking real real bad.

I'll start putting together some numbers on this :1orglaugh

You have a wonderful wife that?s all you need.

Now return my ICQ =)

Boneprone go to Vegas, people will be asking where you are, if your not there. Don't let gambling spoil your fun in Las Vegas dude.

Im getting a lot of icq messages..

Sorry guys, i gotta turn it off.

Ive decided Im taking off tomorrow morning. I need to get a grip on shit and re-group. Im gunna get a room and ski for a few days.. Skiing always relaxes me and helps me clear my mind..

Im pretty fucked up at the moment.

Ill have the laptop to check email and shit, but Im gunna go low here for a bit..

transfer the ticket to someone that needs it...it's better to lose 75 instead of wasting 500

I'm available to take your place :)

What you have to do , is prove it to yourself for a month. Bet all your numbers as if you were actually playing. When you get ahead one month, then start gambling again. :) i bet it will take you awhile. Then if you lose for 3 months in a row go back to step #1. And never overplay yourself. You play yourself out of a whole by betting small not big :)

You know I love you man.
And I see your messages bro.. Im just in no mood to talk or work.

I have the most respect for you, dont you forget it and take it the wrong way, but I just need to put things off for a bit bro.

I assure you ill make it up to you..

You have my word.

And my habbits are pushing her away.

She may leave me it seems..

We need some time to get away.

now that's funny :)

Good luck. If you liked to bet on football it will be tough for you come Sunday.

Get you head on straight, and then we can talk. Your word is like gold to me!!
But your friendship is priceless.
I know how much you love your wife, I am sure you can fix this.:thumbsup

Does this mean that our Poker game in Vegas is off?

Damn that's what I was going to bet him on :1orglaugh

Good luck Boneprone.

Gambling is something that fucks up a ton of lives. Luckilly, I've lived in Vegas my entire life and there's not much of a thrill to it, other than playing some blackjack once a month or so for fun. My best friend is falling victim to it, and he makes next to nothing (and loses all of it unless I'm there to grab his cash).

Just relax, spend some time with the wife, and try and get your mind out of the books.

You can beat this! :thumbsup

Good Luck BP...Gambling is as addicting as smoking or drugs.If you seek professional help and have the mindset to do it ..You will succeed
:thumbsup

San Antonio by 15..

any time you see/hear someone say lock of year..double up the other way..it is guaranteed winner..

key to gambling is money management..and being able to not play some days..its chasing money that ruins players..

You should take a break and go visit Amp in hawaii.

and a space opens up at the TGP VIP party............

Hang in there man. I can tell your a smart guy. If you know numbers then you know you can't win at gambling. It took me years to figure out what a waste it is . Now I just play poker. Poker is a game of skill, not chance. If you do go back to gambling at all, please just try poker. It will relax you and you will enjoy it.


For right now just go buy an oz. of the chronic and smoke away. Spending $300 on Hydro is a hell of better high and rush than any 3 team parlay. Buy a nice glass bong and snap bulls.

I've never understood the gambling addiction.... I can understand how you could always think the next one could be the jackpot or something... But damn, I cant imagine getting addicted to losing money (not that I have any to begin with)..

Good luck

Been there done that.

Good luck man - it's not always an easy fight.

Congrats on the decision, boneprone. Stick to it, you can do it.

stay strong bp if u need to talk to anyone holla at me

My uncle gambled his house away and had to borrow money from my grandpa so some mafia type dudes wouldn't kill him. Did he learn his lesson? Hell no.

Good luck to you Boneprone.

Boneprone,

I dont know you very well and never did any business with you, but I am familar with your posts and I can tell you're sincere with this one.

good luck with it,
Kush

I haven't read the whole thread - just the first post.

Of course, you realize that it's gonna be a long, hard road. There's a reason why you started gambling in the first place. If you don't start working with those issues, it'll come back, maybe in a different form.

I wish you luck. :thumbsup

Good luck, Boneprone!

It was about time.

Gambling doesn't work that way. Addicts get bored with small wins and think about how much they could have won rather than focusing on dialing it down.

Just be patient and strong and you'll be able to quit boneprone.

Glad to hear this Boneprone! :thumbsup

Oh boy... you picked the wrong game to like my friend. One of the worst games to play in the casino as far as odds.

Since I am DR PHIL let me help u out a bit here..What your going to wanna do is substitute it for something different and fun. I recommend crack. Next problem please?

congrats, admitting you have a problem is a big step

Congratulations on quitting gambling, boneprone.

Clearly he resolved his problem since he went right back to gambling.

That's how it works, right?

old thread, but still, that's classic... :1orglaugh

Admitting you have a problem is the first step.

If you want to gamble but do it smart and make money from it, then be a bookie or get involved with a sports book site. The people who bet are suckers, the odds are stacked against them no matter how much studying they do or how much of an edge they think they have. When they do win (the lose more often than they win) they just lose it all back and then some.

If you were the "house" you could still be involved with gambling but at least profit from it.

Even when I made 30K+ a week, I couldn't bring myself to betting more than a couple hundred a weekend or spending more than a couple hundred at the casino. I don't care how much money you make, when you lose a lot of money it makes you sick. If you work hard to make that money it makes you even more sick to work so hard just to piss it away. If you spend hours doing research and studying trying to get an edge, and you bet a lot of money and still lose you even more sick because not only did you still lose a lot of money but you lost a lot of time.

I need to get a few video poker machines. Now that is a kick ass investment, allows you to still be involved legally with gambling and you make a TON of money from them. If you want to buy a couple machines here and get them making money hit me up.


oppps you got me... i didn't check the date. Perhaps you should have quit back then I bet you would have a lot more money now if you did. Well placed bump considering he just lost 9K last night.