The Past, The Present And The Future, A Compulsive Gambler’s Thoughts Part 2 is a collection of poems that express what I was going through during the last ten years of my life. Through this experience I was able to better understand what I was going through before, during and after with my compulsive gambling addiction. You learn an awful lot about your self when you are able to put it into words. In part 2 there two more poems Gaining Control Of My Life and You’re Gambling Addiction Is No Longer To Blame.

Gaining Control Of My Life

Positive thoughts will heal the soul
Tremendous burden has taken its toll
Go forward
Don't look back
Attitude overhaul
Looking forward to a better tomorrow
It's not healthy to harp on such sorrow
It doesn't matter why
I gave it a try
Life's many tasks will build strong disposition
Being tested with each new situation
Reinvested with brighter days
Smell the flowers enjoy the sun's rays
What's in the cards no one really knows
Take the time and let yourself grow
It's up to me to change how I feel
No one else, has control of the movie reel
No one else knows the correct path to take
It doesn't matter if I make a mistake


You’re Gambling Addiction Is No Longer To Blame

Tomorrow will come as the sun rises in the east
New opportunities are there, get rid of the beast
Open your eyes and see the beauty of things
Where here as special human beings
Each with qualities unique in every way
Physical characteristics
Personality different from day to day
Boredom comes from within you
Change the patterns and see what you can do
Don't stop living go on with your dreams
Before you know it, completeness will rule
Focus my inspiration one rainy day
The trees were blooming
Bright, beautiful, colorful
No more assuming
Change the patterns and see what you can do
What do I have to look forward to?
Give all you can to the people around
In turn they will give all they can to you
Each magic day you will feel true
To the one real person that counts are you
Make the change that bonds you to shame
Condemn no one else indeed
It's up to me to succeed
Don't always let things be the same
You're gambling addiction is no longer to blame

A compulsive gambler realizes that his gambling addiction is no longer to blame. This compulsive gambler stopped gambling, but his life was not getting any better. His mind was dwelling on the gambling addiction and not allowing him to move forward. A person who has a gambling addiction does not have to be gambling for the addiction to pre-occupy their mind until they gamble again. I knew one gambler who lost his job and stopped gambling for three months. He was very proud. Unfortunately he was unemployed and had minimal funds to live on. He went back to work and the next thing he was doing was gambling online. The self destructive behavior keeps compulsive gamblers in limbo until they gamble again. Understanding this helps the stop gambling recovery.

Mr. Howard Keith has an extensive background in dealing with compulsive gamblers, relatives and friends of gamblers and teenage gamblers. Mr. Keith believes there are many alternatives to aid in the recovery of a gambling addiction verses a twelve step program. A large percentage of his emails were from compulsive gamblers looking for an alternative to Gamblers Anonymous and twelve step programs. Gamblers Anonymous also helps a significant number of people each year but there is a large percentage that they are unable to reach.

For more information on gambling addiction and stop gambling you can check out
I Stopped Gambling So Can You http://www.istoppedgambling.com/

• The Past, The Present, And The Future: A Compulsive Gamblers Thoughts Through Poetry Part 1


• It Is Here


• Waspwasted--Neighbors [In Spanish and English]


• Diversified Poems II [Hamas; Saddam; the Fly; Death & Ice Cream]


• The Color of Change


• The Diversified Poems [five Poems]


• Are Men Writing Poetry in Secrecy?


• Facing East [Chapter 1 & 2/and a Poem]


• Curse of the Abyss Worm [Chapter 19 and 20]


• Ode: to the King of Africa