Two Years Free from Gambling: A Journey from Rock Bottom to Growth

Two years ago, I placed my final bet—a Celtics vs. 76ers game that, truthfully, I had no emotional investment in. I wasn’t a diehard fan of either team. I wasn’t watching for entertainment. I was gambling because I didn’t know how not to. I was broke—my credit cards were maxed, my personal loans were tapped, my bank account was flirting with overdraft—and yet I still found a way to place that final bet.

It didn’t bring a thrill. It brought me face-to-face with the wreckage of my life. That was my rock bottom.

The Start of Something Better

Two years later, everything has changed.

I haven’t placed a single bet in 730 days. That decision, repeated every day, has created a foundation for something new—something stable, peaceful, and fulfilling. I still remember the chaos of those final weeks: hiding losses, taking on new debt, chasing a win that never came.

Now? I’m no longer just surviving—I’m growing.

What’s Changed

• Financial Recovery: I’ve stopped accumulating debt. I’ve started paying it down. For the first time in years, my savings account has a balance that’s not zero.

• Emotional Healing: I no longer wake up in shame or lie awake in guilt. My mind is quieter, my emotions steadier.

• Mental Clarity: I’m present again. I no longer live in the cycle of planning bets, hiding losses, and justifying reckless behavior.

• Accountability & Connection: Through Discord and other recovery groups, I’ve found people who get it. People who don’t need me to explain how a $20 bet can feel like life or death. I’ve learned I’m not alone—and I never have to be again.

The Biggest Lesson?

I’m worth the work.
Recovery has taught me that I’m not broken—I was just stuck in a cycle I didn’t know how to escape. But once I stopped gambling, I started discovering the version of myself I hadn’t seen in years. Someone honest, driven, kind, and capable.

To Anyone Still in It

If you’re reading this while struggling: please know that it can get better. You don’t need to wait for the “right time.” The moment you decide to stop can be the beginning of a completely different life. Not a perfect one—but a free one.

Two years ago, I was drowning. Today, I’m standing. And every day I choose not to gamble, I rise a little higher.

Here’s to year three. I’m ready.

What The Five Types of Wealth Taught Me in Gambling Recovery

 I just finished reading The Five Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom, and I couldn’t have picked a better book to align with where I’m at in my recovery journey.

For years, I chased one type of wealth: financial. As a compulsive sports gambler, money was the measurement of everything—self-worth, success, control. I thought if I could just win enough, all my problems would disappear. Instead, I lost time, relationships, health, and peace of mind.

This book flipped that old definition of wealth on its head.

Bloom lays out five types of wealth:

• Financial Wealth: Money and assets—but with a healthy, sustainable mindset

• Social Wealth: Relationships, community, and meaningful connection

• Physical Wealth: Health, strength, and energy

• Mental Wealth: Clarity, calm, growth, and resilience

• Time Wealth: Freedom over your time and how you spend it

I realized I’ve been rebuilding every one of these since the day I stopped gambling.

I’m gaining mental wealth every time I resist the urge to escape through a bet.
I’m rebuilding social wealth in recovery communities, connecting with people who truly get it.
I’m reclaiming physical wealth—rest, routine, and energy I used to burn chasing dopamine highs.
And time wealth? That’s been the most powerful. The hours I’ve gotten back—my mornings, my focus, my presence—are worth more than any jackpot ever was.

Yes, I’m also fixing the financial damage. But now it’s with intention, not fantasy.

What I loved about this book is that it doesn't just preach discipline or money hacks—it invites you to redefine what a rich life actually is. If you're in recovery, or even just rethinking your relationship with money, time, or yourself, I can’t recommend it enough.

I’m not chasing the old version of wealth anymore. I’m building a new one—one that feels whole.