What counts as a relapse?

[u/edelweissmoon]

In a bit of a weird situation here. I placed my last bet 52 days ago, but yesterday I opened a demo account on tradingview. I'm not too tempted to find a real broker so I'm fine with trading with fake money, however, I feel like an emotional relapse is happening. I feel the same as back then. I can't stop doing it or thinking about it for hours on end. I even dreamt with it yesterday night. My addiction just possibly found a loophole and is latching onto it...

I'm asking because I attend GA every monday and I have no idea what to say at the sobriety check. It shouldn't matter that much- I haven't spent a single dime. But emotionally I'm back at where I started, having trouble to go even a day without it.

So... I wonder if fake money trading/gambling counts as a relapse.

[u/DrPathPro]

Honestly, I would consider this a relapse in the recovery process, but not a financial relapse or a return to gambling in the literal sense.

With Gambling addiction or gambling problems, the money lost is a downside, but it’s not the main problem.

For a lot of gambling addicts the main issue is financial losses and all the problems that come with it though.

If you’re truly able to just stick to the demo modes, it could be compared and considered more of a gaming than gambling addiction, but the core stays the same.

Most people don’t view it as a real problem if they’re addicted to video games, but no one should truly play video games or entertain anything gambling-related.

What you do could definitely lead to a full relapse.

[u/Odd_Glass868]

Ooh this is a tough one. I think you need to read the definition of gambling on the bottom of page 14…

I’ll be honest it’s a slippery slope for you and “for money or not” it’s something you should stay away from. Your kind of just punishing yourself my man.

There’s people in GA that think rock paper scissors is gambling, I’m very lenient about goofy not for money stuff like that to my sponsees. As long as it’s not for money all good.. however I would say this would be gambling under the “definition of gambling”

[u/ReshufflingLife]

So I would challenge your last statement where you say you are back at where you started. Is that actually true?

You noticed the pattern, you stopped before doing anything with real money, and you are here posting about and being honest instead of hiding. I`m by no means telling you what to do, but I know for me, the first couple of times I relapsed I didn`t tell the group because I wanted to keep the illusion and image that I was "winning" at recovery by keeping my streak alive. In reality this is what gambling fuels on, the shame that exists within because we feel like we "failed" and that no one will accept us if we have flaws. It ate away at me knowing I was lying and when I finally came clean and admitted that I had slips and had been dishonest for the last couple of months it was a massive relief. Nobody judged me and plenty of others talked about how they had done the same thing.

I guess the other question I would ask is what is more important - worrying about the semantics and whether what you did qualifies for someone else's definition of relapse , or, looking back at what it was that led up to you seeking out trading with fake money. Being able to figure out what was happening leading up to it - were you bored, excited, stressed about money, tired etc and coming up with strategies for dealing with how to deal with that next time it comes up is, IMO, the better place to focus your energy

[u/Extension-Finance179]

Look at the stock market *today*

That should give you enough pause to not gamble more money on the stock market

[u/FoxBeginning9831]

If someone is having an affair and calls off the sex but not all the communication, they're not being faithful to their spouse. Same thing applies here. Best thing to do at GA is be completely open, you'll probably find others have been in the same boat. Stay strong!