Meet Sara

A mental health advocate, sharing personal experiences and insights on overcoming compulsive gambling and nurturing complicated family relationships.

I share my journey to inspire others and provide a safe space for genuine conversations about recovery. Join me in crafting a better life together.

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Welcome to my digital diary, where I tackle compulsive gambling, untangle family ties, and grow daily. Join me for quirky reflections and genuine recovery insights in this journey to craft a better life. Buckle up it’s a bumpy, beautiful ride!

Recovery Reflection

Welcome to My Digital Diary

Chapter 10: Some Things Don’t Stay Buried

Disclaimer: This post references sexual assault, trauma responses, medical triggering, and gambling relapse/urges. I do not always add content warnings, but I believe in taking a gender-based violence-informed approach and understand that these topics may be difficult for some readers. All 10 of you :) I don’t want to go into every detail. But years ago, in a back room of a restaurant, an older man sexually assaulted me. I never told anyone. Not my friends, not my family. I

13 hours ago

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Latest Entries

Chapter 10: Some Things Don’t Stay Buried

Disclaimer: This post references sexual assault, trauma responses, medical triggering, and gambling relapse/urges. I do not always add content warnings, but I believe in taking a gender-based violence-informed approach and understand that these topics may be difficult for some readers. All 10 of you :) I don’t want to go into every detail. But years ago, in a back room of a restaurant, an older man sexually assaulted me. I never told anyone. Not my friends, not my family. I

13 hours ago4 min read

Chapter 9: Do No Harm

Do No Harm And after the dust settles, what remains? The brain. Do you remember that commercial from way back when? “This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs.” The fried egg. The pan. The warning. Now ask the harder question, What happens when the thing acting on the brain is not a drug in the usual sense? What happens when it is gambling? I live in Ontario, which apparently makes me something of a rare gem: someone willing to say out loud that gambling addiction is no

3 days ago3 min read

Chapter 8: Hello, I’m Sara. And I’m a compulsive gambler

It’s been 6 hours and 32 minutes since I placed my last bet. Call it alcohol. Call it the machine. Maybe it was both. My body couldn’t handle the booze, and the machine won. I’m not a robot, but for a brief moment, I became one. Numb. Automatic. Programmed by impulse. Moving without thinking, like I had handed myself over to something cold and mechanical. A moment of silence for the compulsive gambler who suffers in silence. For the one who smiles in public and breaks in priv

3 days ago1 min read

Chapter 7: There Is Never Only One David

Have you ever heard the story about David and Goliath? I mean really heard it. Not the polished version. Not the easy version. Not the one where the little guy wins and everybody goes home feeling inspired. I mean the version that feels true when you are standing in front of something bigger than yourself. Because with addiction, have you ever felt like David and Goliath? Have you ever felt like you were David? Small. Exposed. Tired.Human. Standing in front of something so mu

4 days ago4 min read

Chapter 6 ish: Rebooting… Please Stand By (Identity Still Loading)

So… after a long hiatus, and zero and I mean zero F’s to give, I’m back. I kept this website alive on a wing and a prayer. If it gets shut down, well you know, I'm a broke ass recovering addict. Did I learn anything after the relapse of summer 2024? Nope. Well… actually, yes. I learned this addiction doesn’t just drain your bank account it ravages your brain and completely rewires it.(I’ll post more neuro-spicy content later.) Did I learn anything after spring 2025? Yes. T

5 days ago2 min read

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