Am I Afraid of Being Happy? Gambling Addiction & Recovery

Forrest talks about his gambling addiction, why he keeps sabotaging his own happiness, and how shame, sarcasm, and grief have all played a part. He opens up about losing millions, taxes on gambling, chasing that casino feeling, and the weird ways he punishes himself instead of letting himself be happy. It's raw, funny, and packed with real talk about gambling, self-hatred, grief, sleep issues, meds like Ozempic, and what it actually feels like to try and build a life you don't want to escape from. 🎧 If you've ever blown up your own life, wrestled with gambling, or wondered why happiness feels uncomfortable, this episode might hit closer than you expect. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on addiction, recovery, mental health, and comedy. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 4:52 "Why am I gambling?" – starting to question the real reasons 5:30 Fear of happiness, comedy, and losing your edge if you feel good 6:52 Sarcasm as a form of anger & the old group session that stuck with him 8:12 Saving a guy as a marine biologist and hiding the commendation in the bathroom 10:16 Ozempic, naltrexone, and the idea of taking drugs to kill cravings 12:25 "Have I ever actually been happy?" – moments with his dog vs. constant self-punishment 20:48 Listener question: how much has he lost gambling in his life? 22:44 Millions won, millions lost & why that way of living is brutal on your body and brain 29:25 Why he always reads the crisis hotlines at the end of the show 33:35 Inviting emails, calls, and questions for future episodes 36:14 Outro