I Have been Gamble free for a Week now..1st 2 days were hard. Now the last 2 days I'm finding it difficult....I just really feel like putting a bet on. Last 2 days I've been on The website just Looking at Gambling odds. I Can't bet on Sky bet no longer I've banned myself for 5 years. Does it get Any easier !! I feel like a Drug Addict looking for a Fix
Hi there. It does get easier but you have to put a plan in place and really stick to it.
Self-exclusion is a great idea and one I've done myself as have others but you've got to ask yourself in these early days - what would putting a bet on achieve? You've made a start on your recovery journey - do you really want to start all over with the accompanying thoughts (possibly) of self-loathing etc? You may win - who knows but so what? Think about your mental health, relationships, self-worth etc and yes money if you've lost a lot.
A lot of people go to GA meetings and say it helps a lot. There are also other organisations such as SMART Recovery.
There is a helpline and online chat with Gamcare advisors here which helped me a lot when I made the decision to stop. I believe there is face-to-face counselling available also.
There are regular chatrooms on this website where people will know the score believe me. Also a recovery diary can help so you can follow your own progress and vent if you are struggling. There are many other things that can help which I hope other forum users will tell you about.
Like any addiction/compulsive behaviour it's not an easy problem to solve and potentially something we have to be aware of for life but that doesn't mean we CAN'T have a life as many people who use this site can testify.
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
