Came across this website & reading some of the stories has been a real eye opener for me & made me even more determined to quit gambling for good
I used to just gamble small amounts on football & the odd bet on horse racing maybe Cheltenham or the Grand National but nothing much as I'd always been pretty sensible with money
My problems started with internet gambling, been a cycle of regular losses & ridicolus chases since over the years, you lose touch with reality just entering amounts into a computer, not like handing over actual cash
The feeling after heavy losses is such despair having to face people at work when your mind is on stupid losses, but the mind just seens to regroup & you do it again & end up in the same position
I've lost idiotic sums over the years as I suppose most of us have but this time I am determined to beat it once & for all
Thankfully I am not in debt & still have a reasonable amount of savings, obviously won't have if do any more gambling, you cannot win & once you do you just carry on & the cyle continues, my most recent betting was on online blackjack games losing daft amounts of money, ridicolous really but once they get you addicted you have no control of what you are doing
I've self excluded from the only account I had & determined to move on from this, will ensure there is no money & in my current account & avoid carrying my bank card around in case tempted to open new accounts, never going to see the money I've lost again so no point even trying
I know talk is easy but just writing on here has made me feel better, I'm a very private person & have kept this from everyone, I have got myself into this mess I'll get myself out of it
I'm only at day 9 nine but I never want to face the lows again of losses, I'm 43 by the way
Good luck to everyone trying to beat this horrible illness, it's not easy but we can do it, life without gambling has to better than life with it
I'll update on how things are going
Regards
Rich
Hello Rich2016
Welcome to the forum.
Well done for posting and taking the positive step of self-excluding. If the problem is predominately internet gambling then looking at downloading blocking software could be a big help.
It is so easy to lose huge amounts quickly. You've done well to get out with any savings - something I didn't manage. Try to protect yourself and your money from gambling.
Plenty to help you here. This is a safe place full of people who understand and want to help you. There's a chatroom, challenge thread, free counselling, a helpline and netline. Reading other people's stories will give you plenty of inspiration and ideas that you can apply to help you with your own battle.
Congratulations on hitting the double figures today.
Look forward to the next update.
Best wishes
Glint
Hi Mate,
Good luck! Come on here if you are ever tempted or need some support.
The days add up fast!
thanks for the messages of support really appreciate it, determined to put this behind me, I've finally realised the only winners in this game are the bookies albeit years too late, I've stopped before for decent periods but think that was more of a regrouping process this time I want it to be for good
Well done rich,I know exactly what you mean about "stopping" before. I've had many a false dawn but after my last relapse I had a eureka type moment,the penny finally dropped. If I'm being honest I either just cut down or went away licked my wounds and sulked. I guess I just had a moment of clarity in amongst it all and thought to myself what are you doing? Over time the bookies and casinos always win,you only get a loan from them which ultimately you repay with extra. I've wasted enough time and energy chasing the mythical big win etc and it sounds like you have as well. Your doing well and will reap the benefits financially and mentally in the long term but that's the key word here "long term" keep those blocks in place and don't get complacent. I wish you well on your recovery 🙂
thanks, yes exactly when you win you want more & they get it back, many times I'd start a betting session with the intention of say winning £200 get there easy enough but then rather than withdrawing it carrying on betting then losing that & more & that's when you lose control & the chasing starts
To be honest on the last day I gambled I was glad my final bets lost just didn't want any more of it, it's stupid but it spares nobody once it gets a grip of you
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.
