Addicted to scratch cards

Hi Mark

Well done for taking the first step in admitting the problem and the addiction plus coming on here and opening up. Don't bear yourself up, it's all part of the addiction but at least you have realised early enough to look for change

Have you spoken to the advisors on here ? Just click the button speak to someone and you can ring them or live chat by text

The other thing I would suggest is that there is an amazing chatroom on here at 8pm each night for an hour with people that can help you. It's a text chat so no camera in case you are put off by that 

Stuart

@lp5vut869c thank you Stuart, I will be joining the chat at 8pm, thank you, it's hard not to beat myself over it when I've seen in black and white the money I've wasted in the 12 months and the devastation its caused to my wife as she is my rock and ive hidden it for so long and she deserves better but the journey starts now

Hi Mark sorry to hear this i too was addicted to scratch cards and fruit machines at the start of my addiction then got addicted to fobts and casino i was addicted to scrach cards and lottery from 2006-2008/9 and i havent done either since however saying this i do notice scratch cards and lottery in shops for other form of gambling u have the option to put blocks in place however the only thing i would suggest is handing over finances limiting cash i do remember an incident when i kept buying scratch cards at a shop next to place i was employed at i spent £100+ luckly the shop keeper said he was going to inform my work i had to go back and i missed my lunch break thats the last memory i had funny enough i dont know if my addiction transented i havent had to urgue since so i have been fortunate in that sense has their no way to self exclude 

Great to meet you this evening mark and congratulations on the first step, I feel a lot of the emotions you'll be going through, having a similar start to our journey, I have a couple topics of you wanted to read one on this section and one on the recovery diaries section but if you need anyone just reply to this and I'll be around when I can 

@tazman thank you, the wife will now have full control of the finances now with my wages going directly into her account, its relief now she knows but I hate what I've done and how much money has been wasted and the devastation its caused

@fzu0cli1m6 

Hi Mark

There is support for her on here

⁰There is a chatroom in the week for friends and family for two hours. There is also gamanon and she can get.free counselling on here by taking to an advisor for gambling harm, so can you

Hi Mark

As a now ex partner of a compulsive gambler I find huge respect for anyone who can admit to this chaos and take accountability. Although you feel bad for wasting the money & rightly so. You should be so proud of yourself for not only recognising that a) its wrong and b) how you have impacted your wife. My gambler is in denial still now and he has been at it 18 years* with zero remorse. It takes a real man to accept he has faults and be willing to work on them. The fact youve stopped and realised this says alot about your morals and gives a strong chance of successful recovery. Id start by contacting gamcare for counselling to delve into why this all occured initially and for now I would recommend handing all cash/bank cards to your wife and going completely cold turkey on this scratch card issue. You have given me hope that gamblers can change and accept their wrong doings and as I say you should be so proud of yourself. I think this first step is the biggest and the hardest. Once you surrender things can only get better. Practice some self care, relaxing where possible and exercise if you can to increase your serotonin and dopamine. Well done for getting to this point mate 🙂 

Afternoon mark, not seen you around or heard from you for a while, hope your doing okay dude 

Jake's just reminded me that we haven't seen you. Are you doing ok ?