Hello everybody I hope your all doing well. I need some advice. I've been gamble free for nearly 900 days now but lately I've been having some urges. I've started betting amongst my friends only very minimal stakes but now I'm finding myself contemplating starting up a online account. My question is do you think it's possible for a recovering addict to just have a bit 0f fun and keep it reigned in or will it just lead me back to where I was before?
Hi matty that's the wrong way you're now facing hell, you need to be going towards reality. Betting with friends?
Hi Matty,
I think you know what the answer is going to be but its good that you came on here asking for it. For years I justififed my gambling as it was only football and horses which I had control over (or so I thought) and there was no way I was giving that up. But the reality dawned on me that all forms of gambling led me back to it going out of control.
You have done amazingly well going 900 days gamble free but now you want ot put it all at risk? Why? I know its probably a bit of fun and banter having the little bets with your mates but that needs to go also, thats what is sowing these seeds that its ok, you are back in control, but I gurantee it will lead you back to as you were before.
Hi Matty,
Congrats 900 days is really good. I think you know the answer if a little betting with friends is bringing back urges I sounds like a recipe for disaster.
As addicts we have a bias towards gambling its certainly played a huge part in my life and it's an everyday occurance to choose not to gambling. I had to accept that I couldn't gamble again if I want to create a better life for myself.
I truly believe that there's no one size fits all for recovery, so I think it's a question you need to ask yourself. Can you have 'fun' and control your urges? Is it worth it?
All the best!
Conradnose
Matty21,
thanks for the lesson to all of us, 900 days GF is something to be sooo proud of and yet you have a little 'fun bet' with friends and it highlights the grip of the addiction - you know by posting here that NO you will not be able to control it as fun, I'm sure the adrenlin rush would be immense - nothing to do with the sums it would all be about the mental pressure you'd put yourself under but you know that kettle would boil, it would start to spill over and then boom - I can see you writing this post:
Hi I'm Matty21, I'm a compuslive gambler, I'm back again, I previously went 900 days gamble free but then I relapsed. Then I won a decent sum, then I lost it, then I chased and lost again so here I am back again. I can do this, today is Day 1 GF.
Thanks for all your comments it's really appreciated and it pretty much confirms what I already no.
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