I've woken this morning with unbelievable anxiety. its day one of moving forward without this habit. i'm nervous as to what the future might hold for me. i'm hoping my wife finds the strength to forgive me. i need my family more than ever.
Hiya ab80
One things for sure it will get easier I can't say how long it will take but it will and you should also look in to gamstop and gameban that will stop you from betting online if you get the urge plus you sound like you've got a family to fight for show them a life time off gamble free as that's what you all deserve plus remember your doing the right thing. Good luck my friend
Hey Ab80,
Kev gives some good advice as always. You are probably suffering from anxiety partly because gambling has taken up a significant portion of your life recently. You now wonder how you can fill (or if) that great big hole that used to be you gambling. In my experience a combination of using your time more productively helps take your mind off of the fact you are not gambling, in my case I have walked so much in the past 50 days I haven't gambled that I know all the countryside around me that I previously never knew existed and I've used some of the money I have saved by not giving it to the bookies to buy a fit-bit and count those miles! Also, at night I really believe in spending a couple of minutes evaluating the day you have had, and most importantly of all... congratulate yourself on a full day of keeping your hard earned cash in your bank account! It's so easy for us to fall into the category of pathetic victim or human...it's important to recognize your successes and a day without gambling is a huge success.
I am sorry you are going through a tough time at the moment, you are never alone . There is plenty of support available to you and well done for posting .
Please feel free to contact the GamCare Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or Netline to explore the additional support available to you. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if you would like to talk to one of the GamCare HelpLine advisers.
I would encourage you to make an appointment with your GP surrounding your anxiety and any other feelings you may be experiencing due to gambling.
All the best
Kirk
Forum Admin
I just want to come on to say it will get better, it won’t be easy but it will get better. I’ve gambled for the last ten years and it got progressively worse to the point I was in 27K worth of debt. The only thing that worked for me and has made sure I am Over 200 days gamble free is gamban .. I tried gamstop which stops you signing up on websites using your details but eventually I just used my husbands details whereas gamban is a blocker on your phone that stops you loading any website to do with gambling. Although this only helped me because all my gambling was online slots and I know this isn’t the case for everyone. I eventually plucked up the courage at the start of this year to tell my husband and my dad which was really hard. I’m here to say There is hope.
Hi AB80 abd Welcome to the forum..
Every addict needs to face the truth in order to recover from the addiction. Unfortunately with gambling it is the look on our loved ones faces and an empty hole in the bank account. Every bad addiction needs a reality check and you must face it to do the cold turkey
When I accessed my first gambling machine I was a confused, shy anxious and skinny teenager. I was bored, lonely, jaded and highly depressed with life. The machine shouted play me and there was a game a bit like snakes and ladders on it. It was the biggest high I had felt in a long long time and I was hooked very quickly if not immediately.
It was my drug of escape during that short holiday and the start of a forty year addiction. The truth is that a box of flashing lights and gaudy graphics made me feel totally alive...pathetic really but I did not understand the sheer power of the hook
These are the other truths. I had to face who I had always been to some extent. I realise with an adult head that I had been a depressed youngster with very low self esteem and this carried with me throughout my life. Only in more recent years have I been more comfortable in my own skin but by that time my gambling addiction was extremely bad.
Recovery is a journey of learning that gambling was never the answer to what we were really seeking. Its a horrible insidious addiction pushed upon us. The hook is the hole in our souls looking for a quick and easy fix...well escape from reality really just like any powerful drug
There is no shame in admitting to a problem. The right help and blocks buys the mind vital time to heal. However you can never be complacent again
I hope your family do come to understand this devastating addiction. Secrets were no good for you anyway as a gambling addiction loves secrets.
Best wishes from everyone on the forum
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