Hi, just a little about myself. I am a 25 year old male who just cannot stop gambling. It is literally all I can think about!!
I am not new to this site but this is my first post.
I have been through hell and back with gambling, and my life would be so much better if I hadn't ever started!!
I am on a very good income and have been since I left school, but gambling isn't about the money anymore. It is more of an escape from reality and my health, could my diagnosed OCD have something to do with the urges and not knowing when to stop??
I started off gambling properly when I was 18. And I hit rock bottom at agre 19, I went to a GamCare counselor for over 30 sessions but it literally did not make me want to stop.
I mostly play Online Casino games, however I have self excluded myself from all sites I have signed up to (About 20 in total). It doesn't help how I won £11,000 off a £20 free bet last month. My gambling has been worse since then. The buzz of winning that amount of money has made me hungry for more. I got drunk a few week ago and blew £800 on an online casino and I have lost £700 this week alone online. My family have just started trusting me again, how can I possibly tell them I can't pay my bills this month???
Any help or stories shared would be appreciated 🙂
Thanks
Hello BGBG90,
Welcome to the forum and well done for joining.
If you believe that your gambling may be linked with your OCD, then it would be good to discuss that with your GP. The NHS offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to treat problem gambling at the National Problem Gambling Clinic; perhaps it could be interesting for you to look into that some more.
It is good that you've self-excluded; you might also look at using blocking software and/or parental controls.
Informing your family about your current difficulty with gambling could increase the support available for your recovery. If your family need support too, you can invite them to call us on 0808 8020 133.
It seems like you're saying that even though you invested your time in therapy and you have been willing to use the forum, you're still very much struggling to increase your motivation for recovery, as your mind is repeatedly hijacked by gambling thoughts. This preoccupation with gambling is part of problem gambling and you aren't alone in experiencing these effects. Perhaps using the forum will help you to increasingly settle your mind on recovery thoughts.
Do feel welcome to start a recovery diary if you think that could help you maintain a regular engagement with the forum.
Take care,
Adam.
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