Daily Struggle

Hi Dazz and welcome to the forum :))

I was going to post earlier but work called :((

I don't think any of us can believe we end up as Compulsive Gamblers on here , it sort of crept up on me over many years , one day I seemed to have everything under control then all of a sudden I was chasing every losing bet and throwing money away as though I had a printing press in my back room ! .

Take some credit my friend in addmiting your addiction to the forum , it's a huge first step and honesty is what we all need to keep in mind when fighting this addiction , gambling loves all gthe secrecy we once gave it but get it out in the open and it scurrys away just like a frightened rat :))

We all use Gambling as some sort of distraction but what form that distraction takes is the only difference between any of us , I used it to block out things I didn't want to face and used the excuse for many years that I was doing it to better my family's life ( Yeah right ? ) .

The urges to gamble will come and go my friend and the first weeks can be a bit tricky at times but find something / anything to distract yourself with and they will pass , it's just like a craving or withdrawl as you would get with giving up smoking so you need to change routine in order to create anew gamble free life for yourself .

Maybe look at downloading some blocking software for the gambling sites ? Netnanny is one and Gamblock is another and they'll keep you alot safer especially in those early stages .

This is just aquick drop by to wish you well , if you need anymore advice from anyone then just post and someone will get back to you or you could alway's speak to gamcare also possibkly ask them about councilling if you feel the need ?.

You can do this Buddy but you just have to want to more than you want to place that next bet >

Stay safe and I'll talk to you soon :))

Alan

Hi Alan

Thank you for the reponse. I have taken steps to prevent myself gambling as in using the self exclude option the sites have. but during the worst periods i would just look for any sports betting app around just so i could place a bet.

Like you i was always chasing the loss to try and win back what i have lost but betting on any sport the is and basically just putting the money down a drain rather than putting it to use.

I didnt gamble to a point where i would sell items to make a few pounds or deliberately miss payments on the mortgage etc as i always put that first but whatever money i had left i would of spent it on gambling. Along with 9 credit card and a bank loan it started to get out of hand to a point where my wages would not cover the monthly repayments of these cards.

You could say i was desperate but i was too ashamed to admit it to anyone that i got myself in this situation in the first place. So i would always try and gamble my way out of it but in truth i was just digging myself a bigger hole. Like i said in my previous post it got to a point where i used my boss's business credit card to fund the addiction. But what is worse that he is actually my father in law so i am very lucky he understood why i did it and didnt just sack me on the spot.

I am not a bad person im just too proud to ask for help at the bad times and i try and resolve bad situations by myself but alot of the times the decisions i make are wrong.

It will be a long road to try and get myself on the right track again but as you said its the first step that needed taking in at least admitting that i have a problem. Its not an overnight fix but it just needs will power and determination to resist the urge

one day at a time