I have decided today is the day the day I give up for good. I need to take a step back and look at myself, my life revovles around gambling I work in the town centre so I have casinos, bookies and multiple arcardes on my door step, not only this I will watch gambling videos on youtube for hours and most of my friends are online gamblers that I have nerve met... I have a young family 2 kids and a girlfriend and of course no one knows how bad my gambling is...
I have always been a gambler since I was around 10-11 spending my dinner or paper round money on the 2p nudgers. like many others I have progressed and seen my stake get higher and higher as I get better jobs and more income.. I had a rough patch around 3 years ago where I nearly split up with my partner due to gambling I was loosing rent money and my half of the bills and just being an idoit, we pulled through and I was gamble free for a good year like nothing at all! I have no idea what started me again but I did, I started off small but about a year ago I started going hard mainly in the casino and bookies although if theres a way to loose money I will find it.
I am at the point now where I feel I can still turn things around If I Currently have 2 payday loans to the sum of £800 and a high interest credit card at about £600 so total debt of about £1500.. what bothers me the most is how much I have friterred away, I have seen the sum of around 100k pass through my account last year coming from someone who current earns 17k a year and it is sickening, for me when I win its deadly because I have money to loose.
hoping tomorrow will be my first gamble free day in a couple of years any advice is welcome!
Hi Swanseajac
Welcome to the forum, and thanks for sharing your story with all of us.
I think by posting on the forum, and also admitting to having gambling problem, you have taken the first step to recovery.
Gamcare and fellow forum members are ready to offer you their support to encourage you to stop gambling. Trying to stop gambling problem by yourself is not easy. Most people need professional help to do so. Thus know you’re not alone, and there’s hope for everyone who keep tries to observe the strategies for stopping gambling.
We’ll advise you on series of strategies to put in place to enable you to overcome your gambling problem. However,
it’s important that you adhere to such advice, so you’d be able to achieve your aim, right?
In the time being, would you like to contact our free phone Helpline on: 0808 8020 133 and speak one to one with one of advisers?
An adviser would be able to provide you with the appropriate support and strategies once they get to know a bit more about your gambling history. You can also request for some free counselling (if you feel that would help you to stop gambling), and nearest to where you live when you speak to one of our advisers.
Have you also thought about attending some GA meetings in your area to keep you busy, and also to distract you from gambling?
There’s so much we can do to help you, and to enable you to overcome your problematic gambling.
Meanwhile, keep reading from the forum as you get to learn more strategies from the stories there, and please keep posting too.
Best wishes,
Beatrice
Hello,
Beatrice above has given tons of useful information which should help. I think it's really important to get the practical blocks in place first. Get that blocking software if you do it online, self exclusion in Casinos, and even restrict finance as much as possible as we always find a way to sneak back into gambling. I've actually cut up my bank card so I now can only use a cash card which you cannot use online. Do I miss buying stuff online? A little. But I'm so in debt I can survive with this cash card for a while.
Plus there's the chatroom on here, GA, and counselling services. Tons to chose from to try and help you out as much as possible.
adam960 wrote:
Hello,
Beatrice above has given tons of useful information which should help. I think it's really important to get the practical blocks in place first. Get that blocking software if you do it online, self exclusion in Casinos, and even restrict finance as much as possible as we always find a way to sneak back into gambling. I've actually cut up my bank card so I now can only use a cash card which you cannot use online. Do I miss buying stuff online? A little. But I'm so in debt I can survive with this cash card for a while.
Plus there's the chatroom on here, GA, and counselling services. Tons to chose from to try and help you out as much as possible.
Thanks, the self exclusions have been put in place. I have also got a prepaid card which I have setup a £100 direct debit for things like lunch and fuel. I have given my partner my debit card with instructions to not give it to me under any circumstances! this should be the biggest help as not having the money redily available will stop me from temptation!
4 days Gamble Free now feels good taking each day as it comes! but never this is the longest in a year I havent gambled anything.
thanks for all the help and adivce
Hi Swanseajac
It sounds like you have already taken advice from numerous people and hopefully this is helpful ?? Your partner taking financial control will also help you but I must admit you have to WANT to stop gambling first before things will get better !! It's not going to be easy but if you put the effort in you reap the rewards as they say. I would get in touch with the gamcare helpline as the have a lot of advice and help ! Hope to here of positive thing and good luck !!!
All the Best
Darren
woodley3 wrote:
Hi Swanseajac
It sounds like you have already taken advice from numerous people and hopefully this is helpful ?? Your partner taking financial control will also help you but I must admit you have to WANT to stop gambling first before things will get better !! It's not going to be easy but if you put the effort in you reap the rewards as they say. I would get in touch with the gamcare helpline as the have a lot of advice and help ! Hope to here of positive thing and good luck !!!
All the Best
Darren
Thanks, Darren I have read a lot of good stuff on here and the advice given to me has really helped 6 days Gamble free now! the blocks and fact I dont have the fund to even think about gambling is working. I really WANT to stop now, not just for my sake but my familys sake.
Landed a new job recently and got all the confirmation through this week. it entails me going away for 6 weeks training so this is going to be a real test as I will need to be in control of my own finances, I am hoping I can channel all my energy into the new job instead of Gambling! Thanks again
Jack
Hi Jack
Firstly congratulations on the new job and yes you have every right to be concerned over your 6 weeks away for your new job, but if you have the right mindset you will get through your time away and if you feel like gambling just think of your family and what life would be like without them ! I can tell you life without your family is not nice at all as I well know. Keep doing the things you are doing and the days will turn into weeks and weeks into months.
All the Best
Darren
woodley3 wrote:
Hi Jack
Firstly congratulations on the new job and yes you have every right to be concerned over your 6 weeks away for your new job, but if you have the right mindset you will get through your time away and if you feel like gambling just think of your family and what life would be like without them ! I can tell you life without your family is not nice at all as I well know. Keep doing the things you are doing and the days will turn into weeks and weeks into months.
All the Best
Darren
Thanks Darren,
10 Days and still gamble free, a few urges however most of my blocks physically stop me from gambling. Feels so good to go for a walk on my lunch break than running to the casino or bookies! And you are completley right thinking about my family (kids in particular really helps)
Cheers,
Jack
Hi Jack
Congratulations on 10 days GF. Yeah if the blocks are in place and even when you get the urges just think of you family, especially the kids I just wish I had of done this rather than get caught out yet again !! Life does get better when we are not gambling albeit very slowly and very hard in the early days, keep up the good work and keep posting !
"It's good to talk and take it one day at a time"
Darren
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