Hi all,
This is my first post!
About 2 years ago I was in the forces at the time and not having a great time (boredom, loneliness, depression, bad treatment etc) and I developed an extremely nasty gambling problem seemingly put of nowhere. It was approximately March 2020 (Lockdown) that I began problem gambling heavily and blew several thousand gambling before finally getting the help and stopping more or less completly!
Until now I've been gamble free (bar the odd lottery ticket etc,) I even managed to enjoy fruit machines again only Spending maybe £3-5 per session before leaving. Today I went into a Casino whilst on holiday and lost control in the roulette spending £90. I appreciate that my story isn't as severe as others I have read, but I recognise now that I DEFINETLY still have an issue with gambling. The money lost definetly isn't a issue to me, however I'm feeling a way that I havnt done since I last gambled, and it's scared me deeply. I struggled to walk away earlier, and for the next hour I was pacing and shaking etc and now it feels like I never made any progress with it and now I'm an addict again :/ Obviously I aim to knock this on the head asap, so I felt like joining this forum was the right thing to do! I look forward to meeting you all, hearing your stories and hopefully helping 1 or 2 people out!
-J
Hello @John117,
Welcome to the GamCare forum. I am glad you have joined and hope you find the support, advice and encouragement from other members to be helpful.
It sounds as though it has been a hard time for you recently with experiencing a lapse with gambling. This doesn't erase the progress you have made and you are taking a really good step by seeking support here. You might also like to access our online group chatroom (every day at 1pm and 8pm) to connect with other members.
You are also very welcome to speak one to one with an advisor on 0808 8020 133 or on Netline at any time who can discuss with you various options that can help. We are here 24 hours so there is always someone you can talk to.
Please keep posting; we are here for you.
Best wishes,
Sophie
Forum Admin
I hate to be that person but you aren’t gamble free if you do the lottery or play slots, despite them not being your “problem” type of gambling.
It is really difficult to move on if you leave doors open, so for example if you get it in your head that you can play slots you will convince yourself that you can now control roulette. A lot of people try and cut down which is great and if you are cutting down say so, but through experience any type of gambling opens up other types so it’s better to do nothing at all.
I wish you well on your journey and hope you get some useful advice from this forum. I’m only offering my own experiences when I told others and myself that I would cut down, when in reality I didn’t want to stop. It just got worse over time again.
It sounds like you potentially have caught it early, if that’s possible, so hopefully with a few blocks in place you should be able to live gamble free.
Good luck
Chris.
I think what Chris, above, is saying makes a lot of sense.
In the past I have felt maybe for a couple of months at a time that I didn't have a problem because I "had it under control". Then I would have a bit splurge again and try to convince myself it was just a bit of fun.
Looking back, a big issue was me keeping the door open. To equate it to other addictions, it would be like an alcoholic thinking they could still happily and healthily go to the pub every night of the week without being tempted back in. Or thinking a beer is okay because it isn't hard liquor.
It seems like you need to close that door fully. I am in the same boat. I know I can't continue to just skirt around the edges because invariably it results in a big splurge to chase that high, which more often than not never comes.
Hi Chris,
Thankyou for your kind words. I feel like what you are saying is correct in all honesty. Upon reflection, I feel like playing the lottery etc although small, is still in its true form gambling... And I probably kidded myself into thinking it isn't.
Ultimately, I'm going to have to stop gambling wholely in all forms to completly recover. Thanks for the advice!
I feel much better today having reflected upon what's happened and hearing the opinions of 1 or 2 people and I'm trying to turn the experiance into something positive!
-J
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
