Finally accepting my addiction

Hi there, welcome to the forum and thank you for reaching out to us. Please think about reaching out to our helpline which is open 24/7 to support you, and can offer advice around exclusion and support, the contact number is 0808 8020 133.

You can also reach out to National Debtline for advice on how to deal with debts. 

All the best and hope you find lots of support here at GamCare, you are not alone.

Ally, Forum Admin

Hiya

I remember doing that every day, well the first bit, for 44 years and finally did the second bit in November last year. There is plenty of support as per the thread above and I would strongly recommend talking to the advisors on here, phone or live chat, click button bottom right

I can only talk from my own experience and if you have time, I wrote a post, do you want to give up gambling in the new members section. It's a list of things that have worked for me

The most important thing for me was to create friction and remove access from gambling. 

If you haven't already self exclude with Gamstop

Again if you haven't you can install Gamban which is free via this site and will block all gambling on your devices including crypto and trading

Moses blocks physical betting shops

Sense blocks casinos

There are others for arcades and bingo halls

I have a Monzo account so my partner can access my banking app. Monzo charge for withdrawals and have no branches so that helps. I reduced my daily withdrawal limit and stopped gambling transactions

The game changer for me was coming to the chatrooms on here, text only no cameras especially the 8pm one 

Hi Vpaluru, I am a peer support worker, which means I have been through my own journey with gambling. Thank you so much for reaching out on the forum. I know this may have taken a lot of courage to do- so well done! The first step into recovery is acknowledgement- which you have now done, I'd say that is one of the hardest parts.

There is a range of support available to you through GamCare and the National Debtline, as Ally, the Forum Admin, explained in their reply. 

You've already opened that door of acknowledgement and taken a step in asking for support- this is fantastic, and I really hope you find the support available to you helpful. I  recommend calling the helpline; however, if this feels daunting currently, we hold a series of chatrooms throughout the day- you should be able to see the timetable for these on this website. This may be a good starting point for you if you don't feel entirely ready to speak to someone directly over the phone. The chatrooms provide a safe space for individuals to discuss their challenges, progress and everything in between. If you feel able to call the helpline- amazing! I wanted to mention the chatroom because I know how daunting and scary it can be to speak directly with someone in the early stages of seeking support. 

You've done a really big thing in seeking help after acknowledging that you are not in control and want to change. There is a range of support on offer here at GamCare, and I'd encourage you to keep using the Forum, exploring the options of calling the helpline or attending a chatroom. 

Take Care of yourself, you are not alone with this. 

Brooke (Peer Support Worker)

From my experience that first step is the hardest accepting you have an addiction and need the help is tough, I thought I could do it alone but that simply wasn't true this community has been my pillar and given me more support and  growth than I thought it would and I've made some great friends along the way, just remember one day at a time and use the resources on offer to help yourself 

You’ve got this! Accepting you need help is one of the big hurdles and now you’ve acknowledged that you’ll be on a positive road to recovery. 

Thank you everyone for your support and kind words. I got Gamban installed on my phone. I wish I had done it earlier and saved myself from financial ruin. It’s been 4 days since I have gambled. Need to start the long process of recovery and rebuild. I have been going through a lot on the forum  and trying to pick up all the important stuff to help me on my journey. The shame of talking about it is still there, hopefully I will cross that bridge as well soon 

I’ve just joined too after constantly loosing thousands of pounds not only of my own money but borrowed money. I am In ruins and there’s no way I can repay my debts in this lifetime. 

thanks for this post. I will create my own.