FOBT problem

Great decision today 🙂

Squirrel that cash away & leave all of your cards behind when you go on Sunday...Mr Gamble is relentless & I can almost hear him planning the sweet nothings he's gonna whisper in your ear about 'one last time' & how it will be different, he promises! He's a bloody liar!

Any bloke that treats himself with 'some new tools' has to be up for a bit of Mickey taking from his mates 😉 I really think you will feel a weight lifting off of your shoulders come Sunday!

Keep @ it - ODAAT

I am going in Sunday with little more than a bag full of poor excuses, I'm sure the machines will whistle over for me but I'm straight to the counter. I'm not going to lie, I'm completely dreading it, I can think of a million and one things I would rather do.....but pump another fist full of notes of notes into the machine ain't one of them, fact is I have to do it if I'm going to stick to it, in too deep to throw it all away now.......I always expect a bit of mickey taking to be fair, part of me wants it to be the most horrific experience of my life, but however it goes, I know that when I shut that door on my way out I'm never going back into that store, or any........tonight I would normally play online poker if I'm not out, but instead I'm sticking on here......I hope this gets easier in time!!!!!

You are doing the right thing and it won't be as bad as you think. You have done really well to get to this point so be strong and follow it through (and that's from a Saints fan:))

Haha many thanks Down and out, this is one battle I'm willing to even stand shoulder to shoulder with you mate lol, this is the furthest I have ever taken battling this addiction. The options counsellor that I saw on Tuesday are unfortunately fully booked for the next few weeks so I can't start regular sessions until the end of March, so I am relying purely on this site and just taking one day at a time, I don't want to use this as a excuse to prolong stopping!! I have tried to stop so so many times and failed, always on my own, I have been in debt for many many years so finances are not my main reason for stopping, I am pathetically used to working my b*****s off to give it all away in minutes, I have just felt bankrupt of everything important to me recently, personality and time with my family! and it's just got to the point now where I want to stand up and be counted. I am 100% committed to getting in top of this now........another day chalked off.

It's good to hear you say that pompeyguy. I know that I really dont care about where the money went or where its coming from, I just wanted my husband back and i love having him back as part of the family, i want him to stay.

To have the gambling eating away at his personality like that was heartbreaking to watch. I am so proud of him for the progress he has made. GA have been great for him, he feels like part of a team there, Portsmouth GA might be worth a go, might atleast keep your brain busy until the counselling starts?

Mate, this site & a huge helping of determination will see you through til they can offer you the counselling! I tried every day, for years, to do it on my own to no avail, since finding this & other similar sites I have not looked back!

Didn't realise you dabbled online too...Probably an idea to get a blocker for that too! This addiction will try anything to keep us, especially shifting our focus from one poison to another!

Keep strong - ODAAT

Today was a very very tough day, Saturdays always are with all the football, as the world and his wife have bets on on site, I managed to keep myself busy all day, then on the way home at 3pm my mate (we work in pairs) directly asked me if we could pop to the bookies.....I said that I had to be home and out ASAP so couldn't.....I know I'm going to have to tell people soon, I just want this exclusion in place first.......so whilst I was feeling a bit low I popped into the bookies on the way home, a different one in the area but the same company, I left my wallet in my van and took a f****g deep breath and went in and just asked if i could self exclude, luckily I'm 6ft 4 and quite imposing so didn't draw too many glances, unfortunately I have to have my passport photos on me and they wouldn't allow me to take a form away, I must admit that hurt a bit and has dented me a bit, but I'm still amazed I went in and even asked, I'm feeling good, worn out mentally but that was a tough day and I got through it, tomorrow I will have them photos!!!! Thus site is proving a massive help, and in total truth the responses urged me to push on today. Thanks.

Good man. The main thing is you didn't put whatever you earned today into the FOBT. It is not easy at the weekends but you are doing well. Keep going big fella!

FFS, sorry I gave you a b*m steer mate 🙁 I am not 6'4" & am very prone to tears so I'm guessing they felt more sorry for me when they let me do this! Hat off to you giving it a shot today & although it threw you, you should feel very proud of you right now, not just for that but also for turning down the request from your mate...Nice one 🙂

Stay strong - ODAAT

It's okay I won't hold you responsible for mis-information....I have all the cursing out my system now 😉 , I didn't want to hang around so took it as red I needed photos, to be honest I kept it light, I tried to just play it cool (just like Del Boy when he fell through the raised bar hatch) and said I would return with the photos, which I will, luckily they send copies to all the local ones ( I mainly use c****s, but may go get 4 more passport photos and make an evening of it doing all 3 companies in the area, tour, just have one amazingly horrific evening) I know that I only have to do it once (again) and Will aim to do it half hour before they shut tomorrow night......that way they will all want it done as quickly as me!!! I must do this, I have too, this is my biggest obstacle...if there's any problems tomorrow I will try the tears 🙂 .....I know that I will have urges again soon so need to do this while my head is so focused, so that when I have off days I know that the option just isn't there, thank you all so so much for your support and help, speaking to people who have been/are going through exactly the same makes me feel more positive, and not so weak and downbeat about it all.

Nothing changes if nothing changes!!!!

Best of luck with the self excluding. I hope you manage to get into all three of the local bookies and self exclude. I can feel your determination and once this is done you'll feel loads better and more in control. I'd also follow it up with online blocking software too just to eliminate any possibility of getting sucked into online gambling instead. I recommend K9 blocker but you need to get someone else to set the password.

Boxingday1

Keeping my fingers crossed it all went to plan this evening & you didn't need to resort to the water works!

Hi mate, did you manage it on Sunday? If not don't be hard on yourself, it's not easy. Don't give u trying. Best wishes.

Hi everyone,

I have been so busy in truth so have not had the chance to sit down and get on here to post, Sunday was a manic day, unfortunately someone was attempting to jump off the m3 bridge ( I hope they were talked round, never nice) so the motorway was backed up and with the M25 on the way home being its usual self did not arrive home until 8.30pm and just didn't want to go and do it to be honest, I was feeling low so thought I would just hit the sack after a heavy weekend on the mind.

Today was a much much better day, I have been in to one store, not a company that I regularly use to be honest but I thought as I was near it I would just cancel it out......as I did not know any of the punters or staff I actually told a white lie and said I was new to the area and would like to self exclude etc etc.....they were all very helpful to be honest, didn't make me feel like the wheel spinning maniac of late that I was, I must admit I felt a bit of a donut.....but it's done, it's done and that's one chain of bookmakers that I can never enter again, so I am feeling positive, I have a wallet full of photos and will go to another tomorrow if I manage to get away from work in time, I am growing in confidence, day 8 without a gamble, I won't lie it is on my mind a lot I hope this eases, but my positivity still we'll outweighs my bad thoughts.

i thought about the k9 software that you guys mentioned, I'll be honest I am not the most computer savvy (unless it comes to placing bets) so I have a friend who is one friend who has openly told me he thinks I have a problem, he has told me for years and never took any joy at all in my winning or losing streaks, he was always one to tell me what a wate of time and money it all was......so I texted him and was totally honest (I have not even told my wife about my counselling session or being on here/self excluding yet, I want to be in a good place myself first) I told him all about my turning point and that I wanted to do something about it, he was really good about it, he was around in ten minutes and installed it all for me and set a password, he has told me he will keep my secret but that I shouldn't be ashamed in any of it, that in time I will come to tell everyone what they already know and they will support me.

i have one problem I could do with a bit of advise on, I am off on holiday this Sunday for a week, with workmates and family, (only to Spain for a low key wedding, gambling won't be a problem at all) but I have one particular mate, my best mate, who is completely addicted to gambling, like myself, he gambles everyday, on his phone, in store, in casino's etc etc etc, it is just in our work culture but it has really gripped us both, he can tell I have not been gambling and knows I have been making excuses, he asked me outright today what the problem was, if I had had a big loss (we tell each other everything on that front, only time we both tell the truth is to each other) I told him I was struggling for spending money on holiday and had to keep,my head down, I think this will work until Sunday but after it won't cut it, I will have to be clean, my problem is......I genuinely don't think he can quit, nor truly wants too, so I am gig to have to explain why I did it without him, any suggestions........

this is like dear bloody Deirdre, apologies!!!!!