Hey guys, best not to share info on the forum even email addresses. If you email the advisors they can privately send your details to other users. Just in case any scammers etc are reading
Thanks @lou-x
It wasnt a personal email anyway and only one I created to get in touch with Paul as I'm very cyber aware, appreciate you looking out for me though and hope your doing well with your recovery!
Laura
If your happy maybe you can share your number.ber too and we can get some sort of support going on.
Only you know if and when you want to tell friends and familly, this forum has saved my life genuinely!
Out of curiosity, how do you know enough is enough when your gambling?
I'll have a think about the offer of support - it means a lot that you offered it but I'm just not sure...partially because I'm not sure whether the forum moderators allow it (maybe?) and partly because support from a safe distance has helped so far.
The friends and family thing is interesting. I'm the kind of person who EVERYONE comes to for help. I'm the person who helps everyone else with their problems, the person people come to for money advice, career advice, relationship advice. It almost feels like I've built up a persona where I'm supposed to be invincible...and I know that's naive, and not how life works, but for me, the idea of opening up to someone close and changing that would arguably be counter productive...the emotional turmoil it would cause me would be worse than gambling itself, in my mind (whether that's true or not is another thing).
My logical approach is that, when I've tried to stop before, I've managed it for long periods - but I've never taken it as seriously as this before. If I can do it without involving family and friends, I see that as a major plus. However, I can't see into the future: If it doesn't work, I 100% will tell people close to me, if it proves to be the difference between me staying away from gambling or not.
Your last question is a very good one. For me, it can just be a case of 'what time is it?' For example, there have been weeks when I've been up £200-£300 and, say I place a £35 bet on a Saturday lunchtime kick off. If I win, I'll have a bet on the 3pm game, the 5.30pm game, the 8pm game....then maybe some NBA at 10pm, a college basketball game at midnight and a boxing match at 2am (if I'm not tired and call it a night).
For me, it's more a way to pass the time on very boring days (and no doubt lockdown has played a huge part in that).
There have been a couple of occasions where my stakes have risen suddenly because I've lost a bet in what I saw as stupid circumstances (a last-minute goal, a team not scoring x number of goals when they really should have) and wanted to make something back.
In that circumstance, when I know its enough is when I lose, sit back and realise I've lost £200 in a day and that, for most people £200 is an awful lot of money...it's enough to make me think straight.
Thankfully, it has only happened twice, and I punished myself the second time it happened, last Wednesday, by taking £200 out of my investment account and putting it in my current account.
Hi Laura, I have emailed you. I hope all is well with you both ??
How are things going with you (and Laura too)?
Going good thank you... 5th day in i think and feeling positive and putting all the blockers i can into place so when I have an urge to gamble it goes away and life continues on the right path. I hope u have a bet free day tomorrow and 1 day at a time ??
I hope all is well with you guys! 🙂
Heyyy.... yes all good thank you. How's things for you? I made a small but crucial milestone today..7 days bet free.
Have u had a good gamble free week? Hope ur well
Heyyy.... yes all good thank you. How's things for you? I made a small but crucial milestone today..7 days bet free.
Have u had a good gamble free week? Hope ur well
Well done, my friend. First of many weeks down. The sky is the limit from here, you've done really well.
Yep, I've done eight days and feeling good. The forum is helping a great deal.
Argh brilliant well done... we both joined similar times then....well done on ur first week too. ✅ I do hope its the first of many and u have all them blockers in place.
Good luck..keep in touch
Argh brilliant well done... we both joined similar times then....well done on ur first week too. ✅ I do hope its the first of many and u have all them blockers in place.
Good luck..keep in touch
To be honest the only blocker I have is the one that prevents me from depositing from current account into betting sites.
I've said it elsewhere on this forum: The Gamstop block wouldn't work for me because, if I were in that irrational frame of mind, the blocks would make it worse...I would see it as an obstacle to overcome or a challenge. I want to heavily emphasise that it WOULD work for most people though.
It's always tricky when the weekend is coming up. I'm hoping I'll get til Monday all good - I am very confident - hope you are too!
Argh brilliant well done... we both joined similar times then....well done on ur first week too. ✅ I do hope its the first of many and u have all them blockers in place.
Good luck..keep in touch
To be honest the only blocker I have is the one that prevents me from depositing from current account into betting sites.
I've said it elsewhere on this forum: The Gamstop block wouldn't work for me because, if I were in that irrational frame of mind, the blocks would make it worse...I would see it as an obstacle to overcome or a challenge. I want to heavily emphasise that it WOULD work for most people though.
It's always tricky when the weekend is coming up. I'm hoping I'll get til Monday all good - I am very confident - hope you are too!
Fair play, yes you have to do whats right for you. You have got this and fully get what u mean by wkend is here with several kick offs... that was 1 of my triggers I guess as always wanted a free football bet but then if this loses i go on blackjack etc. Which is a dead loss but we don't c it this way. If you get an urge please drop a message on here and we can have a chat etc until the time passes. 1 day at a time mate we r in early stages BUT CAM DO THIS ????
Completely echo what Paul says greyville! I've not been back on the forum in a good wee bit as I've been really busy! Me and Paul are in touch everyday via WhatsApp though to support one another, if you do change your mind about exchanging details with us feel free to drop a message, I spoke with gamcare and they are happy to facilitate that between members ?.
I'm curious why you feel you would try get around gamcare blocks but don't try getting around your bank block - do you feel that mentally they blocks are different even though the ultimate goal for both of them is to prevent gambling? Or do you feel its more that your scared to commit to a block for a good period of time ie minimum 6 months compared to lifting a bank block in a few days? I think you should rethink the reasons for this to hold yourself accountable!
Glad your doing well keep strong and here's to another gamble free weekend guys - you've got this and you can do this ?
@greyville re your blocks, I was asked if I had Gamstop after a year off and I said no, I didn't need it, but it got me thinking what was the harm in another block, depsite not needing it? Yes you can find ways around it, but you have to be looking, and the whole point of a block isn't necessarily an iron clad foolproof deterrent, but it's something that you have to get around should the urge take you, and hopefuly in that time that it takes you to get around it, it gives you time to let the urge pass or call someone to let them know how you're feeling.
So I signed up to it, 5 years, and it's now another layer of protection just in case.
I would recommend anyone who is able to put as many blocks in place. Ultimately it's on you and I applaud the bank transaction block, that's great too.
I have this saying. Don't find an excuse not to do something, find a reason to do something.
The excuse is you can get around it anyway. The reason is it might stop that that one time you need it.
Just some food for thought for you and anyone else on the edge.
Chris.
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