gambling

hi maxine, and welcome to the forum.

there are a number of people here who will be able to relate to your living in the arcades,and also relate to the buzz and thrill of the flashing lights of the fruitties.

while i played fruit machines, it was not usually in arcades, but have been known to spend hours and hours in them at various stages.

Its good that you recognise that you have a problem. It is also good that you have decided to do something about that problem.

Living in a town like scarborough cant be easy for you where there are wall to wall arcades, and i expect that each time you go out it will be difficult to avoid seeing them.

So, you feel that it is time for you to begin to do something about your addiction, and are looking for pointers to get you going.

Answer the questions i am about to ask you, and answer them honestly to your self. By doing so i hope that you will begin to see where you are in the great scheme of things, and that it will give you a sound base on which to build your recovery.

How bad do you want to stop?

How much work are you prepared to put in to getting on top of your addiction?

How serious do you view your problem?

Are you prepared to commit to yourself that you intent on turning things around for yourself?

Once you have given some thought to those, can i suggest that you contact the help line.

0845 6000 133

Talking to someone who understands,and cares can have a massive effect on our motivation to get on top of our addictions.

Also, read the forum. I think that you will find that there are many people here who are honestly sharing their story, and i hope that you will see that you are not alone in your addiction.

Post your thoughts also, seeing your thoughts written down has a releasing effect on you, and can help you to get in touch with your feelings.

Okkies, keep in touch and please let us know how things are for you

i just want to say you took the first step in logging into the site, i am not a professional, but i gained an insight into reading how other peoples lives have been affected with their gambling and have tried to take heart i am not alone, it must be very hard with all the arcades around, can you ask them to ban you, so your not tempted to go in, anyway, i wish you good luck and stay with the group, you will get there.

Hi Maxine, I too have a problem with fruit machines. It must be harder for you surrounded in the town centre.

I have been lucky I can avoid the town centre where the arcades are located, as once in there can never leave.

I am day 4 of not gambling and it is hard, but with the help of others on this site am trying to stay strong.

Start a recovery diary, it is therapy for you to look over past days and see how you are coping and where it could so easily go wrong again.

Read the other postings and you will see you are not alone.

I admit if I won the lottery and money wasnt a problem I dont know if I would be so strong!!!but as an average person on an average wage I have finally realised wasting all this money hasnt only affected my bank balance but the type of person I have become.

Moody when I lose, hyper when I win.But I used to be sensible person and my family came first, when I gamble they disappear from my thoughts.

As Carol-ann says, take each day as it comes. I know I use her saying a lot but she is so right to say every small victory leads to a major one.

Dont be afraid to put your feelings down, good or bad. This site helps you talk youself out of those negative thoughts. Hope you stay posting. Joy

Welcome Maxine,

How are you doing today?

Best Wishes,

Helen

Hi Helen I am also a new to this site I have gambled over 30 years I want and need to stop gambling