Hello,
My first post here. I nearly posted last week and started a diary then but something stopped me. I’m addicted to online blackjack, and poker. I “enjoyed” a bet with no problems for a while but over the last year or two, it’s got much worse and I’ve lost many thousands. It’s only been recently that I’ve realised how big a problem I have, and only been a few weeks since I’ve really been trying to give up and it’s harder than I thought!
I’ve been reading the forums, and it is reassuring that there are others with similar problems and it gives me inspiration that so many people have managed to give up for so long, when I can barely go by a day without gambling.
Nobody else knows about my gambling problem and I’m aware that I need support. I’ve had counselling in the past related to depression rather than gambling and am thinking of starting this up again or finding a support group. In the meantime, I’m intending to start a recovery diary and checking back here regularly.
I’ve already installed betfilter on my desktop and laptop, but unfortunately couldn’t find anything to stop me going to online casinos on my mobile. It’s so difficult when online gambling is so accessible and possible from anywhere.
This is right at the start of my recovery so I’ll start a diary in the next few days.
Anyway, thanks for listening. Good luck to everyone on the forum in beating this.
Andy.
Hi Andy,
Really well done on the steps you've taken so far, and I'm glad you're finding the forum to be a supportive place. It's comforting to know there are others out there in similar positions to yourself, and nice when you see that other people have been able to give up gambling.
I'm also glad you're considering getting back into counselling, which is usually what tends to help gamblers the most. As you're aware from past experiences, it's nice to have that support while you're trying to change things, and it can help you get some insight into any underlying reasons for your gambling, as well as help you work on ways to manage the urges better. We have partner agencies in many parts of the country that provide counselling at no cost that we could point you in the direction of; just get in touch with us on the Helpline or Netline if you'd like to chat more about that.
Gamblers Anonymous is also a good option if you're looking for a weekly support group, and might help you stay on track nicely. You can search for a meeting near you on their site: http://gamblersanonymous.org.uk/
Hope this helps, and thanks for your post!
Travis
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