Had enough now

Hi wysiwyg, 

Sorry to hear that you are having a difficult time.  Please call the helpline on 0808 8020 133 which is open 24/7 if you would like to talk about your situation and get some information or support.

Best Wishes

Clare

Forum Admin

Hi mate

Know exactly how you feel. You are not alone. We're all in the same boat. I get a lot from this site, some of the stories are really inspirational and a reminder of how bad it can feel in the midst of a gambling spiral down. Register with GamStop asap mate. It's helped me massively. Get someone you trust to look after your money. My dad looks after mine. You can do it. You'll have slip ups but that's part of it. Try and learn and put things into place to reduce risk of relapse after every slip. Best of luck mate

Hi mate 

We’re all in it together, been there..... 

Get the barriers in place - I didn’t and you can guess how many time “never again”. Online blocks are vital for me, I still on lonely times pick up and go on a site! Thankfully the block works and I can’t bet!! This barrier allows you protection at times of weakness (and there will be them). Keep posting and at a point when your head has cleared Allan Carr book I find great to understand the addiction.

matt692

Hi guys,

im new to this I do live in uk for last 15 years and my last 10 years I gambled. Started at few coins at coral few good wins and I not even notice how I was pulled to this now I can’t take any money with me even if I go to shop to buy some food if i walk past bookies shop someone inside me says no do go there but just i can’t control this anymore ... I keep losing and wining but more losing obviously I came to point that I don’t know how to stop that. I can’t do this on my own I need help  advice . I keep loosing each month over 1000 pounds on slot machines and football betting .  
I guess I’m not alone here with stories like this just hope by talking to someone who does been there and understand that will help me.

thank you 

Hi Vitali,

Welcome to the Forum, you may get more personal support if you start a new thread. But I thought I’d respond here after reading your post as we don't want you to feel alone in this. (Apologies Wysiwyg, don’t mean to derail your thread)

We understand where you are coming from Vitali, many of our forum users have reported being drawn in after a good win, this is why we are really pleased you have come here today as there is a lot of support and advice that can help you break this cycle.

I am concerned that you are struggling not to enter a betting shop when you walk past. I would recommend self-excluding to remove this temptation.  You can exclude from all betting shops in a local area at the same time through MOSES, 0800 294 2060

However, there is a lot more support on offer and we would like to tailor this support to your needs, to enable us to do so I would recommend that you call one of our Advisers on our HelpLine 0808 8020 133 or our NetLine.

Please don’t feel alone in this, we are here to support you and look forward to your call

Kind regards

ChrisK

Forum Admin

Hi I am 106 days gamble free, don’t dwell on what you have lost, it’s gone that’s it.. look forward to your next pay plan what your gonna do now u don’t have the expense of gambling, it’s great and a tip download solitaire or other apps to fill the gaps even buy a colouring book and when u feel like u want a flutter just say to yourself just for today I won’t gamble .. goodluck u can do do this x

Hi guys. 

Being able to talk to someone about my problems is always something I have had trouble doing. Even with my partner. But this is a step in the right direction for me. I have partially explained my situation to her and we will sit and have a full discussion when we both have the time to. 

I have already taken the time to install the gamban software on my pc. I also took the time to go through the gamstop website and self exclude for 5 years.

Saturday was a new beginning. Temptation will always be there, but with the support of those around me and the help and support of you peeps on here I am sure that I will be able to get through this and come out a better person for it all. 

Hi

Thats sounds like you have made some positive steps in the past few days and admitting to yourself and others that you have a problem is the hardest step do well done for doing this. Hopefully this will allow you to draw a line in the sand and start moving forward, for a more positive and rewarding future. 

Keep coming back here to get as much support as you can. In the early days, getting lots of support is really important and it’s much easier to be open and honest on here then to people in our lives as we have all been there and no one is judging. All you will get is support and encouragement to help you along your journey. 

Lonely

Revisiting this again..

Back at square one. 

Despite having banned myself from all sites I have access through accounts that my partner has. 

I don't play all day like I have done in the past. But I still find myself spending money that could easily be spent elsewhere. It's not the hundreds I have blown in the past, £20-40 here and there, and I feel like c**P after doing so. But that soon all adds up. 

I've tried cold turkey. I've tried talking to people. But can't seem to get over that urge to want to play. I've tried playing the slots on just demo mode but all that does is fuel the excitement and the urges. I've tried finding hobbies to keep me occupied.

I just have no clue how to get away from the urges to want to gamble, to get away from the feeling of a winning bet landing (Which have been few and far between, same with the slot wins)

Back again, feeling empty..

I need to get away from gambling, but everywhere you look there are adverts for bookies, slots, bingo..

Bad choices made when I was younger have brought me here to this moment and I hate myself for it.

Back revisiting. Had a bad day. Despite keeping losses to a minimum of late, £10/20/30 max, This evening I got suckered in. Spending £150 that I could easily have spent elsewhere. I won't go short, not by a long stretch. But that gnawing feeling in my gut as well as feeling like an idiot won't leave. It's money I'd been saving for a rainy day (well part of it).. I just don't know how to stop myself. Now I have to face my partner in the morning and she knows what has been spent as it's through her account the payments come out of. Her gambling account that she plays on. She won't be mad though as she knows I work hard to pay bills, rent and food etc. I don't drink, go out or have any hobbies and only partake in a flutter on the slots or football.

It's those d**n slots, like crack C*****e. I wish I'd never gone into the arcade when I was younger. Wish that online slots weren't so addictive.

The one good thing to come from this thread I started almost 5 years ago is that I am debt free almost. What I do have is manageable debt from buying things I wanted/needed. No gambling related debts. 

I just wish I knew how to control these urges to play the slots!!

I want to stop for good this time.

I wish I never started gambling when I was 18, started with x2 small bets on a cricket match that turned into profit and I was hooked and viewed as a potential way to make money, even told brothers/dad when i did make money, over time bets increased.

Ofcourse I lost it all in the end and a bit more.  I would stop for about  3-4 months every year then go back to it.  I used to write my profit/loss on paper, it got bad and I eventually lost all the money I made, and as a symbol to myself i went in the back garden and burned the pages to say never again. (seems a bit silly)

Im 36 now, ive been on and off for years. I lost 1.5k last year and am at -200 now, I hate myself when I lose a bet and cant control losing.. I must win it back.. resulting in bigger losses. I have lost 1k in the last week.

Last thursday I played a football match with friends, placed a football bet before we started playing and I played in goal holding my phone hoping for the bet to win, when in reality i really enjoy playing but this time wasn't that interested.

I got to work the other day after winning and losing some bets the night before, went for break and checked some football scores and I lost control and placed a bet, spent the next hour watching my phone instead of working then when it lost feeling like walking out giving up because I cant control myself.  The next day i was bored and on a gambling site looking at football scores when my daughter walked by and said 'your on that everyday daddy'.

Ive got an addictive personality and get addicted to things if I enjoy them, diet really bad etc.  All I wanted to do is make some side-money to add to savings but thats nearly all gone.

I read this from someone else on here, its like living with a parasite attached to you having an addictive personality, im the only one from my family like this, x2 brothers and dad bet a little and have known thier limits or to stop because its a waste of time.

Has anyone seen any paul merson videos talking about compulsive gambling, talking about how betting companies harvest user data once signed up site and saying the companies know who the problem gamblers are and should do more..betting is so overwhelming that when you have lost everything its like a relief.  This is so true for me.

I agree with this but ultimately ive bet so its my fault.  Everything im reading on here is motivational to stop and it really helps.