Had enough now..

Hi and welcome , you have taken the first step on the journey of recovery. It's early days for me but already I feel the benefits both money and health in being gf for 26 days. You need to ensure you put up blocks self exclude, if you gamble online which is the only way I gambled you can download K9 free software . THis site is great for support and you realise your not alone but you have to want to give up. Break the chain , time money location and keep busy. THe urges will come but they will pass if you stay strong. Best wishes x

hi welcome great that you came and made this crucial first step.. hopefully its the end for us.. on the up now!

Thanks for the messages. Today I gambled £120 on roulette in coral;(.. I've decided enough is enough now. I've just told my parter I've been gambling again.. She currently isn't speaking to me. Really hoping she doesn't split up with me. I remember the first time I ever played the fobts. I put £20 inand left with £1100.. Then I lost it all 3 days later.. It has to stop. I'm 29 years old and I have nothing to show for it. I have a good job and work hard. I don't want this constant distraction in my life anymore

Right so you need to show your partner you mean it this time, give someone else control of your money, put in the blocks, break the cycle, time, money and location. CHange now whilst still young before your writing on here that you 50 years old and got nothing to show for it !

Feeling a lot better about things today. Feeling hopeful! I know I can be this horrible addiction.. Looking forward to my next pay day and being able to take my lovely partner out for dinner:) a difficult road ahead but I'm feeling positive. I know I can do this!!

Hi Jojo

Welcome to the forum. It is a serious matter and you will find all the help you need.

You will only be able to do this if you treat the addiction with the fear it deserves.

This does mean sitting down with everyone in your life and discussing it properly. You need to save your relationships or you would have nothing.

It is essential that you block as willpower and thinking of next paypay wont do it Im afraid. Once the blocks are in place and your girlfriend is monitoring and controlling your money, you wont worry whether its a payday or not. Its not about treating you like a baby....its about rescuing you as a person

Does that sound scary to you? I see so many posts where there is an introduction then you never hear from them again. This is mainly because they cant handle the thought of stopping and they think the advice is too heavy.

The reality of gambling is that it will destroy you and you seem a compulsive gambler. I wouldnt be with anyone that put that level of money into gambling...I would be off because I know how dangerous the addiction is. So you really need to focus on whats really important in your life.

With help and the right measures you will get a healthy mind again. I sound tough because I want to help you

Please keep talking about it and phone gamcare as many times as you like

Best wishes from everyone on the forum

Thanks for the stern words. I've been throwing myself in to my work the last 2 days. Im getting the horrible urges now 🙁 I have to keep strong.. I have more than just my money to loose if I do it.. I'm keeping strong!!

Hi glad your remaining gambling free but you have to close all the sites down and block them, will power alone will be hard. X

Hello Jojo87 and welcome to the forum.

You have said that your gamble is on ‘roulette in the bookies’ and as suggested by other forum users here it’s a good idea to block access gambling. You can self-exclude from your local betting shops by calling 0800 294 2060 please see the link for further information on self-exclusion. http://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-advice/what-can-you-do/self-exclusion#.VBwD4_ldXww

There is also other support available to you counselling is available free for up to 12 sessions for problem gambling and counselling services are across the UK. If you would like to know more about this you can call the helpline and speak with an advisor on 0808 2030 133 alternatively you can speak with an advisor on our net line

http://www.gamcare.org.uk/support-and-counselling/frontline-services/netline

Keep posting we are here to support you

Take care

Forum admin

Hi Jojo , sorry I'm a bit late welcoming you to the forum :))

I thought I'd just say hi and let you know tghat the Fobt machines in the bookies was always my thing too , I ha dmany years playing them and lost many thousands of pounds along the way , in fact what brought me here was one morning after winning or should I say borrowing £1200 from a fobt , by 2'oclock that afternoon I'd put it all back in at another bookiers plus nearly £ 500 on top trying to get back what I'd borrowed earlier ? , madness utter madness mate and only goes to show that it's no longer about the winning for us just the buzz and you really have to ask yourself how much is enough because even had I won £5k it would still have gone back in , it's not money anymore just gambling tokens to keep us in the cycle .

You will never beat those machines my friend , their designed to give you a little money back , a few near misses just to keep you pumping the money in ,then your thinking it's getting real close to paying out and you make another trip to the cashpoint , which luck would have it is right next to the bookies and pump even more of your hard earned cash in ,, then it's either another trip back outside or up to the counter to some staff member who doesn't care less , to ask them to put more credit on as you hand your card over .

If by some miracle you do manage to hit a maximum win and have £13 on a single number and take just shy of £500 out of the machine ask yourself " How much is £ 500 going to change my life " ? It's not life changing money mate is it ? and that's the stupidity of what all of us that played those machines dont stop to think about , I've not gambled for over 13 months now and can see now , what I couldn't all the time I played them .

It's not easy but if you want to you'll do it , just don't be scred of not having them in your life , let go and move on it's so worth it :))

All the best Alan

Thanks Alan. You've got me down to a tee there! I've been there so many times. Think my longest session on roulette must of been about 8 hours! 5 days clean and feeling good!! Still going through the urges right now but they will soon pass.. Pay day tomorrow.. Have to be strong

Suggest that you take steps to block your access to any money at risk of deposit.

Future gambling or not depends on the actions that you take now, ie whether or not you put barriers in place, whether or not you tell your family, whether or not you attend meetings and or counselling. Strength is all good but only works when it's focused in the right direction. It doesn't work in the face of a compulsion where you have kept full access to secret gambling.

BW,

CW

The blocks are in place. Was rather embarrassing going to the places and doing it mind. Still getting the urges but I'm so pleased with myself for going a week without gambling. Here's to gamble free life forever

Well done Jojo on your first week gamble free , I had the same embarrassment excluding from some of my old haunts when I did the same but the way I see it is embarrassed or Skint , your choice ? .

There's a national self exclusion line if you need it again where you can do it over the phone 0800 294 2060 :))