Hello, I started playing online bingo about 4 years ago. It was just fun at first and id deposit, 5 pounds or ten pounds maybe once a week. then I discovered the side games.... I was doing a degree at the time and was really stressed with essays and one night I waited for my bursary to go in bank which was around 900 pounds and blew 800 of it on a stupid game! Even when I doubled my money o couldnt stop, just kept going or banking and reversing my winnings. Over the past few years ive got myself into so much debt...ive had periods of stopping, then started again, ive almost been evicted too. I have two children. I need to stop this, I just cant control myself. Ive joined a new bank and the plan is to matransfer all incomings to the new account and scratch off the cvc num on the back so I cant use it....i almost smashed the laptop up last night, had enough and feel so annoyed with myself.
Hi brownbear,
You're certainly not alone and here will find yourself surrounded by people who can relate, You've taken the first step and are heading the right way in getting help, i've been gambling for all of my adult life (20 years) and mainly on slots. i've been gamble free for 70 days now, something i never thought possible and i can honestly say it's mainly down to the help and support from this site. You've made the first major step, the difficult part comes next in sticking to it, keep strong and think of your children. If you have a partner then i would strongly advise coming clean (i almost lost my partner and two children doing this but certainly would have lost them if i hadnt), hand over all your finances and put blocks on your phone / pc /laptop what ever your use to gamble (k9 is a free and works but is password protected so you need somebody else to enter that for you so you dont remove it). Most of all you need to let go what has gone and not try to get it back, whats lost is exactly that.. lost
Best of luck, keep this feeling of regret and guilt inside remind yourself of it when you get tempted again.
Keep your head level, never forget you why you posted here today and contiue to post. it's a long road but we will get there.
Brad
Welcome to the forum Brownbear32
Well done on recognising the problem with your gambling, and for taking steps to overcome it.
If you would like to block yourself from accessing online gambling sites, there are a number of ways which you might want to consider.
You can install blocking software on your PC. We usually suggest gamblock (www.gamblock.com) or betfilter (www.betfilter.com). You can take a look at those online. They prevent your computer from accessing any gambling sites for the duration of the license, which is payable.
Some of our forum users have described additional ways they try to limit their freedom to gamble online, by arranging their finances in ways that slow down how quickly they can access their money, or limiting their ability to spend money online. You might read forum posts here where members talk about changing their bank account to remove the facility to spend online, instead using a basic cash card that allows you to withdraw cash on the high street.
Please feel welcome to talk things through with a GamCare adviser on 0808 8020 133 or on our netline. The advisers can provide emotional support and helpful information, as well as facilitate referrals to free counselling appointments if you’d like to access that service too.
Take care
Rachel.
Hello brownbear 32,
I'm new to the site to but my gambling problem began in my childhood already it just took ages before it was recognised by my family and friends and it took even longer before I've admitted to be an addicted gambler and even the money what I've put into slot machines over decades does hurt, and you can believe me it was a lot, it's not the real loss because it's replaceable but the real loss is the trust our beloved once have put into us and we just gambled it away and it takes a long time to earn this trust back but you've done the first and most imported step you have admitted and recognised that you can't get out of it without help of others and even it will be a long procedure it is the only way back into a livable life and I hope you have the strength to follow this way it's really worth it and don't put yourself down as loser when you have a fallback your way is hard and I wish you all the best on it. Wolfgang
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