Help me... Please

Hi Dippyd, welcome to the Forum and well done for posting what you have here,

Everyone one has a "tipping point" - a point where you cross the line from having a bad habit, to an entity which effects your whole life, financially, mentally and physically.

I gambled for twenty years, before stopping over five years ago; in that time, I lost around 350,000, two homes, two partners and everything I owned, more than once. I can't believe I was once that person, homeless, hungry, scouring the streets for coppers to buy some out of date bread rolls.

But it happens, and it happens to better people than me my friend. I joined this Forum seven years ago and I have seen Doctors, Lawyers, roadsweepers, young, old; it doesn't discriminate, this affliction can affect almost anyone.

You have to accept that this will always be the case my friend - you can't gamble, not even pennies in a penny arcade, because you can't guarantee how you will act or react on any given day; you have some control before you start, but absolutely none once you do, so focus all your energies on working your way through your urges (they are only ever temporary, they soon pass) and they will lessen considerably in time.

All the postive sensations and euphoria that you experience through gambling is based on a lie my friend, that you can stop at any point, walk away and spend what you win. You can't, and you will never be able to and that's ok - most people have one or more things in their life that they struggle to control, but you must accept it my friend, you must accept it or face living a life where your mind, health, private life, career and everything else will be compromised.

You have done very well by coming here, and you should be proud of yourself my friend - it takes a lot of people a lot longer to get to that stage. Jusge for yourself how much of a grip this has on you - if you stop, zero tolerance, you might find that you need either blocking software/self-exclusion, or being around others who understand at your local GA meeting.

Be strong, be positive - you have done the right thing, and now you need to take your life in a different direction. FInd the things in life that will give you genuine happiness and fulfilment, not the fake, false, self-destructive world of gambling; since stopping I write, do charity work, sing, go hiking and much more - push yourself into changing my friend.

JamesP

Hi dippyd,

Welcome to the forum, and well done for posting here about your gambling problem; very brave move and a positive step indeed.

By realising the degree of your gambling, and also accepting that you’ve got a gambling problem enables you to seek help, and it also makes it easier for you to get support and advice from both forum members and Gamcare advisers.

For you, it took a near miss of losing your home to accept the fact that you need help. Some haven’t been as lucky as you; they lost their homes before they woke up to the fact that they needed help.

By sharing your story here, you allow others to give you the necessary support and advice on your journey to recovery. I’ll also like to make you aware that there’s help here, that you can overcome your addiction gradually if you follow the advice and support you’re offered.

It’s doable; others have followed the advice and managed to overcome their gambling addiction, and you can do it too. There’s no need for you to suffer in silence or in isolation.

Perhaps you’ll like to think about Self Exclusion in case you gamble at the bookies or casinos, and also to go for an internet blocking software like Gamblock/ Betfilter to stop you from accessing gambling sites.

Maybe, you would like to call our Helpline on 0808 8020 133 to have a 1 to 1 chat with one of our specially trained advisers.

In addition, we can offer 12sessions of free counselling if you think that would help you to overcome your gambling addiction.

I wish you all the best in your journey to recovery.

Thanks again for posting here, and please do post as often as you can.

Kind regards,

Beatrice.

Hi James,

Thank you so much for writing, I have been on the streets before at 16-17 and 19-20 for different reason that don't include gambling. Ive had to struggle and beg before and I don't ever wanna go back there but physically the way I am I could well see that happening, I try to stop but each day becomes a drag and the depression hits and wham the slot are been hit and my bank account is drained. I try to save enough for the basic food needs and keep everything shhhh from my fella,if he new had down hmmm nearly 25k borrowed from someone it would not be the forever,

the problems just keep coming.

When I see the end, I always see the slots and a way to win back what I have lost but I cant. I see the 'VEGA' and just know its gonna spell 'VEGAS' it doesn't. I put more in to try again and nothing.

im glad to here your gamble free but sorry to here u lost so much

I wish shops and internet didn't made it so easy for the young and old to get catch up into this world of slots and betting

Beatrice

thank you so much for your advice, I certainly look into it