So i'm a little new to this forum stuff but im Neil and im 28 and currently on the brink of breaking the £400 mark this week just gambling on slots and around £100 - £150 on scratchcards. I usually buy the odd scratchcard whenever i pop into my local shop but i automatically walk in now just to buy £10 scratchcards, i've also this week kept topping up my online account on *****. Whenever i lose, i automatically top my account up to try and claw back some of my lossses, but then end up more in trouble. This week i just haven't been able to stop, the buzz has really gotten to me and im on my phone or going to the shop all the time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, i decided to come here today before i end up spending more and been unable to pay my mortgage this month. Hopefully i can kick this now before its too late, i really dont want to be feeling this way or worrying about not being able to pay my mortgage. Thanks for taking the time to read my story
Hi neil999, you have just found the 5th emergency service...Welcome to recovery 🙂
Online & scratchcards is a vile combination & you need to figure out a way to break your gambling (Time-Money-Location, remove one & you cannot gamble) triangle to help you abstain. Hand over your finances to a loved one if possible, exclude from your accounts, get blocking software (K9 is free but there are others) & tell every shop you go in not to sell you the scratchies anymore.
Figuring out why you do it is another part of your journey but this is a progressive 'disease' & if you don't it is only going to get worse! There is lots of advice between these forum walls, GamCare offer counselling, there are GA meetings all over the place...You have to decide which tools will work best for you & throw yourself into recovery - ODAAT
Thanks in 1 hr of my last gamble ive blocked all sites with my partner, but its the scratchcard situation im more worried about. I can't just walk in to get a redbull without grabbing a £10 scratchcard, i would prefer just to get a drink and just a £1 one but i cant atm i need some kind of distraction not to enter the shop, if i cross the road there is a shop directly opposite which also sells scratchcards so im kinda sort on ideas what to do. I dont even need the redbull i just end up using that for a reason to go in i think.
Likely that is the case! There are a few people on here with a scratchcard addiction, Dean8008 springs to mind so may be having a look through his posts to see if you can pick up any tools. I've never used it & no idea how it works but I think he's in chat most nights so maybe worth getting involved in that?
Ultimately, recovery is about not wanting to gamble, the barriers only give us thinking time, it's what you do long term that will help you deal with this best. I'd be minded to do my own 'Wanted' style poster for them to keep behind the counter with your photo & 'If seen, do NOT serve this man scratchcards' type instructions! We cannot win because we cannot stop...For compulsive gamblers, there is no moderation so you have to let it go completely! It feels terrifying @ first but ultimately is unbelievably liberating!
Hi Neil - welcome to the forum and well done on realising you have a problem and want to address it. you will get lots of good advice from these forums Dean is a grand lad to take advice from and he is doing great in his recovery from the same addiction as you. Wishing you good luck in your recovery x
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