Hi I am new here!

Hey Simon a warm welcome I am new here also, I have gambled approx 120K over the last 27 years and now well and truly on my way to recovery, you say you spent 25k on gambling, if you won that money you'd jump for joy, but if you'd saved that money you'd still feel amazing and would not have lost it all, or risked it all, get a jar start putting your savings in it bit by bit, and don't spend your gambling money for a month, after the month take the money out - look at it and think to yourself, that is exactly what the prize I was after would have been anyway, I have risked nothing, I have lost nothing. Take it from someone too old to have their life over, you are young enough to put things right, start today. Good luck, I hope that helps 🙂

Ye exactly like trizzybee says I’ve must gambled upwards of 100 k also even at 22 years of age through winnings etc . Even when we win we lose because our whole love is totally preoccupied by it , we don’t appreciate what the money can do. We always want more and more , I’m on day 2 myself , it’s gonna be tough and it feels like life is terrible now but keep thinking weeks months years down road , it will be worth it 

Hi Simon,

If you have a problem with gambling then even if you were able to control it or put it down for a small while, eventually it takes hold, hence your relapse and spiralling. 

You could put some basic blocks in place initially to make it harder to gamble. The best block for me is to not have any money. Deny yourself access by giving it over to your wife, partner, a parent or a best friend who you trust to not give you access whatever excuses you make.

This isn't forever. If you need money then make sure you get a receipt and are accountable for what you need money for.

Don't go into betting establishments. Now online that just means self excluding and having a ban on access to any gambling sites. Gamstop will help with the self exclusion. Gamban will help with the blocking of gambling pages.

Ideally pick up the phone to a Gamcare adviser and talk about what you are trying to achieve. My experience and advice is total abstinence from gambling and later on it's about bringing about a progressive character change to help keep relapses away.

Finally, don't worry about what others put regarding monetary losses. It's not a competition to see who's lost what, or if you think you're not as bad as someone else. There's always someone who's lost more and someone else who's lost less. However you feel doing what you did is the important thing and that's what the recovery program is about, bringing back the real happy you, not the unhappy with life you. Any money lost is lost. Accept this and don't try to chase it. 

Real finally, don't rush this. Take it one day at a time and just enjoy the peace of mind that each day not gambling brings you. Any questions ask away.

All the best.

Chris.