Hey there, just thought I would introduce myself to the forums.
My names Jason and I'm 26, I joined gamcare In 2011 due to realising I was addicted to gambling after putting myself 3k in debt and finding myself unable to stop despite wanting too.
I only posted the 1 message and left gamcare. After leaving that post I spent the next few years gambling, plunging deeper and deeper into gambling addiction and debt which became a depressing dark secret obsession of mine which ruled my life well and truely, I wasnt in control despite desperatly wanting to be and I thought it would end once I had finally lost everything, house, job, life.
HOWEVER, I managed to stop gambling over a year ago after damages of near enough 15k debt (I'm very fortunate to have a manageable debt compared to some people due to gambling for atleast 3 years almost non stop, it could have been much much worse)
i haven't gambled now for well over a year. I learned about true addiction, true addiction and what it means and how it controls us.
educating myself on addiction and treating it as a C*****e addict would treat drug addiction truely was my only way out. Wishing I could stop and punishing myself mentally diddnt work and never would have.
it wasnt easy, and it was a constant mind game with myself to manage to take control of my addiction at first. But I did it, and 1 year later and i really can see it now. My way out, a life without gambling and being normal again. it exists and it's wonderful.
Am I off the hook completely? Probably not and maybe never? I have to still remain vigilant and I still get very fond memories of gambling which ask me to return (the mind playing tricks on me) but when I get these urges, im the one in control now, and I get to decide to say no, and when I do say no, the urge is forgotten about and I can carry on living life how I want too. And that's the best feeling ever. no guilt, no panic, no shame and no hiding! Just freedom to live life as I want too.
so that's me, I have joined gamcare again to hopefully help you guys if I can.
2 years ago i never thought I would be able to stop gambling, I thought it more likely that I would gamble my house and life away than ever manage to stop, but here I am, a gambler who does not gamble and does not want too! It is possible and I hope I can help people see there's a way out.
and so with than I will end the post and I look forward to hopefully meeting some of you guys shortly 🙂
Thanks, Jason
Hi Jason
well done for a year gamble free, but me and every other person on here have also cracked it in the past, by cracked it I mean become complacent so be careful.
stay strong
ste26
Hi Jason,
Firstly thanks for sharing!
Its great to hear such a positive story. I thinks its very important to get to the stage where you accept that you could never win as you could never stop. The losses are gone and you just have to think about the future.
Myself... well im pleases to say after 18 years of being a gambler im 176 days 'clean'.
For you to turn your life around without the support of gamcare sounds like even more if an achievement.
Keep doing what youre doing!!
Mark
Thank you guys, and well done sonic boom!' That's a great achievment!
I agree with what you say about accepting that you could never win because you could never stop, as that it the case with all gambling addiction. A gambler plays to win even when they have already lost.
I follow the law of addiction now, and i take it very seriously. that is that if I ever place one more bet at any time ever, then I may aswell just take a loan out for another 15k because I would become just as addicted as I was 2 years ago with no chance of fighting the addiction any better than I did back then.
The only way I can keep enjoying my freedom is to never place another bet, period. Or else my positive message above is for nothing and my happiness now is sabotaged
i know this and i am happy to keep this rule close to my heart and mind at all times. 🙂
Yes jason it's such an important rule as we here if so many relapses even after years of being gamble free. I have relapsed many times - now only on day 6 but you are a great role model that this can be overcome for good. Please keep supporting us all when you can and we'll done, good luck
J
Great story, well done mate, inspirational reading that.
Would love to see were I am myself in a year's time
Trueman in a years time you will be able to post a post just like mine and help others who are in your shoes right now
and P.s it's a bloody great feeling I look forward to you joining me here.
Thanku for posting. It's not just the success of stopping for so long but your total change in mind set. I began gambling again after almost two years and ended up back here. But this time I have recognised my trigger, iv changed my life and I recognise how to control the urges for what they are. Fantastic post and thankyou for sharing x
2018 and still going strong!
Hello guys! This is a very old post! 2015 bloody hell!
I totally forgot about gamcare but just wanted to update you guy
I am very very happy to say that I have still not gambled since I wrote this post and to anybody reading this now, it is possible to live a life without gambling!
Keep up the good fight, jason
P.s my username is different here but this is my post from 2015 🙂
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