Introducing

Hi

Glad you have realized that you have a problem whilst you still have your good job. I didnt lose my good jobs through gambling but handed my notice in on 3 good jobs each 1 earning less and less. Why because i wanted more time to gamble and either left early or came in late because i wanted my roulette fix. I now work 3 and half days a week on min wage and always had time to go bookies even in work time. Just think wat you could do with your wages every week treat urself and gf and have nearly every thing u want. But let me guess this only happens some weeks when you win. Im lucky my wife has a good job and now ive quit gambling hopefully i can fulfil my career again. Please think could you cope without the 3 things u mentioned money, gf, friends trust me you will lose defo one but eventually all 3. Its not worth it. Im speaking from experience

Hi Unstoppable14,

Welcome to the Forum, and thanks for posting here.

I’m glad you’ve finally managed to make the necessary move to do something about your gambling problem, and it’s unfortunate that you have to lose a heavy sum of money before waking up to the true fact that gambling problem makes you poorer; it can get out of control very easily. It takes away everything that you ever have, and you’ll have nothing to show for your hard work.

Gamcare is ready to help and support you in the form of advice on strategies to put in place to enable you to overcome your problematic gambling. We can even offer you 12 sessions of free counselling if you think that would help you to overcome your gambling problem.

At age 24 years, and earning a decent amount of salary (£50,000), you’ll have nothing to lose but, everything to gain by adhering to the advise we offer you. I suggest that you let go of all your losses now, and rather, to focus on your recovery, and to aim at a gamble free future. It’s doable, and you can do it too just like others in the forum had.

I like the idea that you’re thinking about using the forum as your focal point of distraction from your gambling; such idea has been useful to a lot of our forum members, and I’m certain it will also help you.

To encourage you more of things that you can do to distract you from your urges, I suggest that you register and join our live chat which runs between 8.00pm to 9.00pm everyday.

I’m also wondering if you can think of some form of activity/ hobby to replace your gambling time, and also to stop you from getting bored, and thus avoid a relapse.

I think it would be advisable to contact our free phone Helpline on: 0808 8020, and speak to one of our advisers about your gambling problem. Our services runs everyday from 8.00am to midnight.

I wish you well in your efforts to overcome your problematic gambling. Thanks again for your post, and pls. post as often as you can.

Kind regards,

Beatrice

Hi both,

Thanks very much for your replies. I'm sorry to hear of your experience Pinocchio but it's certainly something we can both learn from and for that I'm grateful. It's a good point to think about what id do without those 3 things and hopefully I can start now a road, albeit long one, to financial security.

I took a big step today and self excluded myself from all of the bookies around work. This is my main problem - gambling at lunchtime/after work mainly due to boredom and then to chase losses. I feel surprisingly really good about excluding - like a weight has been lifted. I've self excluded from every online casino I can think of as well.

It's only one day but as Chairman Mao said, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

Again thanks for your responses and I'm going to make a conscious effort to use this every evening.

Hopefully-stoppable

Like the Long Walk reference from the little red book. It took me a while but I'm on the road to recovery. For me the best thing that works is a focus in my brain of the feelings of self loathing that occur after a bad loss. You may be up for a while, for a few days even but in the end you can't stop. That's what marks us out. So keep the feelings of desperation and self loathing close to your consciousness and that might put you off!

There is a lot of practical and emotional advice on here. Read a lot of posts and take what chimes with you. Best wishes.

Thanks DownandOut. That feeling of self loathing and self pity is definitely something I want to avoid so keeping that in mind is a great tip.

I realise it's a long road that will take months so don't want to get ahead of myself but the thought of a more secure and mature future is a good motivator.

Sunday evening - weekend free from gambling and can add another day to the abstinence. Every little helps. About to face a long week at work and the thought that I'm now self-excluded from the bookies makes me feel great. Cuts off the source.

Hope everyone has had a good weekend. Keep going one day at a time and before we know it it'll be weeks and months free.