is there any hope

Welcome ant82,

This is the place to come. I've been here nearly two weeks now and it's helping me a lot.

What I would say is get a block on the computer to stop you accessing gambling sites.

You can download K9 for free. Get a third party to set the password though and keep it a secret from you.

There are blocks you can pay for such as gamblock as well. Probably well worth the money if you've got the bug.

I've not gambled for 12 days now. I'm involved with the 2015 Challenge on this forum. That's helping me as well.

I betted horses, football and a bit of roulette online.The urges are beginning to subside greatly now. I've lost thousands over the years. I could "win" it but I'd end up giving it back and much more besides because no win is ever enough for the likes of us.

It feels good to have a small amount of money in the bank now after debts/bills are paid and to know that money is mine.

I'm happier and have a new found feeling of freedom and it's a good feeling.

I'm not getting complacent though it's very much one day at a time.

You do right to get counselling. Do not put your family life in jeopardy. Stay strong.

Others may post on here as well with some ideas for you.

All the Best.

Hello Ant,

Welcome to the forum. Yes, there is hope for everyone's recovery. Please read our Forum Users' stories of recovery so you can see some evidence that change is possible and that people can work a successful recovery.

Well done for obtaining counselling. GamCare provides free counselling appointments to help people to overcome their gambling problems, as clients in therapy tend to make more progress towards their goals compared to people with no support.

You mentioned that your partner is suffering with a lot of anger about what has happened, which is understandable; perhaps you could share our freephone 0808 8020 133 so she can have some emotional support too.

MrStop is right about the value of putting some blocks in place, like self-exclusion agreements, blocking filters, limited access to money and more transparency around your spending, perhaps your partner would like to have more control and oversight of your finances as a way to support your recovery.

About your debt, there are free debt advice services like the National Debtline 0808 808 4000, StepChange 0800 138 1111, PayPlan 0800 280 2816.

If you'd like to talk with a GamCare adviser about your recovery, you can call us from 8am to midnight on our freephone or Netline.

Take care,

Forum Admin

Hi Paul here , on day two of no to gambling !!!

You will find a lot of help and support on here ant , maybe start a daily diary and see how you get on

Yes absolutely you can do it! I to spent 20 plus years losing on the slots on and offline.

Make this day one of the rest of your life. Don't try to go it alone, get others involved in your recovery, family and/or others going through the same if not others such as people on this site.

Well day 2 of no to gambling. Thanks for the positive comments it helps. Just one question is it normal to get headaches and feel on edge.

Hi Ant, it will be on your mind constantly toying with the idea of gambling , chasing losses , getting annoyed at the thought of the losses , my first 10 days I was horrible to be around , certainly on the same level as to when I stopped smoking which is pretty c**P for my other half.

If you can ride the storm of the first few weeks , it does get better and you start to realise the things gambling took away from you.

I am on day 31 mainly thanks to this website so it can be done with help and determination , however you must feel the need to stop completely , it is the first time I have actually wanted to stop , the other times failed because I wasn't ready to say no.