Hi all, this has took me a lot of courage to speak on here and i have tears in my eyes while writing this as i just want to be normal again, hence username, but here goes... i have known for the last 10 years that i am a gambler, to start with it was always just scratchcards with no harm just a bit of fun, i have only realised in the past year that i now have a problem. I have got to a point where if i dont win on a scratchcard then i have to buy more even though my head is screaming not to, and i then start buying the £10 and £5 ones thinking ill win on these ones as they are better odds... over the past couple of years i found out about the online slot games which too started off as fun, and i kept winning hundreds of pounds more than iv ever won on a scratchcard, it was then i got hooked and craved the feeling of winning, but now over 2 years i am about 4 grand down, this may not seem alot compared to what i have read on here, but its alot to me, and at the moment i am not in any debt but i know if this carries on i will be. The most i have stopped for is about a month then i always go back, no one knows about it i am miss perfect to everyone i dont drink or smoke and to everyone im the perfect housewife and mum..... I know where it has stemmed from its because i have an obsession with money, constantly trying to save and meet targets each month and then if i dont meet the targets i stress out and get worried about the future, because i have an ill partner who cant work and i am my sons carer i know that our future is unpredictable financially so this is why i,m constantly trying to save, and constantly worry, so i know why i do it i just really need help changing my mind set... Today is day 4 and i have tried to sign up with yet another online slot company but i was strong enough to self exclude myself from it before i have a bet which is one thing i have never done before, i am self excluded from at least 100 online slots now and have also banned myself from the lottery, theres just so many new ones coming up all the time its so annoying.... if anyones got any advice i would really appreciate it thank you xx
Hi dean thanks for your reply, and yeah I always think I'm gonna hit the jackpot which I once read there's more chance of having a heart attack than winning the jackpot! So it's ridiculous that we think like that but that's just what gamblers do its our mindset it's so hard to change it, I'm hoping someone is able to help me change my mind set on here, as I have been reading some great stories since I joined and hopefully someone has some advice for me....
Keep getting the urge to gamble on the slots, even thinking about going in a bookies on the slots something iv never done as I'm too embarrassed, but I have banned myself from every slot games online so contemplating it, just wish this urge would go, I keep thinking just one more time to get back on track then I'll be done for good!
hi love its a good time to quit before you finish up like me-i could have bought another house with the amount ive wasted over the past 20 years-dont sink any lower hun-i would hate to see you hit rock bottom-i came to the point of nearly losing everything-its an awful addiction-ive won thousands but lost much more not just financially but my self respect as well-stay with us hun we can do it x
Dean8008 wrote: Hi again yes I think they actually print off 300 million per series and there is 3 jackpots per series so the chances are 1 in 100 million which makes them the worst bet there is. I was talking in the chatroom yesterday and saying I've never met another person with a scratch card addiction I was beginning to think I was the only one lol. Best of luck on your journey. Dean
Yeah the scratch cards have been my longest addiction, 10 years ago I won ВЈ66 and that's where it all started, over the past few years I thought I could actually control the scratch card thing by just buying a couple of ВЈ2 ones and then it's not so bad, but soon realised that when I didn't win on them it made me depressed and moody so then I'd go and buy the more expensive ones like the ВЈ10 or ВЈ5 ones only to lose then buy more, iv spent £150 in just one hour in just one day on scratch cards and then been so moody and depressed with my family it's just not fair on them I'm so selfish!
Dean8008 wrote: I no the feeling I never really won much because I would just go and buy more and more winning was just a way of me staying in the chase
It's true, I sometimes think we do it because we like losing! Sounds strange but I think I may like the feeling of being upset and down I just do not know anymore, I stopped scratch cards for months but not the slots then I bought ВЈ5 scartch card one day and won £500!! I was ecstatic! I vowed then to never buy them again and treat my family to days out and stuff which I did but I only lasted 2 weeks before I started buying them again thinking I would actually win that amount again... never happened....
roxie wrote:
hi love its a good time to quit before you finish up like me-i could have bought another house with the amount ive wasted over the past 20 years-dont sink any lower hun-i would hate to see you hit rock bottom-i came to the point of nearly losing everything-its an awful addiction-ive won thousands but lost much more not just financially but my self respect as well-stay with us hun we can do it x
Thanks for your reply hun, and yeah it does kill your self respect I hate myself for what iv become, and I'm really one of the lucky ones that has realised this before I hit rock bottom and lose everything, well I hope so anyway... it's only day 4 so....
Dean8008 wrote: Best thing I did was pack those in. It's not like a normal addiction you can self exclude from websites and bookies but you can't self exclude from your local shop asda etc
Yeah that's so true, I even phones the lottery and asked if they would actually consider hiding them behind shutters like they do the cigarettes as it's just the same it's an addiction! And they rub them in your face there everywhere you turn! I can't help but eye them up looking for new ones that have been released for an excuse to buy one, I mean I can't avoid shops can i!...
justwant2benormal wrote: [quote=Dean8008]Best thing I did was pack those in. It's not like a normal addiction you can self exclude from websites and bookies but you can't self exclude from your local shop asda etc
Yeah that's so true, I even phones the lottery and asked if they would actually consider hiding them behind shutters like they do the cigarettes as it's just the same it's an addiction! And they rub them in your face there everywhere you turn! I can't help but eye them up looking for new ones that have been released for an excuse to buy one, I mean I can't avoid shops can i!...
How did you manage to stop buying them?
Dean8008 wrote: The first couple of days I was using shops that didn't sell them and now I just go in them and do my best not to make eye contact with them lol I'm growing more confident every day I just try to remember how I felt on the day I quit I was at my all time low
I try to avoid eye contact too lol... unfortunately for me I don't know a shop near me that doesn't sell them!.. I just have to keep telling myself that I won't just stop at one it will always lead to more....
Well it's day 5 today an it's been a very testing day regarding the scratchcards, as I went out Xmas shopping on my own (which is lethal) as I don't buy them if anyone's with me, I was in the supermarket and I was sooo close to using the scratch cards to the point where I was even queuing up and then I saw sense and walked away! I couldn't believe it! I actually walked away!
Dean8008 wrote: Well done it's tuff to walk away when there right there I no that feeling all to well well done on your day count. Dean
Thank you Dean and yeah it Sure is! i really don't know how I did it... really trying to get to the 21 days to break the habit that's my goal
Hi,
Well done and keep up the good work. Have you thought of calling the GC helpline? All support that you can get will help.
BW,
CW
Well today is day 6, i will admit it has been the hardest day today, i had spare time this morning and joined yet another online slot company, then just as i was just about to deposit i thought of everyone on here and that how i didnt want to be coming on here today saying that i had gambled and let everyone down including myself, so i went on their live chat and admitted to them i have a problem and that they need to ban me from there site and any other assoiated site they have...... so thank you all for you support, i am so glad i joined this site as now it makes me think twice x
And now i,m sat here with a bacon and egg sandwich (with a bit of brown sauce ;-)).. thinking how different my morning could have turned out! and smiling to myself feeling proud 🙂
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