just want to be normal again

Well done for that. It's great you were able to find strength to exclude yourself. But what about blocking software to stop you even opening up a gambling website? I gambled on my phone. I have downloaded K9 but can't get it to work... I also need my family to change Internet provider settings to block these sites but my dad likes to use them for racing results so conscious I need to persuade them how important it is to my recovery. I am only 9 days from last bet.. Mind over matter can work but putting barriers in place better.. Keep strong.

Dell2u wrote: Well done for that. It's great you were able to find strength to exclude yourself. But what about blocking software to stop you even opening up a gambling website? I gambled on my phone. I have downloaded K9 but can't get it to work... I also need my family to change Internet provider settings to block these sites but my dad likes to use them for racing results so conscious I need to persuade them how important it is to my recovery. I am only 9 days from last bet.. Mind over matter can work but putting barriers in place better.. Keep strong.

Hi Dell2u, thanks for your reply and support... i only ever have blackberry mobile phones as i like them and to my convience they dont support the slot games so i couldnt possibly do any gambling on my phone even if i wanted to!... also i cannot download any software on our laptop as my family do not know of my addiction, i have a lot of reasons why i cannot tell my partner, but on the plus side we only have one laptop device in our household and my partner is normally on it in the day and my son is on it after school , so theres only an hour in a morning where i can possibly use it.... i am self excluded from every slots site that comes up on google ( apart from any new ones that get added)... so i think im in the best position i can be at the moment, also as iv got a scratchcard addiction too i cannot possibly avoid shops forever! and they are at every shop i go to!, but in these 6 days i have managed to go to the shops at least 4 times without buying any!.... well done on your 9 days... hopefully we will get to the 21 to break the habit as they say x

Day 7! 1 whole week! It has been so hard and today I have spent a lot of time around scratch cards as iv been Xmas shopping but resisted, so I am so proud of myself... I have also noticed a difference in money already! As I now have money left over after shopping! Where as I would spend every last penny after doing my shopping on scratch cards...

justwant2benormal wrote: Day 7! 1 whole week! It has been so hard and today I have spent a lot of time around scratch cards as iv been Xmas shopping but resisted, so I am so proud of myself... I have also noticed a difference in money already! As I now have money left over after shopping! Where as I would spend every last penny after doing my shopping on scratch cards...

Checking in on here everyday really helps too... iv noticed I'm feeling happier and chirpier too! Think that's as I'm not down about losing any money this week!

Hi justwant2benormal, thanx for dropping by 🙂

I have gone to write to you a few times but I hate dropping into a new member with just a rushed line!

WOW, what a week you have had eh? That was a well earned sandwich Wednesday morning 🙂 Those feelings of pride when you kick Mr Gamble in the face (even though we don't condone violence) are what makes you stronger & for me, being accountable on here was a fantastic deterrent too 🙂

The scratchcard thing has reared it's ugly head before & the only suggestion I could come up with was to take a letter with your photo into every shop you use asking them not to serve you!

I completely understand why you are so worried but gambling will make an uncertain financial future a certain one...You will be broke! It must be incredibly hard having to care for your boy & your partner being unable to work will no doubt put you under more strain so this addiction may be about an escape as much as anything else? Have you had a chat with an advisor? This is a very hard journey & as much as we all support you on here, sometimes a real voice or a person really makes the difference? Are there any close family members or friends you can confide in? Look @ me with all my questions (nosey cow)!

If you're planning on sticking around, it may well be worth getting yourself set up with a recovery diary. I don't know how much of my crazy thread you read or even whether very much of it is even gambling related as most of my ramblings are on other people's posts but they are a safe place to head to when you're fit to explode.

Anyway, enough from me, me, me, welcome to week 2! We cannot win because we cannot stop but when we stop, we win! Keep winning - ODAAT

Dean8008 wrote: Hi well done on your first week.

Thank you Dean how r u doing?

ODAAT wrote:

Hi justwant2benormal, thanx for dropping by 🙂

I have gone to write to you a few times but I hate dropping into a new member with just a rushed line!

WOW, what a week you have had eh? That was a well earned sandwich Wednesday morning 🙂 Those feelings of pride when you kick Mr Gamble in the face (even though we don't condone violence) are what makes you stronger & for me, being accountable on here was a fantastic deterrent too 🙂

The scratchcard thing has reared it's ugly head before & the only suggestion I could come up with was to take a letter with your photo into every shop you use asking them not to serve you!

I completely understand why you are so worried but gambling will make an uncertain financial future a certain one...You will be broke! It must be incredibly hard having to care for your boy & your partner being unable to work will no doubt put you under more strain so this addiction may be about an escape as much as anything else? Have you had a chat with an advisor? This is a very hard journey & as much as we all support you on here, sometimes a real voice or a person really makes the difference? Are there any close family members or friends you can confide in? Look @ me with all my questions (nosey cow)!

If you're planning on sticking around, it may well be worth getting yourself set up with a recovery diary. I don't know how much of my crazy thread you read or even whether very much of it is even gambling related as most of my ramblings are on other people's posts but they are a safe place to head to when you're fit to explode.

Anyway, enough from me, me, me, welcome to week 2! We cannot win because we cannot stop but when we stop, we win! Keep winning - ODAAT

Hi ODAAT, thank you for your support and advice... I have read quite a lot of your threads and I find them humorous and a breath of fresh air as u sound so down to earth and the kind of person I would have as a friend in real life that is! Lol ;-)... as for having any real life support I actually told my best friend of many years about my gambling about a month ago, she has been very supportive and someone to talk to about it, but to be honest she doesn't completely understand as we all know u can't fully understand unless your a gambler 🙁 ... I have told my local shops to not serve me scratch cards without going into detail to them but I think they got the jist! I find that talking and reading on here has helped me massively and don't think I would have got to day 8 without gamcare.. and yeah I have been checking in everyday that's what keeps me going! Just the sheer thought of checking in on here makes me think twice!.. and yeah the saying u can't win because u can't stop is very true, I feel I'm definitely winning at the moment ;-)... take care and keep posting your journey as u are an inspiration to me x

Well today is day 13! phewww!... i read somewhere on here that someone treated themselves after a week of no gambling well as i have now done 13 days! i thought i,d treat myself so iv been shopping and bought myself a lovely xmas jumper some xmas slippers and some xmas pj's, it feels so great to have the extra money to be able to do this without thinking i cant as iv just spent £100-£300 on gambling!... life feels good 🙂 x