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Cheers vulture . Yeah I'm. Struggling e*e . Nice to know people like you are about

Addiction is a complex thing which I am only starting to understand . What you are doing right now is going cold turkey . There is no other way to do it . You can’t just scale it down once you have crossed that invisible line . Some people with smoking may quit by cutting down from 20 cigarettes to 10 then 5 then 1 then 0. Unfortunately with gambling it is not possible . As it’s a progressive illness you only increase the dosage to feel the same high not bet lower stakes . I guarantee your life will be better although it is a struggle now . Take the Pepsi challenge . Give this a real go for 3 months . If you are not happier then the door is open to go back to misery . I know I’m not going back there

I have been stopped for nearly 4 weeks . Every day I log onto this website and tonight I went on you tube and found this . Perhaps watching this could help . I found it very useful as to how bad it can be and how quick it can affect people

https://youtu.be/7AN3VLLlkdI

Great watch that mate .

Didn't gamble yesterday ,Saturday, even though was in town surrounded by bookies . Same goes for today, determined to not slip up.

Progress . You need to self exclude yourself from any possible place you can then your brain won’t try to convince you to go there . I see you are using this forum and looking at other stories which is great . Keep going !!

I know what you're saying mate but it'd be virtually impossible to exclude from everywhere where I live . There is so many . I feel stronger this time and have put a few new things in place to help me which I didn't before. I'm going to be perfectly honest on here about whether or not I gamble , no point been on it if I'm going to lie really .

Just think a little about what you said . There are too many bookies . That to me is you leaving a door open to gamble . I would suggest if you honestly do want to stop, is to go with someone you trust together to self exclude yourself . If you are still not willing to do it , then you have to rely on other blocks like not having access to bank cards . If you still have that then your last line of defence is to not have the time to do it , ie making sure you are accountable to someone with your whereabouts . Otherwise I am afraid you will gamble as will power often isn’t enough

Hello Johnnyboychap,

I read your posts, the entire thread and the advice from Phil and Vulture in particular is great.

Nearly two years ago I came here on the back end of losing 3k in an evening and mind all over the place. As Phil says, it's gone, see the money spent now as therapy. A couple of hundred lost would keep most of us gambling as money soon loses value. A couple of grand makes us think, send us into an emotional turmoil and frankly make us hate ourselves. I had to accept the money was gone......it took me nearly a year. Now two years of not gambling the way I was has saved me thousands so really the money is very well spent. Losing it has made me hate the gambling industry, made me take responsibility for what I've done and work seriously hard on a good recovery. It's was my fault, I had to put it right and chasing losses was not the way. Over the last two years I've really won that money back by NOT gambling, but also have a MUCH better life for not gambling. Gambling isn't about money, it's about how it makes us feel, relationships that suffer and material possessions we lose to fund it.

To stop, you must close all doors to gambling. You can self exclude from all bookies in the area, but you can limit how much cash you carry, have no access to funds, cut up cards. Give someone else financial control, take up new hobbies, spend your time wisely. Gambling is isolating and harmful. You see to break the time, money, location triangle. It all can be done and believe me, every day without gambling you feel better. It's like a bad break up.......every day it hurts a little less until one day it doesn't hurt at all. But make sure that isn't a signal to gamble again......if you've spent two grand effectively quitting gambling.......then its money well spent. Keep those blocks up, for life. Eventually forgive yourself and put it down to a life lesson.

Keep posting, all the best.

Abet

Thank you. All advice is appreciated. I haven't self excluded but that's only because as I say it'd take me so long and although I can't be 100% sure I do feel that I won't be entering a bookies again. I used to pop in and enjoy reading the sports pages of the racing post but I know that's all finished now. The temptation would be just too much . Haven't gambled today . I'm ticking off the days in my diary on my phone . So far so good .

I’m glad you haven’t gambled . One of the things you will need to do as you say is change . Don’t read the racing post . Buy a newspaper or even go to the library . If you don’t change nothing changes . I’m really hoping you can beat this . If you don’t self exclude then at least have some other blocks in place

I have done a few things personal to me that will help . Thanks for your support pal , I'm going to try my very best. I don't want to have to go through all this again .

Well that's another day ticked off but I don't get any pleasure out of it , it just makes me feel pathetic for ever getting in this situation in the 1st place. It won't be happening again though so at least I know this is the last time I'm going to feel like this .

Another day almost over . Start to feel a bit more positive today

Stick with it Johnny . A trait in a gambler is to be impatient and you want to see instant results . I would suggest keep doing what you are doing. It seems to be working and I would guarantee in a short while you will be feeling more positive