New here..

Hi Mark - welcome to the forum.

It seems to be like you've taken some major steps in the last few weeks: Telling people, confronting debt and putting stops in place is great.

I too found it quite difficult to get out of the routine of Saturday accumulators, but I've found that it fades in time.

Do you find that you're doing different things with your weekends?

On the subject of debt, Gamcare has some really good information about tackling it. 

On the whole it seems you're doing so much right and all you can do is keep on taking it one day at a time. Imagine how you'll feel in a month, six months, a year when you've saved money, paid off some debt, and kept up the positive frame of mind.

I've been here for almost a month and can't emphasise enough how beneficial it is to talk about it - so please keep posting.

Sounds like doing great mark.Agree it definitely hit me big again last year after abstaining for sometime.You sound like have positive mindset and being honest.These two things are strong combination and gambling demon will struggle to make itself part of your life having these two things, keep it going pal,welcome also.

Thanks guys. 

i count myself lucky that I have a good job which means I can pay my 8 grand debt off in about 6-7 months. 
If my wife didn’t accidentally see that email then god knows how much more debt I would have accumulated- it’s a scary thought to be honest. 

I do feel positive about it this time round  , I don’t think my previous attempts to give up I was confronted with the thought of losing my wife - so this was the biggest wake up call I’ve ever had.

Hi Mark, it's very positive that you stopped at a (relatively) good time.

Whenever you are down on yourself about the money you have to pay back, think how much worse it could have been, think of where you might have ended up if things didn't work out the way they have.

Remember to "ride the storm" if it is Saturday and you are getting urges. They won't last forever, maybe only a few hours; grit your teeth and remind yourself that they are only temporary, and the more you do that, the more they will lessen in the time to come.

You seem like a decent, caring person Mark. A lot of people don't get a second chance, by the time they come here the consequences are extremely severe, any of them would beg to be where you are now. Remember that and be strong my friend

thank you

Posted by: Markt85

Thanks guys. 

i count myself lucky that I have a good job which means I can pay my 8 grand debt off in about 6-7 months. 
If my wife didn’t accidentally see that email then god knows how much more debt I would have accumulated- it’s a scary thought to be honest. 

I do feel positive about it this time round  , I don’t think my previous attempts to give up I was confronted with the thought of losing my wife - so this was the biggest wake up call I’ve ever had.

 

That sounds like both a good and bad thing.

Good because, hopefully, in eight or nine months the financial consequences will be over. Bad because that can easily lead to complacancy and slipping back into old habits because you feel invincible.

I would strongly encourage you to keep coming to the forum, keep talking, keep reading and keep humble - and you'll find you're much better off for it.

For me, it's everything from feeling my mental health is so much more stable, to being able to watch sport without feeling the monkey on my back, to looking at my bank balance and knowing it's a true reflection of what funds I have rather than having to do mental aerobics to work out what is due to go out to bookmakers and come back in from them in the coming days.