Hi there, I am new to the site. I'm not really sure what to say on here. I have basically been gambling for the last 8 years but it has steadily got more and more of a problem and recently I am spending money I simply don't have. I have won/lost thousands over the years and I simply don't know what to do, I feel shakey and physically sick when I don't gamble and it's affecting my homelife. Would be great to hear from anyone else in the same boat or who has been in this situation before.
hi mate hope ur ok ..have been in this gambling nightmare now for nearly 10 years ..started with casinos ...roullete and poker ...but the real crusher has been online poker ..which has litreally wiped me out ..you can understand why the american gov has bannned online gambling ..trying my best to stop have continually flopped ..wat has been ur paricular vice poker ..or roullete ...or the bookies
Hi there thanks for the reply, I started off on bandits in pubs, spending all my money for a night out on them, then I started playing the roullette games on the machines in the bookies and online, although I would say recently online roullette is where most of my money goes although I do have bets on the football and slots too. It has gotten to the stage where I think I'd bet on anything to get my fix. I have excluded myself from most sites but there is ALWAYS a new online casino if you search for it! I am going to my local GA meeting on Wednesday have you ever been to one and if so what are they like?
Hi Matthew, well done for posting this here.
I had been a lifelong gambler for about 25 years but my only real period of serious addiction came around eight years ago where I lost £150,000 in just a few years through Bookmakers Roulette. I have now abstained for a period of about four years.
It is hard at first and there are a lot of dark days which effect people in different ways. When you start to abstain, all your thoughts and feelings are consumed by gambling and the consequences of your actions but after a few weeks (longer for some, shorter for others), you begin to feel more mentally free, it can even be a euphoric experience for some; almost as if we pass a sort of "pain barrier". It will always be there but it becomes manageable - manageable to the point of being distant and alien which is exactly how I feel about it now after all this time. I don't know the person I was before, it wasn't me.
It is affecting you badly at the moment my friend and I would say your control levels are very low indeed so I would very seriously consider handing over control of your finances to someone who has, until you are in a better place to be able to cope.
Be positive my friend. Make some plans about what you want to do with your life and look forward, focus on something that you want to do and work towards it, even if it takes years.
JamesP
JamesP wrote: Hi Matthew, well done for posting this here.
I had been a lifelong gambler for about 25 years but my only real period of serious addiction came around eight years ago where I lost £150,000 in just a few years through Bookmakers Roulette. I have now abstained for a period of about four years.
It is hard at first and there are a lot of dark days which effect people in different ways. When you start to abstain, all your thoughts and feelings are consumed by gambling and the consequences of your actions but after a few weeks (longer for some, shorter for others), you begin to feel more mentally free, it can even be a euphoric experience for some; almost as if we pass a sort of "pain barrier". It will always be there but it becomes manageable - manageable to the point of being distant and alien which is exactly how I feel about it now after all this time. I don't know the person I was before, it wasn't me.
It is affecting you badly at the moment my friend and I would say your control levels are very low indeed so I would very seriously consider handing over control of your finances to someone who has, until you are in a better place to be able to cope.
Be positive my friend. Make some plans about what you want to do with your life and look forward, focus on something that you want to do and work towards it, even if it takes years.
JamesP
This is an old post but I read it and it was such a pertinent post for anyone reeling from what they have just done. Should be a sticky this one.
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