Newbie here

Hey Sar4243, it's really great that you have revognised the problem and come here for help, you'll find this to be a very supporting and encouraging place:)

And you are in a great position to get on top of the problem before it really takes over your life and things get much worse!

Thank you so much, I hope my positivity lasts! X

While you are feeling so positive about it just make sure you put some strong blocks in place. Time/money/location remove one you cannot gamble. Not sure if you gamble online or in bookies/casino but you can self exclude from all forms. You can get blocking software for mobile devices if you do gamble online. If you can/have told someone you can get them to manage your money for you, get cash only bank cards etc.

You may feel strong now but its important to put theses blocks in place for the times you don't feel so strong (these times will test you).

Keep posting and reading here, really helps.

Hiya yes so so true x this positivity won't last forever and scared that I will gamble again x I only ever gamble online x so tonight I am blocking all softwares etc how do u block all of them ? Thank u for the advice x

I would start with self excluding from all the sites you have access to for the maxmium time frame.

GamBan is available to block devises for £10 a year for Andriod devices.

Not sure about good blocks for Apple devices but i've heard people using K9 blocker.

Thank you so much I will look into this x

Hey!

Well done for coming here and you've had such a positive start! Don't worry, positivity is maybe something to worry about but you can remain positive and NEVER gamble again.

Your recovery will be as good as your blocks. Maybe some days you will want to gamble so it's vital that you physically cannot. Coming here really helps that, also realising why you gamble and making peace with money gone are to me vital steps. But in the short term, blocks are essential!

I use K9......it's ace. I also cut up my cards, scratched off the CC number and froze them in ice! Weird step but had I ever tried to gamble again, the twenty mins of cutting them out of ice in my mind would be enough to change my mind and get a grip! But once I would have got to them I couldn't use them online due to no numbers. I set up blocks using K9 and my router. I still don't know the passwords but never been tempted to remove either. I did contact banks and while some said it's all ok to gamble, my main bank did say they would decline gambling transactions as fraud and contact me! Not the best layer of protection but helped. In my mind anyway. I took the time part of the time, money, location triangle and filled my time with wonderful activities that have now changed me as a person for the better. So plenty of blocks in place and now if I'm honest, I've let some go. My main breakthrough was realising why I gambled, made peace with money lost and looked to the future. I ended up hating the gambling industry as I realised they are providing a service to the casual gambler. But I wasn't a casual gambler, I was one of the few who couldn't walk away, pushed the stakes higher and a big win would never be enough. I was the problem and it was time to take responsibility. I had no one except a close friend to confide in. I almost went alone. The saying "no matter how far down the wrong road you have travelled, it's never too late to turn around." Well I turned around nearly two years ago and for the first year it was pretty messy in my head! I entered a new relationship with a weight on my shoulders. I told my partner who was really supportive and it's never been mentioned since. It's not been a problem, but as I've travelled so far back up that road, it's a different story now.

A gambling addiction or compulsion to me has been a humbling experience. A lot of soul searching. But one thing is clear......we can never have a bet EVER again. It will never be cured, but it will always be suppressed. I have my CCards back, a more "normal" life and no urge to gamble. In fact my hate for the industry has gone......I just don't want any part of it.

So in order to remain positive, forgive yourself, make peace with a chapter of your life that you are not proud of and MOVE ON. But make sure you have some fantastic blocks in place! And if you relapse, just see it as blocks aren't tight enough and ramp them up. You can do this and there is nothing more satisfying than beating something as huge as this. Keep posting, the support here is amazing and become a gambling survivor!

Take care,

Abet

Are turn to a bettor sorry for asking but what bank said they would do do that for you

Hi all,

Name Andy 43 years old. Ive just come to realisation, well known it for a while I am a problem gambler. I came into some money from compensation due to being medically retired from my job.

At first things where really good, recovered well and getting on with life. Due to get married in February. Due to the boredom and seeing that a friend had won 1k on slots I though id have a go. and guess what the first few times where fine with some decent wins. However these where followed by big losses. I though enoughs enough I could swallow the loss. And left it for a couple of months. Which I was proud off. This comes from having issues with slots 20 years ago at that time it became a major problem but not big losses.

now fastforward to today ive been chasing losses now for months as i started again. This time placing bigger stakes. the rewards at times where phenominal, sad thing is i didnt need the money I had plenty in the bank, or so i thought until today Ive spent all of my savings and somehow stopped myself from using my overdraft. Ive been wanting to tell my partner, fiancee for ages but never did thinking i would be able to claw back and at times I did, even just before the weekend past I got a big win and promised myself I would stop. But i didnt and today was the final straw.

My future wif is at work today in a job she doesnt like and I could have solved that by supporting us both for months, but i chose not too. Im trying to pluck up the courage to tell her tonight as I can live with this any longer. I dont know what the future will hold. I just hope she understands and can support me. I am preparing myself incase she cannot do this.

reading through and signing up here today has helped me release and let go crying on and off most of the day. I know that i cant hide this any longer.