Hi
I have been gambling for around 10 years started off with slots then bookies, im sure you all know the drill
God knows how much i have spent but it needs to stop,
I have a good job a nice house wife car etc I live a good life but it could be so much better if i could just stop The numbers probably are not insane like some I have seen but I am being affected.
All my bills are paid, however i do have debt around £20k that albeit is not directly attributable to gambling but if we are being honest it wouldnt be there if i didnt gamble, again this debt is serviced accordingly, I suppose what I am trying to say is now is tipping point, I have very little money left at the end of the month and could be doing so much more.
I have taken positive steps signed up to gamstop and got myself a barclays bank account which youcan block from being used in the bookies etc, however any cash i get tends to get spent on gambling and I always buy scratch cards when going bto my local shop im probably spending £200 a week on gambling.
Is a hidden addiction that i need to stop before it ruins everything i have.
Any advice will be greatly received
Hi mscardiff,
get yourself to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting asap & keep attending, ideally twice a week.
In the meantime if you want to stop do the following (Gamstop is a great starting point).
Self exclude from any bookmakers, casinos etc. If you have to make a personal visit, take no cash or cards with you while you self exclude.
Hand control of your finances over to someone you trust (wife ? ). Take only the cash you need for incidentals each day. Do not take your debit or credit card out with you. If you have to take credit card out (for example you travel or work away) ask the provider to disable cash withdrawal facility.
Admit your problems to someone close to you.
You must remove easy access to cash & credit.
Don't try and solve all your problems at once, your priority is simply to stop gambling a day at a time.
Believe me, you may find telling that first person difficult, you may find it difficult to walk into your first GA meeting, however you will feel an enormous wave of relief once you do.
Find your nearest GA meeting
https://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/
ps. Keep checking in the 2019 Challenge thread
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
