Hi everyone this is my first post so any advice would be great. I am only 21 and I have gambled since I was about 16 starting with a few football bets on the weekend progressing to binges on a lonely night spending all my wages in one go. I went through a spell around 12 months ago that I got so bed I had to give my debit card to one of my best friends to avoid spending money online. I even lost a very close friend to suicide a few years ago due to gambling debts and it just seemed to make me worse. Recently I feel like I have been slipping back into old habits. I was unhappy before when giving up my debit card as I liked to be in control of my own money but I'm not sure I can trust myself with it. Anyway, just tonight I have won a healthy sum (nearly double my wage) on an online casino. Although I have finally withdrawn it I found myself suspending my withdraewals and regambling it probably 8 or 9 times before actually taking a sizeable profit. I know that it was silly and I should have taken any profit and that I have been extremely lucky to win more eahc time. I'm just afraid that such a big win will pull me back down to where I was 12 months ago. Chasing the dragon I like to call it. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can clear my head of this big win, call it a one off and not go chasing more as soon as it lands in my bank. Thanks in advance, Charlie.
Have you considered self excluding from as many online casinos as possible?
Maybe avoiding the temptation to think of yourself as being in profit also could help.
Many people just forget the sums lost yet remember every penny won.
Put the money in a fixed isa where you can't spend it - dont even bother lookingg at the interest rate, just do it. Think about how much youll be saving by locking that money away where it cant be gambled. I only wish i could go back 2 weeks and say the same to myself. Id avise that or send to a family member
Hi Charlie .
I seriously think if your asking these questions you really can't trust yourself not to gamble and you need as the above posters have already said " Put it somewhere you can't get your hands on it " , maybe a friend or family member you can trust but if you need access to it you'll alway's find away and that's the big problem . I hate to say it but most of us who end up here don't tend to have ended our gambling carreer on a high note , for me personally I'd probably won about about 12k in the couple of months leading up to the point where I decided enough was enough and needless to say it all went back on gambling plus about another 10k in the process and I have to question myself " How much would ever be enough " ? .
I really do hope that your one of the chosen few who can now walk away but the fact that you still felt the need to go back to old way's leave's me feeling that youv'e still to come to terms with your addiction ?.
I'm not having a go , just saying it as it's coming accross and I wish you well mate :))
Best wishes
Alan
Hi charliemlcfc.
Welcome to the forum. With the greatest of respect you seem confused and we have all been there
You need to sit down and take it from the beginning. Either you are admitting to a gambling problem or you are at a known stage where you just want to keep winning and have it all go the way you want.
You are also talking about active gambling and big wins on a recovery forum which shows your confusion. You should have felt a sense of relief handing over your card but clearly you didnt and the addiction drove you to keep gambling
You mention the dangers of gambling so you should focus on that. Wins do reinforce further gambling but gambling is a losers game. I can see that you are addicted and not fully ready to stop but you need to discuss this.
You will not be able to rationalise gambling on here or tell us that winning happens regularly when you want it. You talk about luck in just the way I hear active gamblers talking
If you are ready to stop you will learn that the addiction is a form of mind control that destroys people. Its a complex addiction.
You dont seem ready to fully admit to a problem. You are mainly talking about wins. I think you know that wins are actually dangerous to a compulsive gambler and you could spend the following years trying to get that feeling again. It may never and in all probability wont ever happen again. You need this laying on the line so you can discuss it
I wish you all the best. I would like to see you gamble free.
Give gamcare a call and please keep using the forum
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