split personality gambler

Hey, Not sure if this helps but i know what you mean and your not alone. Its a terrible feeling to have and one that i havent seemed to have kicked so may come across as hypocritical in providing this advice however i hope it helps you.

Some people would say the best way to kick it is by not going to those sites in the first place but its hard, especially when that voice inside is saying just play a tenner and thats all which is the same as a smoker trying to quit, having a quick P**f and then ending up getting that taste for it and before they know it smoking the whole cigarette and getting hooked again. However the way you should think about it is, feel as though whats gone is gone, you cant claim it back but what you can do is move forward and look to learn from this and so avoid temptation despite how hard it may be, if you can play video games, read a book, go for walks everytime that tingling in the back of your mind is saying to gamble, try and find a way to turn it into another way.

Do you have many hobbies, watch much tv, try chatting to freinds and blocking gambling sites from your browser. The problem is, that i face as well is the combat that your having inside yourself between your sense and your gambling addicition side but people are stronger than they think so be stronger than you are, dont let it get you down because thats how it beats you, think positive no matter how bad things are otherwise you will never help yourself.

Hope this helps

Hiya

Good practical advice above. You need blocks and barriers and then you can start working on your mind set.

I think at this stage, you have to face the fact that you can't control this - and it's important to realise there's NO SHAME in admitting this to yourself. The games are designed to keep the player playing and it's just that some of us "like" them more than others. It's not a judgement on you as a whole person.

You've got to the point where you can't just play a tenner and lose it and walk away. So the answer is Just Don't Start.

I know part of you won't want to hear that, but it's the only way. If it helps, tell yourself it's not forever - it's just for today. Sometimes it's too overwhelming to picture the rest of life without gambling at all, so don't scare yourself by picturing that, just deal with today.

One thing that's really helped me is to realise that I shouldn't necessarily trust my own thoughts. It's been a difficult realisation, but my thoughts aren't always in my best interest. They are addictive thoughts which only exist to prolong the addiction. This is what I think you're experiencing when you talk about having a split personality. It's not, it's just that there's now a "voice of addiction" currently occupying a space in your mind along with all the other, more sensible voices. This one "voice of addiction" is the one to identify and ignore (or shout at, or laugh at, or anything that doesn't buy in to what it's trying to get you to do). Once you get into the habit of recognising that one voice that wants to lead you down the wrong road, and realising you DO NOT have to act on it - and it won't harm you in any way, no matter what it tells you - you will start to pull away from this pattern.

Best wishes (oh and welcome!!)

FF

Hry thanks to you both for the advice. It seems the best thing I can do is to totally leave the sites alone. Ive tried to put gamblock on my phone but it just corrupted it. I'll just move my money out of my account and take it a day at a time and see how it goes. Ive quit smoking, im adamant I will do this too!

Thanks again

Hi kb141,

I'm exactly the same!!!!

I'm so good with my money when it comes to shopping etc. For example I recently bought a tablet and spent about 4 weeks researching which one is going to give me the best bang for my buck and limited myself 200. I've also always wanted a mac book air but haven't been able to bring myself to spend over 1000 on a laptop which I won't use all that often.

However, when it comes to gambling all the above goes out the window. I'm writing this off the back of a 2000 loss today !! I don't know what it is in me that can one minute watch every penny and the next dive into my savings and spin 2000 on online roulette!

I really need to stop but don't know how !!!

Sounds so familiar. How can it be possible to be really sensible with everything else - to the degree of moaning if the husband wants to spend £50 on a PS4 game - but it's quite easy to blow hundreds (and more) on gambling without thinking about it.

I have downloaded betfilter onto my pc and k9 on my phone. I didn't know about k9 when I paid for betfilter but it was still worth every penny as it's kept me off any sites using my pc.

I was told about k9 for android today and downloaded it from the play store. My husband has tried to 'break' it and couldn't get through to any sites so was happy to let me have my phone while I am out of his sight!! Makes me sound like a child having to have my phone checked for access to gambling sites but if that's what it takes to stay away then so be it.

Give it a go!

Myself and my wife had separate bank accounts, but once i confessed all to her, we decided between us that the best way for her to continue trusting me and actively discourage me from slipping up, we closed my old account down and now share one.

I do have a switch card, but she knows that i know she checks the bank account daily to make sure there has been no gambling activity on there.

I know this is dramatic and very restrictive but it certainly helped cut my access to online gambling with immediate effect. Now 5 months on there is more trust, but even if i withdrew a load of cash, i still wouldnt have any hang ups with telling her what id spent my money on, she has helped and supported me so im repaying her back.

Hi All

I am very similar a will join sites taking free £10 sign up bonus then always end up using my own money I am the same food clothes shoppin always lookin for deals then go home lose ££s I'm self employyed so I get cash in my hand and also in my bank I am openin a savings account and putting my money in there because soon as a feel the urge to gamble I will and it's normally a lot it seems to be worse when I'm tired or stressed I play sometime just to get away from normal life once I have slept the urge is reduced almost stopped so my idea is if a cannot get acces to my money instantly by the time I can hopefully the urge will be gone try your self puttin things in place to reduce the urge or limit the damage if u slip up