Sweden calling

Welcome!

I think everyone is welcome here. There are also a few GA members here that can give you some good advice when you need it. There are some very good sourses for help to be had in Sweden as well depending on where you are in the country. Let me know if you want some help with that.

Best
C

Thank you so much!

It is very interesting to compare possibilities to prevent gambling in Sweden and UK. The thing I think really should be done is to give Swedish banks possibility to block gambling transactions. I don’t think any of our banks offer this as of today. I really think that is a fantastic idea. 

We have a kind of game blocking tool in Sweden as well. However the maximum time is 12 months. The problem is that there are a zillion casinos operating without license and this blocking tool can not prevent gambling in these casinos. 

We have support groups as well, but no online forum with this kind of activity. I really wish there was one community like this one!

So yes. There are definitely a lot of tools to be used in Sweden as well. I plan to attend meeting at another support group as well. I live about 110 kilometres from Stockholm and that is where i used to go for meetings. 

If you have any additional sources that would be most welcome! It sure is easy to feel lonely fighting this addiction. 

I hope you are doing fine this evening 

Take care

Lisa

Dear @lisa72,

you are most certainly welcome, our Forum and communal Chatrooms are accessible world-wide. 

You might also want to have a look at https://www.gamblingtherapy.org/ as well, they offer support to people across the globe.

And in terms of blocking, please have a look at the various types of blocking software mentioned here:

https://www.gamcare.org.uk/self-help/blocking-software/

Please keep sharing and posting on how you are getting on. And if you feel you need further support for your mental and emotional wellbeing please also contact your local GP (general doctor).

Wishing you all the best,

Eva

Forum Admin

Thank you Klamm! Will do - and you too! Hope Somerset is lovely this evening ?

Thank you Eva. 

This sure is an amazing forum with quick responses, supportive members and an active, caring forum admin as well. 

Thank you for the warm welcome and for being here ❤️

Hi Lisa,

I am no expert, however, I do have a few valuable suggestions:

1. Buy yourself  a copy of Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters £6.99 from a good book store. It explains a bit more about yourself,  the monkey self and the computer. You will understand your money self a bit better. The urge to gamble is your monkey self, not you.

2. Sign up with all casinos on websites and barred yourself for maximum amount of time. Also sign up with Gamstop etc.

3. Finding a replacement for your gambling, such as short walks, visit library, bike riding, reading etc anything that is counter productive and stuff that interests you.

4. If possible, sign up with fintech that bars gambling transactions, try Starling. Additionally, have a goal pot that pays yourself £1 daily so not gambling. This is used as a visual motivation.

5. Albert Einstein once quoted: if you do something over and over, you'll  get the same result.

6. Forgiveness- learn to live with it...

I hope this helps as well as GA 12 steps.

Good luck with it all.

Regards 

Xoi

Hi and welcome, you are right there are many good people on here willing to help you along the way.

A thought about your bank not having blocking on debit card, could you change your bank to say HSBC or Santander, I'm sure they are worldwide and certainly in the UK enable gambling transactions to be blocked so don't see why they would in Sweden

All the best

Hi Soysauce147,

I like your advices ? I am already blocked from Swedish licensed casinos but have full access to the rest of the casinos with European licenses. I have manually blocked a few of those but many remain ?

Einstein is a clever guy. I love that quote and it sure is relevant for several aspects of life. Thanks for reminding me of it! 

The book seems interesting. I like the idea of looking at my addiction as a monkey - i.e a part of me that I actually can get rid of. Will try to find it online to order. 

I try to accomplish one physical activity every day, a walk or slow pace jogging and I also intend to go back to knitting again. That is quite therapeutic! I will see  if I can find more stuff to keep me busy. 

Bankwise I will look into the possibilities in Sweden. 

Again, thanks for hands on suggestions on how to beat this addiction ?

Bladesman,

Checked the internet and seems as if both banks are available in Sweden. Very interesting and I will look into it first thing Monday! 

Thanks ? 

I feel for you. I did the same when my father passed away. Lost all the money that was left to me. I wanted to die. 

It's shameful and it's horrific but you have to remember that it is an illness. We are all here to support you. 

Dear X M, 

You are right. I also know that it was the illness that made me do it. I am really scared though, how fast my addiction escalated when I had a lot of money in my bank account. 

The best thing we can do now, to cherish the memory of our fathers must be to quit gambling. I know my father would tell me that if I succeed it was worth it. In the long run I know this could end up even worse. It seems it always can. 

Thank you so much for support and reminding me that I suffer from an illness and that I did not lose the inheritance because I am a bad person. And don’t forget to be understanding towards yourself as well! 

Lisa

@soysauce147 Can I ask your background for all the advice you seem to be offering and how has it worked for you?

Chris.

Hi Chris,

It has taken a long time to reach this point. I am doing fine.

You make it sounds as if I was in a police's cell- no comment on that. 

I am a regular guy on your high street and not a qualified nurse or doctor or God for that matter. However, was suck into a world of gambling like the rest of the population. It is in your discretion to act upon the advised given. 

Anything else?

Xoi

@soysauce147 I just wondered where your advice came from? I'm a big believer in lived experience and wondered if you had followed your own advice, especially working the GA 12 steps, and how long it was since you placed a bet? I had a post here a little while ago asking others to say how they managed to stop and for how long had they stopped, in the hope that others might read it and think "I want a piece of that" and you might have been able to add to that.

Thanks

Chris.