Yes I'm irish.
As I say i make sure I always have barriers in place so i can't act on the urge and remember urges pass. Rachel's advice is solid.
John
It's hard when you stop as your brain is wired into "gambling mode". You need to get through the early days by just doing anything to escape the cravings. Putting barriers in place is also essential even though you probably won't like having to do it. No one does but it's the only way.
What I really regret Matt is not so much the money lost - although that was bad enough - it is the lost time. Money can be saved again but the time wasted on gambling is gone for good.
I've just read all these posts and you all write so well you should write a book because no truer words are spoken. Its like i wrote them myself. Matt you have to block yourself the urges you have are too much. Not only block yourself from ***** but block your cards because you might be able to open another like i did. I had access to several email addresses so could open other accounts. BE STRONG
Hi damagedone welcome to recovery 🙂
I applaud you for having the balls to ask about your deposit, I have not & will not try & figure my damage out...To be fair, I couldn't if I tried as bank records don't go back 3 decades! You must use this amount to spur you on to recovery as it is physical proof that you do not win money by gambling!
Matt, before coming here I swore to myself never again every single time I lost & every single time I had money again I went straight on back! I was only looking for help to control gambling because no way did I want to stop, I mean I had thousands & thousands of pounds to win back! Websites such as this, seeing that there were other 'mes' out there beating this have gifted me my recovery with the unwavering support of my partner who took my financial ability from me! This broke the Time-Money-Location triangle (taking one away removes the ability to gamble) & kept me safe from my urges in the early days! I have gambled every available day of my life for as long as I can remember & @ the start of my journey I wanted to gamble so much it hurt! If I can find my way, you can too, I promise!
It's a shame my diary is so chaotic as it think you would do well to have seen where I was @ in these early days...I literally dared not get out of bed! On Day 18, I finally faced my fears, chose 'No' & when I'd beaten the urges, I realised it was a better high than all the highs of gambling (of which I can remember 1 now) with the added extra of no low hot on it's heels! It may feel like an insurmountable task to you right now but what choice to do you have? Carry on & lose everything or stop & win life! My very best advice is if possible relinquish control if your finances to someone & read read read! Not only are there tips & hints on here but there are heartbreaking stories of the damage gambling does & if that doesn't nip the urges in the bud, go jump in the shower you can't gamble in water!
You need to deal with this One Day At A Time as today is the only part of your life that you have control over (tomorrow, well that's just another today), if that is minute by minute or second by second then that is what you have to do! Someone wrote, just standing is sometimes enough to get them to pass & I would have loved to have had that advice early on as I think this would have been very useful to me! The bigger the gap you put between you & the gambling, the easier it becomes & the more you will value your recovery! The stake here is life so we have to give it our all!
Be strong & you will get there - ODAAT
Thank you ODAAT.
Strength for a reason......
Matt
Hi Matt,
Hope you're still going strong! You have had loads of good advice already, I hope you get as much out of that as I do. Did you decide to self-exclude in the end?
Sending my support,
Rach x
Thanks Rach,
Yes, i finally self excluded and feel really positive about it...
Also have my first 1 on 1 with Gamcare Clapham Junction tomorrow at 12pm
I will report back here on how it all goes, also enjoying the 2015 challenge, Phil doing a great job!!
5 Days GF!
Matt
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