Hey all been here a few years always pop on when I'm having a rough time of it back and forth I quit gambling then go back to it just a viscous circle that many of you will understand.
Always had an issue for years with gambling but always think I can quit myself and I end up on sh** creek without a paddle. Last few months have been tough up down up down slots are my demon and with it due to work I always have a lot of spare time on my hands which with any gust of wind I'll find myself blown into a bookies or acrade.
Last 3 months or so I've been losing more than I can afford to which is new for me I always had my bills paid food mortgage etc before I even considered gambling but now this logic has been thrown out the window and I'm gambling money earmarked for bills. I don't have any massive debts which I'm extremely fortunate in that regard compared to others in my position.
But gambling has really started to break me slowly I've had money in savings to pay for my partner and daughters Christmas which is slowly dwindling away to nothing with not a thing to show for it which is killing me. My partner is great with me and I'm lucky she has stuck by me as payments have been missed for bills and she has covered them for us to get us going but I know this is getting to her now and dont want to lose her over slots.
just looking for some advice on how to actually kick it ive been down the road of self exclusions online and in store bookies but always find a way around it. I'm genuinely wanting to just stop it all and move on but as you know the thought of losses and what could have been bought with it have made me into a zombie chasing my losses which as we all know leads to more money down the drain.
I know compared to others on here my story isn't anything outrageous but I just don't want to get to the stage that others have on here losing everything. I'm only 29 I feel like I'm still young enough to kick this and be free but that's seems like a pip dream at this stage.
any advice would be very much appreciated.Â
If theres no debt its just the physiological element you need too beat
You currently associate free time with gambling so you need to change thatÂ
again without serious financial damage you can move on pretty quickly from it
its a dangerous game and if you can't stop you can't winÂ
If you haven't already get those blocks in place, you can get gamban for free for 5 years via gamcare. Have you spoke with gamcare. Have to signed up to gamstop? There is also the national Problem Gambling Clinic that is apart of the NHS and accepts self referrals. There is also a great app that helps you understand your cravings and to teach you how to control those urges. The app is called RecoverMe both on iPhone and play store. If you use the code RECOVERME100 you will get full access to the premium package completely free for 1 Yr, saving a fair bit of money. If I can remember you don't need to put your card details in the for the basic package which is totally free & I'm pretty sure I didn't have to give my card details for the premium upgrade when using the code. Hope some of these suggestions help.
Good luck
Angel x
I found a little money on the ground the other day and gambled it away. If it wasnn't for the blocks i have in place i would have spiralled out of control and lost much much more. Blocks/financial controls are the way to go.
Don't allow yourself to have access to too much cash.
Go to a Gambler’s anonymous meeting or call the counsellors at gamcare.
Chris.
Hello LAH and Welcome.
You kick it by facing the steps you really need to take to challenge this addiction properly
You need to sit down with your girlfriend and start the reality checks by telling her what you have done
You need to pick up the phone to your father for example and tell him you have a problem
It's a progressive illness and drug addiction which is why you can't quite fathom why you keep doing it.
During a born-again recovery you will learn that what was in your head is not what the gambling dens offer
You do not understand the odds on slots and you are gambling on them for other addicted reasons......just win a bit, luck or it owes me my money back is all nonsense.
To put it very simply they are a mugs game. The crux is that its a highly addictive mugs game which is a lethal combination
I understand and you are not alone. It took me 40 years to realise I was very ill with gambling addiction. Before then I dont know what I was thinking but it cost me the price of a very nice house etc.
Sit down with non-gamblers you trust. What you tell them will make no sense to them and you NEED the look of concern, confusion and stunned silence on their faces...you see I would have stammered out well I won sometimes as a defence but what needed to be coaxed out of me that I threw away thousands upon thousands for the once in a blue moon moments.
My father looked at me as If I was on planet zog.....The truth that needed to be faced is that he is entirely right
When I told people all about my gambling it sounded totally crazy.........even to me...especially to me in the cold light of day. The words came out of my mouth like somebody else was saying them. Its a split mind illness and the sensible part of you just wants to cringe and shrivel up. It is crazy but it doesnt mean you are a bad person. You are an ill person trying to get better
Thats when it started to make sense as an illness.......a progressive and dangerous illness
So you start healing by reaching out for fundamental help while handing all your money to someone who can secure it
Then you start a born-again moment. For the rest of your life you can never be complacent about your vulnerability to gambling again
Best wishes from everyone on the forum
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