Hi my name is Elaine I have only been having a problem with gambling for about the last five months but realised last week that it was affecting my life and not in a good way. I am also being treated for a painkiller addiction (OxyContin) that I've had for the last seven years. Before that I was on my way to an alcohol addiction and I'm realising since I started my innocent wee 10 on online bingo which has now led to me spending money I had in the bank to pay bills this week that I most definitely have an addictive personality 🙁 so I'm going to try and nip this in the bud before it gets any worse. I know my problems with this will pale into insignificance compared to a lot of people on here but I hope you all don't mind me coming on for support. Online slots are my vice and I'm spending more and more time and money that I need for other things on this. I have two grown up daughters and an 11yr old girl and they are my life I'm a single parent and they really don't need to be putting up with any more of my hang ups. They give me their never ending un judging support (especially my oldest who's 28 and a mum herself)even though last week when I took my two youngest girls on a trip to Disneyland Paris that my ex partner paid for they were unaware that we'd have had double the spending money if I hadn't gambled it in the weeks leading up to our trip. I'm so ashamed of myself as the money wasn't even mine to spend. Sometimes I really don't like myself I'm meant to be the parent. Sorry for rambling on and I wish everyone luck with beating this horrible addiction that I used to say would never be one that I'd suffer from 😏
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for your post, and welcome to the forum. I hope you're finding it to be a place of support for you, and I also read your very kind response to another new member, as well.
I'm glad you're deciding to address your problems with gambling now, whilst it's still a relatively new issue for you. It sounds like the last five months have been fairly stressful as a result of it. If online gambling is the problem, have you thought about downloading any blocking software? Gamblock ( http://www.gamblock.com/index.html ) and Betfilter ( http://www.betfilter.com/ ) both prevent access to any gambling sites on your computer, and a lot of gamblers use them to protect themselves.
You might also think about getting individual counselling, which could help address underlying reasons as to why you keep getting addicted to different things. It's also good to have that support when you're trying to change behaviours like this. We can point you in the direction for that if you'd like, just get in touch with us on either the Helpline or Netline.
I hope this helps, and hang in there, Elaine. Things can definitely get better for you.
Travis
Aw thank you for the reply Travis and the link for barring gambling sites it was really helpful as I'd been wondering if it was possible to do that. I think you're def right about addressing my addiction issues. To be honest looking back I realise I've been this way for a long time it really started with food but I used bulimia as a way to keep my weight down.It's strange because I'm realising that when I was worrying that alcohol was becoming too Much of a crutch for me back in the late 90's - about 2005 I started to fight it and was doing well but after taking a couple of my mums OxyContin(for palliative care) for a headache (I know morphine for a sore head what an idiot?)I was hooked and the alcohol was no longer a problem in fact I haven't drank since then. The painkiller addiction was obviously a lot more serious but I went for help as soon as I realised I couldn't go without them. I came off them completely in 2009 and was put on another drug to combat side effects of withdrawal I've been doing really well and only relapsed once right back at the start. I'm on smallest dose possible and just need to find the courage to come off them completely. I'd been taking less and less in the last few months as I've tried to occupy myself with other things but it only hit me the other day that I've really replaced it with gambling. Why can't I just cope with life without the buzz of an addiction? I will try counselling thank you. I'm sure you have plenty of worries of your own and as I've said my gambling problem will be minor compared to most on here so thanks for listening. Is there somewhere I can read about your own story? I hope things are going ok for you just now. I couldn't sleep for worrying about Amy the girl who's post I answered last night. She sounded so desperate and I never realised the consequence's a gambling problem could coz. It's funny because I admit before this was a problem for me I found gambling addiction a hard one to understand as I always had the view of "why don't they just stop? There are no side affects or withdrawals so surely you just don't go online or to casino's etc. This has certainly taught me not to judge until you've walked in someone's shoes. Today ********* online have offered me a free 30 bonus because I'd deposited money with them. It was in my emails. I'm trying to resist but that other voice is saying oh but it's free and I could win some of my money back. I'm taking it this is a common pitfall.
Anyway best of luck Travis. The other excess I have is....talking 🙂 x
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