vicious circle

thanks for the reply blondie,2 days its not much but its a start they say you only have to do one thing with an addiction and that is don't do it.It sounds easy but we know its hard,yeah like you say its only a pound or 20 pound but it soon escalates,i have to go cold turkey which are strong words.Iam a much better person when I don't gamble because I can think straight when we gamble our emotions and moods are all over the place,so its the only way.I will have a look at your story good luck ad beat wishes, blondie00.

HI Missspent,

2 days is a great start, All you need to do is today, Just for today dont gamble, and tomorrow you get to choose again.

Recovery can gift you so many things and they are all free, it takes hard work and effort but it is possible.

Why not start a diary in the recovery diaries section, you will get lots of support there and you can also read other peoples diaries which are full of help and usefull information.

Keep going and remember, just for today dont gamble.

take care

blondie

Hi Misspentlife,

I posting here as I saw your post I had replied to in intro section.

I am a similar age 39 (the big 4-0 next year) and I do not want to waste a similar amount of time gambling for the rest of my life.

OK I have nothing to show for my 25 years earnings but the peace of mind I get from not having gambling thoughts on my mind and the stress in causes all day is heavenly.

I am able now, with the blocks in place to give up gambling for a long time. Unfortunately I lost 3k in a bookies which I was supposed to be self-excluded at last year (apparently in the small print we are liable!).

The bookies lack of care and half hearted measures to protect problem gamblers has made me more determined than ever never to give them another penny as long as I live. My problem was on FOBTs (roulette) and that got me into roulette online after beginning on horses/dogs/ ordinary fruit machines with little problem.

I was thinking and dreaming of roulette, the wheel numbers, sequences, mad theories about patterns etc and my next bet 24/7. Nothing else mattered. Now other things DO.

Like family , friends relationships.

I think it is disgusting allowing gambling advertising on TV. They banned smoking so why not gambling. Revenues I guess...

It was really hard seeing the constant onslaught of advertising everywhere and in highstreet when I was trying to cool off from gambling. I relapsed quite a few times and joining new sites precisely because of the well planned psychologically tested and researched adverts etc.

Now the debt is the problem getting onto 3 times my annual salary, which of course I need a lot of for living expenses like rent..

Not enough is being done to tackle the problem and proliferation of gambling venues.

Anyway pleased to see you are doing OK and want to change. Are all your blocks in place??

Awayout

Hi,

2 weeks gamble free, the force was strong today v strong my girlfriend is away,i was supposed to b taking my daughter out for the day she knocked me back to be with her pals,cant blame her she is nearly 16 I was the same.Anyway went for a drive had guns and roses blasting me ear drums.Bought a newspaper late today so couldn't read no form.Have just downloaded OVERCOMING COMPULSIVE GAMBLING.Will keep you informed of my progress and the book.Keep fighting people gl.

I'm new to this forum but feel I need to talk to somebody. I'm in a bit of a s**t state if I'm going to be honest. I'm 28 and have recently returned from Afghanistan. Before I went I had a girlfriend and lived with my parents. The day I came back (1st june) I stayed in our new house that we have bought and had a beautiful little daughter who is 4 weeks old on Thursday. I'm going to lose them both if I carry on like this. My girlfriend know I gamble but has no idea that I'm in such financial turmoil. I've maxed my credit card, spent £650 that quick quid had put in my bank due to a genuine fraudulent loan application. (genuine as in I'm not making it up). As well as going overdrawn on my overdraft. I've literally just been paid and am £600 overdrawn already. My limit is only £100. I've still got bills to come out and that £650 to pay back when they ask for it. My girlfriend knows about the £650 and keeps badgering me to get onto quick quid to get it sent back to them. I've been bluffing my case for a few weeks now saying ill sort it but it's definitely going to all come out soon. I don't know what I'm going to do anymore as I just keep gambling to try to make some money as I never have any. It started with football coupons and fruit machines then got onto roulette and blackjack. Even when I do get up to a decent amount I lose it all again.

Shadow1985

Never thought I'd be in this position but it happens to so many....

My problem is scratchcards. After reading some of the posts on here I can only say thank goodness I never got into online gambling. Blocked it at an early stage and didn't know how to restart it so I never did.

I don't regard gambling as an illness but a behavioural problem/addiction that starts with the adrenaline 'fix' of winning and the need to get that buzz back again, just like doing extreme sports or anything else that makes life interesting. The trouble is it gets to be a problem when money is involved. I've lost around 2.5k in the last few months and it wasn't even my money to start with(it was given to me to help me out), which made me feel even more embarrassed and guilty. Typical stuff - two ways it keeps going - the buzz of winning and the anxiety of losing and wanting to get the losses back again. As I have found out the hard way you don't get the losses back, you think you might but don't. I'm trying harder to give up, having given up twice before and caving in. Financial pressure means looking for any way to earn something, including gambling and even though I know it's a mug's game, as do many of the people on here, the temptation of getting that 'fix' is hard to overcome. All the best to those trying.

I'm needing help again I'm at another low in my life. Am going to try and stop this time. I don't need gambling in my life.

Day one no gambling today. Need to fix my brain on something that really matters need a goal in life instead of wasting precious hours gambling.

Today I will not gamble.

If you're going to make progress with this, you're going to have to do things differently.

Firstly its too easy for you to gamble. You have time and money which is all a Gambler needs. Tie up both, just for today, and you massively increase your chances of staying away from the first bet today. If the first bet doesn't happen, nor does the second, or the third, or the £300 trip to the cashpoint.

Get yourself to GA and do what they tell you to.

But any more of these half measures and you'll be in the same pattern of Gambling > Remorse > Broke > Gambling for years to come, like a hamster going round and round in his wheel.

Gamcare removed the link I posted in the previous comment, which contained detailed information on what has worked for me for the last 25 years.

But to read it click on my name, follow the link to my addiction blog, and read the piece in the center entitled “Recovery Strategy - Staying off gambling one day at a time”.