30th September

Hi cooper,

Welcome to the forum, and well done for your post.

From your story, you sound very determined to stop your gambling, and also, you were about to make the necessary moves (about to cancel your account with a well known bingo site) to help you achieve that. That would be a positive move indeed.

I think it will be even better for you if you’d install one of the following internet blocking software on your computer and mobile phone:- Gamblock, Net Nanny, and Betfilter. They’ll stop you from accessing gambling sites.

Pls. read about all of them, and install the one that is most likely to give you the maximum benefit.

It’s also very important to replace your spare time (gambling time) with other forms of activities/ hobbies to distract yourself from gambling. This is to avoid boredom, as boredom is the one of the contributory factors that causes you to relapse when trying to stop gambling.

I hope with time, and with your journey through recovery, you’ll find the opportunity to inform your family of how well you’re doing.

As regards to people in similar situation like you to chat with, I’ll suggest that you attend your local Gamblers Anonymous meeting for peer to peer support, and share ideas of how to manage your urges.

In case you feel you need further help to stop gambling, don’t hesitate to contact us via our free phone Helpline on: 0808 8020 133 and speak to one of our advisers. We’re open everyday from 8.00am to midnight.

I wish you well in your efforts to stop gambling, and pls. do let us know how you’re getting on.

Thanks again for your story, and pls. keep posting.

Best wishes

Beatrice

Hey Cooper

Well done for taking the first steps. You picked a great day to stop as it was my birthday on 30th.

You'll find lots of useful advice and great people to talk to in here.

Craig