Binge gambling

I think many people's binge gambling occurs on their respective pay days.

I can say I go 28 days without gambling ... but in truth I'm skint so I'm just lying to myself.

I've only gambled for 4 days in the last 4 months ..... but I'm still a gambler.

I'm hoping my first pay day of the year can stay in my bank account .... and not in an amusement arcade.

Hi - yes I understand that - it has happened to me before that I have stopped when run out of money. But I am talking about times when I have access to money, especially as I break and start to try to rebuild previous damage,..then just as I start to feel I am getting somewhere I have a big binge and am back to square one, or worse.

This is what I think I mean by binge gambling...

As soon as you or I get these urges, we should immediately seek to these pages to act as a reminder of what we are doing and why we are doing it.

I fully understand what you are saying. It's hard. Reading posts on here makes me realise my goals, and I fully appreciate each and everyone's posts including yourselves.

Here's to sanity.

I'm not convinced I can help with a solution or confirm what constitutes binge gambling. I did want to share that I understand your relationship with gambling as I have the same!!

I have never been able to tackle it. I have a good job, earn good money and am not in gambling debt, but....I take on all forms, roulette, poker, blackjack, sports betting and slot machines. I will put off buying various expensive items like a new sofa or nice holiday on the basis that I cant really afford it. But then blow that same amount on nothing....then spend 30-90 regretting what i did and replacing the spent money

I then feel really good about myself again and go back over the same process. Its been going on for about 5-6 years and I hate it, with no clear way out of it to break the cycle.

There must be a way to handle this kind of gambling and I am keen, like you, to understand it a bit better. Sorry for not being able to help with solutions but I took some comfort knowing I'm not the only one.

you are not alone I am sure. I am not an everyday gambler but as soon as I decide to do it I lose large amounts, another tenner, another tenner etc...

I am learning through this site about triggers and mine is boredom and then chasing losses. Maybe you have a trigger which makes you binge x

Yep - I can look back and see some clear triggers, now need to focus on how I respond to them should they arise again in the future.

And gambling is no longer an option as far as I am concerned.

All the best with keeping clean.

i can relate to this ive been in the situation where i could of bought nice things, like a new tv or computer etc,, but i then used to get thoughts like its just materialstic cr**? i dont really need it, its not exciting and then go on to blow my hard earned money on gambling,, same result every time tho,, losses, guilt and a week of beating myself up mentally. Been clean since Nov 9th 2013 so far

Hi - binge gamblers usually follow a cycle of:-

1. Gamble

2. Maybe win

3. Get greedy and try to win more

4. Lose

5. Chase

6. Lose big

7. Sulk

8. Eventually mentally delete the effect of the big loss

9. Gamble.................and so on.

The gap between 7 and 8 lead people to think they are a binge rather than compulsive gambler. I suppose they are still compulsive but with bigger gaps between gambling sessions than those who just keep going and going.

I vote for 'don't start then you don't have to worry about stopping'.

Regards

Dave

Daveuk sums it up pretty well. I'd go as far as to say I am a compulsive, binge gambler. The bets start small, usually to justify in my head paying for a small luxury etc then I end up down which is when chase begins, to be followed by crazy bets to bail me out (which always lose)so then I end up hating myself for wasting major sums of money which shoulve been used wisely. The debts increase and my quality of life gets worse. I can go weeks, months between these relapses. So far so good this year though, got to keep focused and keep blocks in place.

I think you guys are right, boredom is not a good thing for a gambler. Lets face it, we enjoy the thrill of gambling and that's why are all here.

For me, gambling is a binge. I work all week and i am occupied. Then its the weekend, i drive 15 miles...knowing exactly what my intention is even if I don't admit it to myself.

I have written a checklist, which is my list of tasks that i can do as a distraction. To be honest, it gets easier to stop if you put some distractions in place. My motivation is simple, do i really want to hit retirement age with nothing to show for all those hours work. No holidays, no luxuries just a life wasted.

Come on guys, we are all strong individuals and now we have to prove it. I have gambled for 20 years, racked up debt, depressed and full of self pity. Lets make 2014, or the majority of it gamble free, there are much better things to be doing.

good luck

hi im new to this site,

i dont quite know what type of gambling im going through but i suppose its all gambling in which ever way shape or form. i can go in bookies whenever i have just been paid or whether i have my last 3 pound in my pocket and not worry about loosing untill i have actually lost. my problem is knowing when to stop, i guess that hardest bit is when you get to the point where you break even, and you have one little gamble and then get in to the vicious 'chasing your money back' stage. but i havent had a stage of excessive gambling in over 2 months, if im gonna go in i will say to myself before i go in ill only use a certian amount £4 for aguments sake if i win i win, if i lose i lose, but what im wanting to do is not go in at all, has anyone got any tips or pointers to help me along my way ??

Yes just stop going in. The logical part of your brain that stops you needs to overule the part of your brain that encourages you to do so, Deal with that internal battle, and win it, as difficult as it is.