Done with excuses. No more gambling, ever.

"just £150 and I'll stop" -- I've heard that voice. I tell it,

1. you (the voice) are lying to me
2. you (the voice) are lying to me with intent to do harm
3. therefore your suggestion deserves and receives no consideration

Maybe it's absurd to have these conversations inside my skull, but it works for me.

Hi dogfan.

I am a partner of an addict, and I have conversations in my head all the time :). It's a coping mechanism and great help. You are not going mad. It shows that you are on the best way I think.

Good luck!

Its so hard but just don't do it mate. Id love a small bet on the tennis or football and id probably win this time. But eventually I'd lose it all and more pretty soon after.
I had a couple of relapses over the first month now im on the home straight and won't be betting again.
Put all the blocks in place so you cant bet, that's the best thing I did.

Good luck
Mba

I myself have been a compulsive gambler for over 10 years. Been bet free for 19 days and after last night I can honestly say I will never gamble again. After speaking to a gamcare counsellor online they recommended a book called Allen Carrs easy way to stop gambling. Honestly it's the best £5 you'll ever spend. I know it's only been 19 days but it's unbelievable the difference I feel. You hear it alot as we'll but honesty has to be the best policy. God know show many times I have let my family down dye to gambling but this time it is all out in the open fiancГ© friends family relatives you name it and I'm not ashamed any more.
i am free from gambling at last

Not gambled since 20/11/2014. Life's been tough since, but outside factors. Drawing me back to gambling but kept telling myself it would be 100 times worse if on top I was still actively gambling. That doesn't sound like a long time, but to me that's pretty good going as I just couldn't stop, not even a day. But I'm in a happy place, just came back from Paris....I remember few years ago booking a holiday and not getting on the plane because 3 days before the flight I had gambled away everything. Please god, let this be it and keep me strong.

Hope everyone else is doing good. Keep strong, it can be done. We just have to give this illness the respect it deserves, if you had cancer, and was dying. You wouldn't casually take the medication, you'd do what you needed to do to give yourself a chance. I guess it's the same here....have to give it everything, fight all urges, triggers. It's the only hope.

How are you getting on Judderman?

Hi, very well thanks. Yourself?

Unbelievably, and I say that because I couldn't ever imagine a day like this would come when I was in the grip of compulsive gambling. I haven't really discussed the extent of my gambling on here, but it was ugly in a different way because of the amounts and the way I was gambling, such that it was hard to imagine a day without.

It's coming up to almost two months now, my life has changed, I've changed yet the demons still follow me. Randomly I'll get the urge, especially after I've spent money. Almost like I want to win the money back or something.

However, I've taught myself a few things. Whenever I get that thought I tell myself that I'm now under attack from this demon that wants to take me back to where my life was. I allow myself to sink back into all the ultra sad moments/humiliations of the past. When I awake from this, I know that to defeat this thing, I just to need survive this moment and it will have to go to away. I know it will return for me, but I must again be its equal.

It sounds crazy I get that, but it's working for me and I think it can work for other people. You've suffered so much, the least you can do is use it's memory so you don't destroy another month, year.

It's going to take me around three months to earn back what ive lost in the last week (or two bets really).. Three months grinding away at work.. Such a waste. Just need to hope that when the urge comes back I can tackle it like you are and remind myself of how low this feeling is!!

It's that or a lifetime of misery, pain, humiliation. I don't know what stage you are in yet but this will eventually rob you of everything. I am proud person, I'd never imagined ever that I'd lie, steal, cry, humiliate myself infront of the people I have. 3 months is nothing, you worried about that? Friend, it's a lot worse. You're actually in the fight of your life, it will rob you of everything. Don't let it.

Well done Judderman. Keep going. We can all find our strength within.
I used to be on here and was doing so well until last April but it all fell apart, did over 100 days gamble free and felt so much better and then I just don't know what happenned. I was reluctant to come back on here before as I've been abused previously on here and wasn't sure that i was emotionally strong enough to deal with that. So i've just been lurking in the background for a few weeks. 8 years pretty much, on and off (more on), 8 years of waste, 8 years of going round in circles. I'm lucky really, I still have my family and my job but so aware now that that may change if i carry on. I haven't gambled this year and I hope to stay that way. 14 days in total, it's a start. Love and best wishes to all in their mission to stop gambling.