Hi everyone,
My main vice for a few years has been the FOBT's. As time has progressed my stakes have got higher and higher and my losses greater. I can completely understand why thy are described as the 'craic C*****e' of the gambling world. I fully realise that for a long time these machines have had their claws firmly embedded me and have both stripped my finances, my dignity and my self respect. Once I play them I end up in a betting frenzy, with the majority of the game play spent chasing my losses. I've lost hundreds of pounds in very little time. Once I play them I feel sick inside as I know what I am doing is wrong, unproductive and self destructive. I watch my money drain away during each spin and even when I manage to win I chase the remaining losses even harder! I know I have an issue with them and I have taken steps to try and remove the temptation including varying routes home as to not pass bookmakers and not carrying large quantities of cash. What annoys me most is that I always manage to get drawn back to them. I have made a conscious decision to stop playing them now and the last time I played was Monday 13th April at which time I lost £400. I struggle with the guilt of playing and losing money which can be better spent. Is regret and guilt at losses common? I have small manageable debts of approximately £8000 (some of which has been accumulated through gambling) but I'm in a well paid job, providing for my family. I want to break the cycle and to have a better life. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Plenty of gamblers enjoy gambling as a source of entertainment. If you want to stop have a word with gamcare about other measures you could put in place or read day@atime posts or duncanmac's
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Thanks for the sound advice lads. My family are fully aware of the fight ahead however I already feel more positive. I've decided to adopt the 'gambling pyramid' as a method to maintain my abstinence. By removing Time, Money or location I will remove the risk of relapsing. I'm gonna get on with this and make the best of things. My debts are relatively small so my aim now is to repay them asap. Keep the faith.
Hi Huskydawg.
In my experiencing, it's good to put up barriers. However when you are an active gambler you just always seem to find a way. There's been points in my life, I've not had money for basics but managed to get hold of money to gamble. Whilst you're doing the right thing by taking measures. I think the real battle is inside, otherwise temptation, method, etc will always be in your face. You'll walk pass a bookies oneday with a debit card in your pocket for example.
You can win this battle, and win it for good by beating the gambler inside of you. Make a choice today, that you will not destroy anymore of your life, cause that what it boils down to, your life. Not just money, you aren't just losing money. You're losing life. From your post it seems you're still in a position to save yourself. Trust me my friend, this addiction will rob you of all happiness. It takes everything.
I wish I had sat down with myself and made myself understand how much trouble I was going to be in, or how If I stopped now the places I could stop myself from being in. I'm still rebuilding, and still weak to relapses. But I've done three months before, fell and then another 3 months now again almost. I now believe 100% I can stop, and I can change. So can you and everyone else.
Thanks judderman for me it's taking each day at a time and putting in small measures to remove the temptation. Money/time/location. I'm on my 5th day today and traditionally Saturday was a big gambling day for me, although with FOBTs everyday had the potential to be a big gambling day! I'm actually tired of them. I'm fed up feeling like c**P even when I win. For me it was all about the rush and not really whether the outcome was a win or loss! That's why my losses mounted up as even when I got a big win I had no hesitation blowing the lot and more. What was the point???
Thanks judderman for me it's taking each day at a time and putting in small measures to remove the temptation. Money/time/location. I'm on my 5th day today and traditionally Saturday was a big gambling day for me, although with FOBTs everyday had the potential to be a big gambling day! I'm actually tired of them. I'm fed up feeling like c**P even when I win. For me it was all about the rush and not really whether the outcome was a win or loss! That's why my losses mounted up as even when I got a big win I had no hesitation blowing the lot and more. What was the point???
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Personally joydivider I think it's important to find something more positive to devote your time to. I too have an addictive personality and have recognised at even this early stage of my rehab that I need to find something else in my life. I agree with you that gambling can manifest itself as a consequence of unhappy aspects of our personal lives. Gambling becomes an escape, a way of putting those problems to the back of our minds even for a short time. The problem is that we all have to go back to reality and deal with the problems after the 'rush' is long gone. If we don't deal with the daily underlying problems will gambling be the temporary solution? I can empathise completely with you as I've often taken the easy way out and chose gambling as my escape. What you have to remember though is that you have the power to make things better mentally and physically to begin with and financially over the long run by abstaining from gambling. Get some positivity into your life. learn from your mistakes, take up a new hobby, set attainable goals and be happy. My mother often says to me 'yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery, today is a gift from God!' I'm not religious but when you think about it what's gone is gone, you can't get it back but you can learn from it, tomorrow is unknown but the present, the here and now, is all that really matters! Keep the faith!
Subconscious robbery
Yes it is. One arm bandits or whatever you want to call them are lethal. To add casino games to them was another step in the unacceptable process of total deregulation
You will see one of my removed posts above on this older thread. That was me learning about the addiction but still ultimately confused and very addicted.
I hope huskydawg is well.
Best wishes to everyone
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