slots for fun

Hi Beth2u, enormously well done on reaching a year my friend - you should be very proud of yourself; I have stopped for five years now and the first year is without doubt the hardest.

You have done exactly the right thing by coming here - you haven't relapsed but you have done something which could potentially spark something in your subconscious somewhere down the line; if you are having a weak moment, or a bad day, then you thoughts may turn to the app that you installed, and that could lead to playing with real money as you know.

I was the same - when I stopped, I ate my lunch and dinner in the Bookmakers, I used simulators, I watched racing and read gambling-related features and updates - I know now that all I was doing was slowing down my own recovery and making things much harder for myself; there really is no other way forward other than zero tolerance, and that applies to simulators or apps where money isn't a factor - as you know, compulsive gamblers chase the euphoria of winning and not the money itself; having an app such as this could potentially open up a pathway to a place and person that you don't want to go back to again, ever.

You know what to do my friend - it shows how far you have come by posting here when you need to. Don't castigate or be too hard on yourself because of this - it doesn't matter, all that matters is that you delete it and continue on this positive path.

I hope those around you are proud of you too, they certainly should be.

JamesP

Hi Beth2u,

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for posting here. Congratulations too on holding up to a whole year without gambling!

I hope that you’ll continue with the strategies and boundaries that you’ve been applying, and hopefully, you'll come to achieve your aim.

Don’t let what happened discourage you from forging ahead with the progress that you’re making. I’m glad that you’re aware of the potential danger which such fun app can cause.

Like you admitted, it’s not wise to have anything to do with gambling be it for fun or not. Since you’re trying to stop, and you’ve managed so well so far, my advice is to do your best to avoid anything that would tempt you into gambling again.

Make good effort to distract yourself from gambling by engaging in other hobbies/ activities that interests you, and which are not related to gambling.

Also, do try and add new strategies to what you already know by reading from the forum if you think it would be beneficial to your circumstances.

As you may have found out, taking your recovery step by step or, one day at a time is very helpful because then you wouldn’t be stressed about how long you have to carry on. Before you know, a year or two would have passed, and then you get use to the habit of not gambling. Realising the progress with your recovery process might even encourage you to do more.

Perhaps it would be advisable to call our Helpline on 0808 8020 133 in future if you find you’re struggling to deal with your addiction, and one of our advisers would speak to you and support you with more advice and strategies. Our lines are open everyday from 8.00am to 12.00midnight.

Thanks again for disclosing here, and please keep posting as often as you can.

Best wishes,

Beatrice

Happy Ist Anniversary Beth !