Hi 131192, thanks for sharing your story! I'm so glad that this has worked for you, I was one of the lucky ones too! With their support & your determination, you can beat this - ODAAT
Hi 131192,
Welcome to the forum, and thank you for your post.
Your encouragement to other problem gamblers to open up to family and friends is actually admirable, and it’s good to know that is helping you in your effort to stop gambling.
In fact, I couldn’t agree with you more in saying that, being honest about your gambling problem, and being able to disclose it to significant others (in your case it was your immediate family), is the right way to tackle your problematic gambling.
Sharing your gambling problem lessens the impact it has on you, as it enables you to speak freely about it to those who care about your wellbeing. Moreover, you also get support from them most of the times.
Like you mentioned above, your post will hopefully go a long way in encouraging others to open up too.
I’ll advise that you go for Self Exclusion from all the casinos that you gamble from, and pls. go for the maximum time ban. Meanwhile, you must try and replace your spare time/ gambling time with other form of activities/ hobbies to distract you from gambling, and also to avoid being bored. Stopping yourself from boredom will also help to prevent a relapse especially when you’re in recovery.
Perhaps you’ll like to contact our free phone Helpline on: 0808 8020 133, and speak to one of our advisers for further help. An adviser would be able to refer you for 12 sessions of free counselling if you think that would help you to overcome your gambling problem.
Pls. note that our lines are open everyday from 8.00am to midnight.
Thanks again for your post, and pls. keep posting.
Best wishes,
Beatrice
Hi I am the wife of a gambler. I discovered the debt and finally my husband confessed about the gambling. We are both in counselling and he seems to be doing really well. Almost too well. He has had a problem for years but tells me that he hasn't really been tempted. Is this possible? I read on here about constant struggles, it never goes away etc. But he seems at the moment to be fine. Makes me feel very uneasy. Surely it can't be that easy? Is it possible for complusive gamblers to just stop because their family know? Of course I have asked him but he has fed me lies for years so can't trust him.
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