Hi all,
This is my first post and despite being signed up here for a while, I never actually used it.
I am 28 and have been a on/off gambler for I think around 6 years at least. It started as a way to decrease boredom, just giving myself something to do. Anyways, now I do it (did it hopefully!) as a ways of stress coping. My husband lives abroad, and we have always had physically distance pretty much all of our time we have known each other. So there is your constant pressure/stress. I gamble when my mood is anything really: sad, upset, angry and yes, even when I am happy! I have actually finishes my DipHe in counselling, and I am a counsellor (we have problems too!!). I am getting the upper hand, and also understanding why I do it, although the only person who know of it is hubby. I don't intent in telling the rest of my family ( I still live at home) because I want it behind me. I recently went a month without, and was really please. But i fell in the 'I've been good trap' and started with a 'flutter'. my husband also used to gamble so he understands. What I alwasy would have wanted was to enjoy it without going crazy. But I now realise, that it is all or nothing: as I mentioned, there is no medium, for me anyways. I am not in gamblint debts, though a have a car loan to pay off, which is being paid off. I'm ok, when I get the upper hand. I binge gamble, I can lose £100 or £200 when the bug really latches on. I hate it. And I hate the 'hungover' feeling afterwards. I want to be happy. I don't want it over me. I gambled yeterday, and I an trying this as a way of stopping for good. I have done it before, so I know I can do it again, and this time not fall off the wagon.
That's just a snipet of me really. I look forward to reading about more of peoples journesy on here!
UshaD
Hi UshaD,
Welcome to the Forum. I hope you get a lot of feedback by other members here.
Using gambling as a way to deal with difficult feelings can be a real problem so, you need to develop skills to help you manage them in a healthy way. Since you are a counsellor I hope you can appreciate the value of seeing a counsellor. We provide free counselling treatment to help you overcome the addiction.
Your husband sounds very supportive so, it would be good to hand over your income to him for a period of time and while you are getting help. It is good that you are not in debt but this could easily change if you don’t address the problem. Yes, you can stop gambling but trying to do it on your own makes it less possible and more difficult.
I would like to encourage you to take the next step and contact us for further support and advice.
Best wishes,
Forum Admin
Hi Usha
Welcome to the forum , my name joe im a CG im 33 but like you am off on but i know i have problems from previous binges and losses and lack of control , the bug like you say grips hard and i really do think very little active gamblers can stay in control and enjoy the losses as part of the experience , its part of gambling is the extremness the highs the lows its no wonder ppl get addicted so donmt be too hard on urself , this compannies don,t need any more of our money , if your husband not there may be hard to put the blocks in place but look after urself
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