Trying to turn the corner..

Well done on not spending the last  amount in your bank account. The hardest part while actively gambling is cutting your losses. But are you going to spend it tonight?

It sounds like you have an emotional connection to gambling on the slots, most gamblers do too. It takes them into a different world - it's them and the machine or the dealer. I still have massive issues with gambling and it was mostly online roulette which can be a horror show in 5 minutes betting big when losing, but when winning can be 'cozy' from time and again to know that it's just me and the machine.

Thank you for you’re reply and truths, I think you have a point I do feel I’m in my own little world for that time on the games. I’m never desperate and frustrated waiting for a win... I’m quite calm and just continue to press the buttons until balance is zero ?‍♀️ It’s like I have given in, surrendered completely to it. 
I didn’t go back on last night but feeling twitchy now, I’m going try stay busy. I’m going block cards today too say they are lost and need replacements sending- gives me weekend  not gambling maybe. 
Payplan have been brill with tackling my debts  and sorted a manageable monthly payment scheme so I no longer have individual companies harassing me.... 
we can do this. We can do this.  we are smart we are strong we just need not beat ourselves up.  The industry has abused us... financially and emotionally manipulated and preyed on us.
But let’s not give them any more of our cash it’s ours.

thankyou and I wish you well. 

Have you thought about signing up to GamStop? It was best thing I ever did, after many many relapses with online casinos and countless nights of having spent every penny I had. 

Hi Libbyuk87,

I joined GamStop last year and it hasn't worked for me. Ive found ways around it.

This morning Ive told the my bank my cards are lost so please block and to send new ones... Ive had some money paid into my bank account today from some work i did, I knew it was being paid in today so wanted to give myself the best chance of keeping it in account.  That is only so i can have weekend with no bank cards and therefore no gambling online. I then can put petrol in car and do food shop.  Im really trying to keep my money from casinos.  

Thank you for your kind thoughts

Dear @antswifey0,

You can request from your bank to put a block on gambling transactions on your account/card. This of course depends on who you bank with, but it's worth checking and asking. And if your bank doesn't currently offer this then it's worth swapping to one that does. Santander, Barclays, Lloyds, Halifax, Starling and Monzo all do.

It sounds to me that this probably is a safer way forward for you.

Also it might be helpful to find out what your triggers are. The more you understand your triggers the more opportunity you will have to put strategies in place to either avoid the triggers or (if they are unavoidable) to find ways to cope with them in a positive way.

Keep posting and sharing and please feel free to call our Helpline or Netline any time for some one-to-one support and advice, we are here 24/7.

Wishing you all the best in your recovery,

Eva

Forum Admin

I’ve recently stopped all activity and it’s great that there are blocks in place but it’s these scratch cards that are hard to ban from, the lotto need to introduce a national ban yourself from buying and send to every retailer 

I mean they can do it for shop lifters (police) so why not for gambling addicts like? 

the best thing to do is forget the money you’ve lost, it’ll never come back even if you carry on gambling, my way of dealing with it was to slam hours in at work and because I work in care it’s easy to get overtime (I could turn up today if I wanted and it’s my day off) it does take your mind off it, I try to make sure I finish at a time when all the local shops are shut so I have no option than to drive past them, I’ve recently changed my gas and electric to smart meters so I can avoid going into shops that sell scratch cards when I top my gas up as I can now do it online 

I have just joined a gym with a pool and a jacuzzi, you have no idea how amazing a jacuzzi is to take your mind off gambling, it’s literally my own counselling that is, and the memberships £27 a month for everything, I was spending that a day on scratch cards 

if you do join a gym then be honest with the trainer who inducts you, I told mine I was a recovering addict and his words were ‘ your not the first and you won’t be the last to come to me and say that’ so a lot of people must see the gym as a bit of therapy to get over the addiction 

I went in at first after someone told me to use a gym and thought it was nonsense, how wrong could I have been, and my gym even has its own counseller 

im at a point in my life where I’m lucky as I’ve only thrown money away I’ve earned and not got into debt because of it, however not so lucky as I could have been as I could have saved a lot of money which would have helped me when I’m older such as adding it to a pension etc 

I know it sucks and right now you feel like you can’t do it but trust me I did and even though I’m not far into my programme I’ll still always be an addict sadly you’ll always be an addict but a recovering addict 

you’ll be ok and if you need to talk message me 

Hi Eva,   I am with NatWest and yes they say i can block my card,,,,, but guess what,,,,,, I can unblock it using the banking app on my phone anytime (instant unblock)  I seem to know every trick in the book!!  I cant open a new bank account because of my 'very poor' credit status.

It seems my trigger is money in my account and when husband goes to bed i can sit on laptop for hours... searching for online casinos.  I just think the only real obstacle is by having no access to money and the only way at the moment is saying card is lost so the bank blocks it completely. But a new one will arrive next week and loop starts again... hopefully i've paid a few bills before then. 

Well done acorn83, you seem a lot stronger and honest than me. It's great that you are facing up and owning your addiction.

You are right of course we shouldn't feel shame but I aren't there at all. i'm still living a life of pretence, to all my family (not husband) Im absolutely fine, work hard but when i say i cant afford holiday or something new for house they often say 'you must be loaded all the hours you work" they mean it in a friendly manner but how do i say no I work hard to pay for the debts and will probably paying for many years... 

I wish i could get rid of my smart phone, laptop but i need access to the internet for work. i wish i could not have a debit/credit card but i need one for my business.  the blocks don't seem to help me. Gamblock didnt work for me, bank blocks not working for me, i cant speak to husband he doesnt understand, he thinks I should have some self control... me too 🙁 

Im just taking day to day now. Going try fill spare time with hobby and get better sleep pattern, 

Thank you for listening and let me ramble on. x

Im sitting here in my living room with my husband fast asleep in bed.....

Ive had email from online site offering vip status and they have credited my account XX ....  Ive just been on and turned it into XX and then I see the balance go slowly down to zero.  Im usually depositing between  XX-XX at a time and This is the moment of panic, I need to deposit because I think one of the games is going to pay out!!!  

Thank god i blocked my card as i then had time to think I haven't lost anything tonight, I then sent an email to request they close that account. 

I feel good- I have gambled but not put my money in and Im also blocked from using that site again. 🙂 

Dont get me wrong even as i'm writing this i'm thinking about other sites i could try but the point is I have no access to money so that tactic is working for now. 

I honestly aren't kidding myself I did gamble again.  But proud that forward planned as i knew this weekend would be temptation with some of my salary still sitting in my bank account. 

so I'll now go and get some sleep feeling a little stronger. 🙂 . 

this site is giving me strength and hope, each day i will fight this demon.

thank you everyone for your honesty..

julie

x