Why Can’t I Stop?

What did you do that worked for you?

What changed to allow your mind to go back to it?

Chris.

Whilst in manic state of compulsive gambling its hardest point to stop. This is the time where only blocks will work. Put everything in place u can to stop yourself. This way it. You need to protect you from yourself block off everything then hand your card over to someone else. By doing this u put your mindframe in a place where u will be calm and you acknowledge to yourself u cant do it.  Then focus on a plan.

Its so hard when u in the zone to pull yourself out. I have been same betting on things i know nothing of and no logic or sense to it

Sports betting are the worst... please stop as soon as possible.

If you love your family... please stop this curse!

YOU dont deserve this! sports is fake its all a scam!

You need to detox from sports betting... its time to heal !

@spottydog 

I have tried the blocking but its just so easy to unblock. I jave deleted apps then downloaded again.. i cant even give my card to anyone cos to start noone knows about my addiction as i am in such deep depression i couldnt handle people judging me and second my phone automatically puts my card number in and i know the numbers by heart.

I am struggling so bad that my mental and physical health have took a huge hit. I finally built the courage to sign up on here as recommended by my doctor.

Any advice or help for a gambler who has lost everything yet still cannot stop until im 6 feet under ?

@yellowsunflower Can you explain how you stopped? It’s okay saying to stop but what helped you?

Chris. 

Hi @essexforever thank you for your post on the forum and well done for reaching out today.

If you have found blocks have not been effective you could try other blocks like GamBan or try signing up for Gamstop which will self exclude you from online gambling. 

Please do no go through this alone and reach out to us on the helpline where we are open 24/7, so there is always someone there for you! : tel:08088020133

https://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/talk-to-us-now/

We are always here for you, best wishes

Forum Admin 

Lauren

Ask your bank for help with the blocks.

And also get an old pay as you go phone and ditch the modern internet accessible phones.

So you tell a few selected people, so what?, if it means you have a good rest of your life whats the problem?The shame would last for all of a few days, and who knows the people you tell may be supportive and make the difference. If you carry on they will find out anyway, better on your own terms.

Think positive you can do this.

Hi Claire

Thank you for your psoting.

I could not trust my self with money or access to money or credit cards.

I did not value money or my self, money was just the fuel for my addiction.

For me I got productive and wirting things down. My needs my wants and my needs.

Once I started gambling the lies started over again.

I was not stupid bad or evil.

I was just emotionally vulnerable.

Each time  I went back to gambling was a lesson for me to learn from.

In time I found my emotional triggers were pains I could not heal, fears I could not face, my unreasonable expectations of  people life and situations, feelings of loneliness and boredom.

You are most certainly not worthless.

You are just emotionally vulnerable.

Today I do not want or need to gamble.

Today I do not want or need to take any risks of any sort.

In recovery I learned to value my self.

In recovery I learned to love my self.

In recovery I learned to respect my self.

In recovery I learned to heal the hurt inner child in me.

In recovery I learned to abstain from many unhealthy habits and to exchange unhealthy habits for healthy habits.

Please stick with the recovery program, you are worth it. 

Love and peace to everyone

Dave L

AKA Dave of Beckenham UK

@essexforever 

Talk to someone? It will be hard and the hardest thing you do, but at the same time, will be a massive weight off your shoulders.

I was so worried about telling my husband, put it off for so long but then I had no choice, he saw a huge amount of bank statements! He shouldn’t have found out that way and I regret not telling him sooner as he was so supportive. 

Gambling is an illness,  it’s not a choice. You wouldn’t choose this life voluntarily. But don’t be alone in it, it’s the worse thing you can do to yourself. 

Take care, 
Claire 

I completely feel your pain. I too am betting on random teams in places I haven't even heard of, it's ridiculous. I have an amazing wife and a beautiful 4 year old daughter. I am desperate to stop, I need to tell my wife as its taking over my life but I don't know how - I dont want my marriage to end over this. I also have a good job and just seem to blow 90% of my salary on gambling before pay day weekend is even over. Then I borrow from friends/family with different excuses for why I need the money. I hate what I am doing to myself

@cpparch great message. I need to tell my wife, it'll be a massive weight off MY shoulders but at the same time it will be transferring the weight onto her shoulders. I wish I could go back to the first day I ever bet and just lose instead of winning - it might have changed everything.

It's so difficult to deal with this, I just dont know how to make things right (paying back friends and family etc too)

@wishididntgamble 

I’ve just replied to your post. 

You think it may be transferring the weight but how do you know this? My husband just felt sad that I couldn’t tell him sooner, that I was suffering alone. So in that respect, he would have wanted to share the load with me. 

I ran up £40K worth of debt, and I was still forgiven. Is your debt as bad as that? 

Don’t think back, you cannot change the past, but you can change the future! I’m only on 7 weeks GF after a relapse, but I’m so determined to beat this.

You’ve got this!!! ??

Hi Claire. Well you’re certainly not worthless for lapsing on gambling. Some of us have that addictive or compulsive gene that can just cause chaos if left un-observed. 

An important question might be asking yourself what triggered you into gambling this time? was it a bad day at work or something happening in your life, because it is very easy to use gambling to alter the way we feel, especially with unconscious pain. 

Mindfulness and Meditation was very life changing for me. Even though I still have a great degree of difficulty with gambling and avoiding the temptation myself, it certainly helps with relaxing and realising it all isn’t too serious haha. 

Take care.