Hearing the Call

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the forum.

I sympathise with your situation and I know how you are feeling.

I think of myself as a gambling addict. I tell myself that I can never gamble again ever on anything. This works for me. Today, I am over 560 days without a bet. In truth, I am hopelessly addicted to roulette and always will be. I had to stop ALL gambling because no matter what I did with football, horses, dogs etc it always put me in a place where I had access to roulette snd roulette has the ability to take everything from me. I have the ability to lose everything on a roulette machine whereas in all other aspects of life I am a sensible, responsible person. Roulette could kill me if I let it. So, I don’t.

I focus only on the positives of not allowing myself to play roulette. The obvious ones being I have far, far more money. I sleep better and go to bed without worry. I live in the moment and I’m not distant lost in my own thoughts of roulette and how to win money.

My life now is immeasurably better. I live by one rule only to achieve this feeling of being content - I cannot gamble on anything because I know through years of experience that if I bet on anything I’ll be behind a roulette wheel before the week is out. This is a small sacrifice for having a good life, being a good dad who always has time to play with his kids, take them places, do things etc.

Letting roulette go was like giving up anything. It was hard for a short time. As time goes on and life gets better it became easier and easier. 

Change your thoughts. Don’t think of roulette as the wonderful exciting game where you can win. Think of it as the only destructive mess that can destroy your life.

My last game of roulette I lost £7k in an hour. Years before I would have been devastated to lose a few hundred quid. But, it gets progressively worse, the risks higher, the ability to accept defeat and walk away nigh on impossible.

Quit and start living. I run about 5 times per week. I love it now. Its my time to focus and have my own thoughts. Obviously, I am far healthier and fitter as well.

Take care. Good luck to you.

RR

Hi Mark you're doing really good but......you're talking yourself into a relapse in your post. What I would do it I were you is protect yourself by giving someone control of your finances but at the very least give your savings for someone to mind for you. Taking that temptation out of the way will help you feel stronger the better your defences to gambling lessens the urges, knowing that you can't gamble is powerful. Now I know I just made that sound simple, believe me.....I know it's not, but my lived experience is that my defences to gambling protect me and are there for those bad moments. Earlier in the year I had a bad spell I really wanted that escape but Gamstop and not having access to our finances gave me the protection I needed whilst I felt vulnerable gave me that headroom to be rational think things through, avoid that big hole in the road. Keep posting saying how you feel really helps, I wish you strength and positivity

Good to have you with us Mark. I can appreciate how you are feeling because in the past I also have been told to leave betting shops where I was self excluded and like you I have travelled to far away places where I could give money to them awful fobt machines.

Covid along with the lock down have helped my recovery. Almost 9 months gamble free.

The posts on your diary by Roulette Regret & Charlieboy are excellent and have made me ever more determined to stay clear of any form of gambling.

Aum ?