Help

You are in the same position as many on here. Nothing wrong with documenting your thoughts and releasing.

My view is it doesnt matter what preventions you put in place, if you still want to gamble you will find a way to gamble. I am have been looking at various ways of stopping or controlling for years.

Those that are successful on this Forum seem to reach a point where they can say 'enough is enough' and do everything to stop. If you have reached rock bottom 3 times it seems you have not reached that point. ( I havent ever reached it either).

There is much sound advice on here, read the diaries, join the chat, do whatever it takes. Amounts and time periods and ages are all relvant but for me you are ONLY 33, and you only will ONLY take 6 months to pay off debts - count yourself lucky - I am 13 years older, my estimate is 10 years to pay debts. Many on here are worse, having lost houses, family etc.

As a first read, I'd recommend the post on Ade's diary last night - great summary of how many of us think and the cycle we go through.

Best Wishes

Thank you very much for your reply. I guess you are right we always find a way to gamble. The 3 times I am referring to are points where I couldn't see any way out and was sure I would stop, then a few weeks or months later I find myself back to where I was.

I have lost a lot more than my original post explained. I was referring to recent debts pay day loans etc. Previously I have been 60k in debt which Payplan now handle. A disgusting ammount of money spent on absolutely nothing.

I have 2 broken long term relationships due to my gambling (they never knew I gambled but the person I am when I gamble is zombie like so they ha enough of me).

I am not pitying myself, I am just sickened I have wasted so much time and money feeding this beast of an addiction.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply, I feel a little lost and I will certainly check out your suggestion.

That post is inspirational and it really does say it all.

Thank you for pointing it out to me.

I am onto day 2 gamble free. Still feel numb from all the losses and after totting up what I owe I feel sick to the stomach. It was if money had no meaning it was just numbers.

I have now self excluded from every online bookmaker, I am hoping today is the first day of the rest of my life.

I noticed however I definitely have a gambling sub concious. After self excluding I found my brain ticking and thinking of other ways to gamble.This is a horrific addiction I feel like I have the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other 🙁

Totally get what you say about money having no meaning. On days where I have had big losses I have had absolutely no idea how much I have lost, through combination of gambling all the cash I could get, phoning up to bet and using my debit card in shops.

At one stage I cancelled all phone accounts (which have remained closed because they were the worst method for me of betting out of control. ) Fortunately I have never bet online as I am traditional and prefer a visible paper betting slip. I self-excluded from every bookmaker within what I thought was a good distance but I ended up just travelling further afield and for a time actually enjoying the trips (while I was winning), until of course I lost it all again. Whislt putting in place self-exclusion and other deterrents can work to a degree, if we still want to gamble we will find a way.

I also tried having someone else handle money but they got sick of me begging for money for things like getting my car fixed, for travel conected with work etc. and of course I gambled some of that money which was meant for othr things. All in all you have to be 100% committed yourself.

Best of luck

Yeah it is scary how the brain just doesn't seem to process it. I have gambled and lost a months salary in the space of minutes!!

How I feel at this moment in time is strange. I almost feel relief that it could be over as I cannot gamble how I was previously due to the blocks I have put in place.

Next month will be the test when I am paid and have money in my bank account I cannot immediately transfer into an online bookmakers!!

Day 3 gamble free. Still mixed emotions but writing here to say today I will not gamble!

Same as you I have gambled a months wages in 30 minutes in the past. Sad thing is even when I have gambled and lost heavily, within a few days my brain manages to convince me to gamble again and that things will get better again. Even when losing it doesnt really matter as long as I pay the essential bills. The debts have stayed at the same level for years now. Being part of the action has taken preference to clearing debts. I'm on Day 9 and finding it difficult. Hope you can continue your new gambling free life.

Hello there

Day three is a real good achievement , days turn to weeks, I have stopped gambling since December 19th 2012 after being desperate for help I found this forum. Good luck my friend , defeat those ugly demons

All the best.

My story is pretty similar to yours and we are similar ages so I will keep a check on your diary and hopefully we can help each other.

Firstly thanks for your words of encouragement. I am dreaming of a similar achievment Tom, 19th of December is a great effort well done. I know it is mad when the average person doesn't need to gamble and we feel 3 days is an achievement but to me it feels massive. Feelings of regret are the main ones right now. If I make it until the 19th of December I know I will be financially on the straight and narrow and may actually have some savings to my name, that will be your 1 year Tom so keep going mate and I hope to reach that with you!

Nobody knows, keep strong mate. Feel free to write on my diary if your struggling at any point, I have a feeling we may need as much encouragement as possible. I keep finding myself both looking forward to and dreading pay day!! That will be my first real test this time out.

hang in there Matt, you have to learn to become patient, i hope there will be many positives from you stopping, focus on those and as time goes by it will get easier, only on day 13 myself but i am feeling a lot better about myself!!

Phil

I can only repeat "hang in there" - if only you knew how much I meant it and how loudly I'm shouting it for you!

Everything you describe is EXACTLY how I feel. I am female and maybe we would have nothing else in common except this addiction, but isn't it funny how the addiction operates EXACTLY the same in our brains? This helps me to see it for what it is, and know that its evil voice is something that is not me and which only wants to harm me.

I am on day 7 and each day has been hard - but I am very glad about every single one of those days, so believe me, it's worth getting through them and not gambling.

You will solve your money troubles; what's more important is not allowing this addiction to ruin your life, which it will if you go back to it. Money is not the deepest problem - losing precious time and sanity and relationships and all your self-worth is.

(and obviousy I'm talking to myself here too!)

FF

Thanks all for your kind words. I am hanging in there. This morning has been a little depressing, I have taken stock of what I owe to pay day loan companies. When payday arrives in 3 weeks I will literally have nothing!! That I have decided will be the last time I will ever be in that situation.

I can't go on like this and I am so determined to have that feeling again of money in my pocket and not have it hanging over me that it will all probably go. I want to feel secure again and start saving. I am a way off that but today has been a real eye opener, you just get in the gambling zone with complete disregard to the ammounts being gambled!