HELP ME... I CANT STOP

dippy

welcome to the forum,a place where you will receive some great advice,support and all from folk who have a common goal.

To rid there lives from the devastation that is the compulsion to gamble.

I myself am a recovering compulsive gambler my advice is the advice passed to me on my first days recovery,it still works today

There is a triangle

Time-Money-Location

take one away at all times and the punt becomes impossible,gifting your rational side of your brain the valuable gift,time to see what your gambling has given you.

My addiction gifted me self destruction,I actually gambled to within a day of really losing everything,in the futile attempt to win something that was not there.

That reason was because whilst gambling I shared the same mantra as most other compulsive gamblers

I CANNOT WIN BECAUSE I CANNOT STOP.

no win ever big enough and losses to much to bare.

Recovery offers an alternative by arresting the gambling you actually win,you gift yourself a 100% payrise.

Well done for finding the courage to admit your own failings

I hope your diary serves your recovery as well as mine has me.

I won't wish you good luck,as like me I guess you spent that long ago.

Be kind to yourself

Duncs stepping forward never back

Hi dippy and welcome...I am on day 5 of being gambling free and so far so good, very early days and I am aware that prevention is better than cure so I have put strategies in order to try to avoid gambling.

I love what Duncan has said to you, and I have taken that on board too.

Top of the list is ACCEPTING that I can never gamble again because I CANNOT WIN BECAUSE I CANNOT STOP.

I make sure I don't have access directly now to any of my money, other than the precise amount or near enough that I need at that time..i.e food shop, etc.

Not that I have very much over when the bills etc are paid but you know what I mean, and especially if you do have money in a bank that you can access easily...take it out and give it to a trusted person to mind for you...or put it in an account that you can't touch.

I've also learned that routine is important for me...that's where the time comes into it for me...like Duncan says, Time-Money-Location...take one away at all times and it becomes impossible.

I stay away also from the location I loved to gamble in.

I am also waiting to start back with therapy to help me handle the emotional stuff in my life that was making me run like a mad woman to gamble. I gave therapy up before because I couldn't afford it..ha how ironic, i could afford to put my money in the slots tho.

Best of luck and I'm rooting for ye.

Allanah.

Hello Dippy,

There is very good advice for you there by Duncanmac and Alannah. I hope you can feel that there is a lot of support in this Forum, so keep using it and communicate with other members. It is important to break through the isolation that gambling has puts you in.

GamCare also provides support and advice over the phone or the Netline. It might help you to get in touch and share what you are going through. Free counselling sessions are also available for one-to-one support.

Give yourself credit for taking this positive step of coming to the Forum and take it a day at a time, looking forward to a better future.

Best wishes,

Ana

Duncanmac and Alannah and Ann,

I have just managed to get on internet,

I have read each post more than once and taken every word in, theres to a very long jounery, and hopfully one where I will gamble free. im a very self destruction person by all means and still don't understand any of it. I hope I get there I the end

I appreciate your kind words so thank you

Alannah,

Hi,

I very glad to here you have managed 5 days straight im still struggling with the 5 hour point at the moment. since I posted this post ive lost another 150-200, don't dare look to be honest. its uncontrollable, so a massive well done to 5 days !!

Hi Dippy, I'm glad you made it here, I wish you nothing but the best in trying to deal with this 'thing'.

Here is something that has occurred to me before and I have found helpful in the past, I hope it might be of help you too. Jim

Imagine that life is a bit like a wooden table, with the four 'legs' supporting us maybe being:

- our partner & home life

-our friends & family

-our work & money

-our health.

If all these areas are in tune then life can be great. However quite often one or more of these 'legs' will be wobbly or seemingly not there at all, and as a result we are angry or bored or hurt or just want something more. Then in a moment of weakness/despair/boredom we gamble to feel better, obliviate negative thoughts and feelings, win money, whatever. And gambling can quickly become like a 'replacement leg'. The problem is, the replacement leg is made of rotten wood and any initial support it gives soon vanishes, it doesn't support anything for long, it soon deteriorates and in the end will destabilize the whole structure. Better to try and repair the other legs.