Hi All,
I’m back again but determined this time to finally put this terrible addiction behind me.
Well I know it will always be with me but from now on I realise that I can never gamble again.
All the blocks are now in place, GAMSTOP for the past 6 years, but now I have self excluded from the shops using MOSES.
Hopefully this action will now mean I have no choice but to get on with my life and try to remember what it was like before I got sucked into this terrible cycle of losses, debt, hate, embarrassment, shame etc
It’s going to be tough mentally I think as I have been betting and following them everyday for years. I need to retrain my brain on what normal people do.
Time to focus back on my family that I have neglected for what seems like forever. Yeah I have hidden what I have been going through so they still think I’m great but I know myself I have been a selfish waster that has risked everything I love on gambling.
The strangest thing is that I still don’t know why I have done this to myself for so long when I know there is no winning. It’s a mugs game and the bookie always wins. I used to convince myself it was for entertainment but I know I was just kidding myself. Grief, yes had lots of that but all this started well before I suffered family losses so it can’t be that.
Oh well, I’ll probably never know why I did it but all I can do is take one day at a time and start to pay off the huge debts this so called entertainment has left me with.
G
Afternoon G100 @g100
Just seen your post today and must say how great it is that you have come to this decision. To stop your gambling harm and to regain your life back. Gambling can feel a comfort in a strange way at the time as it is familiar, but pain often follows soon after as reality of losses sink in. Well done on putting new stops in place.
From experience the banking stop Apps can be very effective as well.
I hear that you have had losses in your life which is so difficult to manage emotionally and gambling can be used as an escape short term.
Your family , as you say will always feel you are great so its focusing on you and your family to create new memories that is important. I wonder if you can open up to a friend or family member about your struggles and personal losses?
Day by day focus on the good you can do for your self and family. Reach out to Gamcare and its community. I have personal experience of being listened to by the helpline advisers who are there with a non judgemental ear. Call on 0808 8020 133 24/7, they are truly wonderful to help sign post you to any other help.
There is always hope. Keep posting and updating
Regards
Patsy
Hi can I just suggest to you that self exclude from arcades and bingo halls it's easy to do just so you got extra blocks in place if every you got tempted again good luck with your recovery and new life keep up the good work
It sounds like you are taking really positive steps in your recovery from gambling
Yes, there are numerous self-exclusion schemes available for most high street gambling operators including arcades and bingo halls
Our helpline is open 24/7 so please don't hesitate to contact us if you would like to explore these options further
Thank you
Thanks for your comments and support guys.
5 days gambling free, no real urge but plenty of thoughts of what an idiot I have been over the years. Don’t think those thoughts will ever go away , I just need to focus on other things and over time I should see the benefit. Lots of debt but every month should make a difference…..5 years is a long time though to keep focused in order to clear everything. No spare cash so depression is my biggest concern.
good luck to everyone in their personal journey.
G
One week gambling free and feel pretty ok with it. Spending more time with the kids rather than looking at my phone and ultimately I haven’t lost any money.
G
31 days GF, things are ok. It’s always there in my mind but finding it manageable for now….been here before so need to stay focused. Every payday should start to lift the gloom, even though it will be a 5 year rebuild to undo everything.
Still getting mood swings but trying to fill my time with exercise, family time etc.
Next milestone for me will be 6 months when hopefully by then I’ll be in a much better situation financially.
Have a good day everyone, as any day GF is a great day.
41 days GF. Still determined to beat this but it’s still in my mind all the time. Not the urge to gamble but the thought of why I did this to myself in the first place.
i’ve known for years that you never really win and if you did it went back to the bookie soon enough, so why continue knowing every time just increased my debt. Maybe that was the problem, when you lose hope you just carry on again as there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
Anyway, exercise is going well and more time with the family so life’s not too bad for now.
G
Hi G. Just wanted to say very well done to you on your journey so far. I am approaching day 50 tomorrow so we have both begun our new journey on here at similar times so that’s comforting to know. 👍.
keep going and so will I - it will only enhance our lives for the better. Remember that!
Pink Lady. 🩷🍎.
Thanks Pink Lady and congrats on hitting 50 days GF.
Wishing you all the best for your journey and I hope you can find the strength to beat this.
G
70 days GF and doing ok. Don’t really think about gambling but constantly worry about the debt I have to pay off with 0% credit cards coming to an end soon.
Not sure how that will play out if I can’t get credit to transfer the balances to another 0%….i’ll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.
Question please…..does anyone else get sent multiple texts from casinos trying to lure you back in with bonus offers etc? I report and delete them all the time but they just keep coming and the more I report the more I get. I wasn’t even a member at these casinos!!
Any advice would be appreciated as I’ll be having a good day not even thinking about gambling and then I get these messages which then puts me in a bad mode as it reminds me of what a fool I’ve been.
Thanks
G
100 days GF…..happy that I don’t think of gambling anymore.
One day at a time and every day I’m better off even though my debts don’t seem to be shifting much at the moment. Need to be in it for the long game and stay focused.
G
@g100 Congratulations on reaching 100 days g/f! You're commitment has paid off, well done 😀
Please do contact us on the Helpline if you'd like to have a chat about the sort of support available around your debt.
Another member in the 100 club! Well done mate, great achievement. The debts will get there. Slow progress but not gambling has ensured the debts are not getting any bigger.
Love seeing people succeeding. Yes we are never truly free from this addiction, but the further down the line we get, the easier it is.
Congrats again.
Stay strong
@g100 Congratulations G on reaching the 100 day milestone 👏👏👏👏. Just one week behind me!🙂. You must be feeling so much better in yourself? Sometimes on here, I feel people are really impatient with regard to paying off their debt and that in itself can then become quite consuming 😔. I have 31k worth of debt currently and have been paying this off for years with Stepchange, but I continue to work on the mantra “steady wins the race” and “patience is a virtue”. Thankfully, I have no mortgage which helps. In the meantime, I just let my debt lay in the background and remind myself that each month it decreases, no matter how little!
Have you tried contacting Stepchange? They could come up with a plan to help you manage your debt, instead of trying to find zero percent credit cards.
keep going and wishing you hope and strength on your journey.
Pink Lady 🩷🍎.
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