lukes fightback

Hi Lukey2016,

Thanks for your post, and I am glad to read that you heeded to what the counsellor said to you, and now the difference and change is happening as a result. Good on you, and try your best to keep it up!

If you follow the advice that we offer, with time, your 2 day abstinence will become 2 weeks, 2 months, and so on, and so forth. It’s doable, and you can do it, Lukeky2016. The important thing is to keep to the strategies, and to echo what you said above: “to keep to the blog ever day”.

Maybe you’d like to join in to our live chats sometimes too, to distract yourself from gambling. To join the chat, log into the forum first and then click on the following link

http://www.gamcare.org.uk/chat

You'll then be taken to a page where you can click on 'The GamCare chatroom' and join us.

Also, please don’t hesitate to contact our free phone Helpline on: 0808 8020 133, and speak to one of our advisers, and in case you need someone to listen to you or, if you need to ask some questions to clear your mind.

Do keep up the good work; there’s light at the end of the tunnel!

Best wishes,

Beatrice

end of day 2.

had no choice but to go to a shop smack bang next to a bookies, i actually walked to the door... nearly went in but remebered this blog and how vain it would have been if i was to in and do a months wages in a mahcine for fun.

instead i brought my self some food, and my just about girl friend some flowers.

enjoy the rest of your night people x

Hi Luke , just to say hi and well done on getting through the first couple of days but those dangers just like the bookies next to the food shop will be all around , so maybe get some photos done and the next time your near one Self exclude , only takes a few minutes and could save you a lot of money and heartache , hope your girlfriend enjoyed the flowers ?.

Have a good one buddy and keep strong ! ............................Alan

day 3 went smooth, i work 24 hour shift so i have no temptation.

although today i am in dispair, grand national day, i feel the need to gamble now. ive had over 20 calls for tips.

ive came on here to get away, but maybe stoping 4 days befor the gn was a bad idea, or am i just making exscuse to gamble??

ill let you know the out come?

my girlfriend will kill me anyway, hope you all have a great day!!

WELL DONE ME!!!!

DONE IT AGAIN COULDNT EVEN MAKE 5 DAYS!!

DONE MY WHOLE WAGE

WHAT TO DO NOW?

FEEL LIKE ALL IS LOST AND AT PINT OF NO RETURN

Hi Luke,

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation but I just want you to know that I (and many others on here) completely understand how you feel - you're a failure right?! But ask yourself would a failure come on here if they didn't want to change - for things to be different - to be better? Although everything appears bleak at the moment you can get through this. The fact that you came here to tell us speaks volumes about you and who you want to be. Remember that each time we stumble it is a chance to learn and there is always the chance to start anew.

I hope you can work something out financially - but please do not try and win any money back as you know where that will lead. If you can survive for now the future automatically is looking brighter than it would be if you gamble any more.

Please seek support from others and remember you are not alone. I wish you all the best.

Hi Lukey, look your not gonna like this but " nothing changes if nothing changes " and pardon me if I'm wrong but you don't seem to have put much inbetween you and a bet ? , willpower alone won't always cut it and you need blocks in place , exclusions , limiting yourself to cash or cards all help and most importantly keep your time, money , location triangle broken ( take one away and you can't bet ) it works for many , myself included .

Don't beat yourself up too much , whats done is done and tommorows a new day !

Pick yourself up and have a word with yourself , dust yourself off and put those blocks in place , you can stop gambling but you have to want to stop more than you want another bet !.

Take care buddy , and tommorow start winning by not gambling .

thanks for the quotes guys, managed to loose 50 more that i got from a friend in a bookies in a differnt town, oh well,

tomorrow will now become day 1! on monday im going make sure it is impossible for me to gamble... the grand national did get the better of me today (even though my money was gone well befor the race)

and tomorrow i will WIN by not gambling.

Good luck mate I am only 3 days free I suppose the advice I have ignored the most is put blocks in place. Will power seems to be useless make sure you give yourself no chance to bet. It's not easy but ultimately worth it

Good luck mate I am only 3 days free I suppose the advice I have ignored the most is put blocks in place. Will power seems to be useless make sure you give yourself no chance to bet. It's not easy but ultimately worth it

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

Blocks and barriers are needed. I was a slots player in the bookies. Before work, lunchtimes, after work, weekends. If I went to a new town it was all about finding where the bookies were.

You have 2 options and i personally would commit to both.

Get someone else to take possession of cards and cash. Give up all access to money or obtaining money. I did for over 6 months. If i needed anything i was provided with cash. In return i provided receipts to the penny. No money = no bookies = no gambling.

Self exlude from bookies. Give gamcare a call as there is a SE scheme which can be done with some phone calls.

Alan referred to the triangle. The above are some examples of breaking that triangle.

Half hearted measures leave the gambling door ajar and willpower alone does not work. Temptation is still there. I get gambling urges now and then. We all do. Having more barriers helps stop those urges.

Best wishes

been and lost 40 quid, went in with 90 and left with money for the first time so even if i was down, about to ring and get my self exlcuded, and all money through my girlfriend from now. heres to day 1!!!

peace

Here's a link to how I SE it sound to me that it is a must do for you

http://www.gamcare.org.uk/forum/self-excluding-bookies-over-phone

Thanks for your kind comments Luke. Last August I was looking at some of the people on this forum with a degree of awe. I couldn't accept that it would be possible to just walk away from a 'pastime' that I've been involved in for years, a 'pastime' that much of my life seemd to revolve around. A 'pastime' that was actually just the manifestation of an illness......Compulsive Gambling.

There were two important factors which have brought me this far. 1 - I really wanted to stop & 2 - There were people here that gave me the belief that it could be done.....that we weren't all just victims damned for eternity to repeat the same self destructive patterns. So far those same people have continued their recovery and that's has helped me continue mine. I wish you well.