Hey guys
New to the site and decided I'm going to keep a diary in an attempt to stay clear from gambling.
Let me give some background... I'm 25 and have gambling since I turned 18. In the past I have gambled on everything from sports, casino games, poker and bingo. I have done this online, at casinos and in bookies. It started while I was at University and I quickly maxed out my overdraft. In the end I was having to feed and look after myself on £10 a week, any loans I received would be gambled away and I would rely on money from parents. There were a few occasions when I lost about £1500 in a night. It makes me feel awful and I feel as though I am constantly worrying about money. I'm back at uni again now and I am getting by on loans and bursaries. I have made some steps towards a recovery by self excluding from the casinos in my area and self excluding from all online sites I was a member with. I estimate I've lost around £15,000 in 7 years.
I have decided to try and completely stop all forms of gambling. In the past I have realised that I need to cut down, but I would still allow myself to bet on football matches, or play the odd game of poker. Sadly, doing this ended up leading me back into a place where my gambling became out of control, so I have decided to stop altogether. Now is the time to stop as I plan on moving in with my partner in the next few months and I know that if I don't stop now I will lose her. She is amazing and I am determined not to let this happen.
I will try and post regular updates here and I would welcome any advice and support from people in my position. I have joined a gym and hope to use this as a method of distracting me from gambling. I also have a lot of uni work which should help to keep me occupied.
I look forward to hearing from you
J
(last day gambling 19th January 2015)
Day 1 done, on my way home and feeling good. There are a few bookies by uni which I have often visited in the past but not today.
I think the buzz of gambling is something I will miss so I'm going to try other things that will give me that buzz. Feeling positive!
J (1 day gamble free)
nice positive post jm, beware though u think you have got it beat it goes to the back of your mind, then wham its back, one day at at a time.
Lost my life wrote:
nice positive post jm, beware though u think you have got it beat it goes to the back of your mind, then wham its back, one day at at a time.
Just taking it one day at a time for now as that's what makes sense. Thanks for your response, ill keep updating!
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
