New start

Hi Ginge

Glad you dropped in to chat. It can be a little hectic for some. Netline might be a good place to drop by on they are good at giving some practical ideas about staying away from your vice. Keep your diary going and post on others. It doesn't take long to get a rapport with others.

Stay strong

Steve E

Hi Ginge and welcome to the diary section. My thing was slot machines though i did scratchies as well. Scratch, scratch, scratch.. scratchy stuff under the nails.. join the back of the queue after a £5 win to get 5 more.. or 10 more if it was a £10 win.. Its grim isnt it and sometimes a bit embarrasing. there is no future in gambling just further financial drain and personal misery. Like stevey says.. keep reading and writing.. it does help. Regards.. S.A 🙂

Thanks to you both for your messages of support, and yes S.A i totally relate to your post you win then spend you think that you are up on wot youve spent in the first place but then go somewhere else to buy more then before you realise it youve lost money youve won and alot more besides. The worst thing bout it all is the lies you tell then before you realise it your a liar aswell as a gambler and find it hard to know the truth yourself any more.

Well its my first successful day here to many more x

Yup thats it Ginge.. I often use to go somewhere else just to avoid the embarrassment factor. Also the lying.. lies to oneself justifying the behaviour and lies to others about money now gone etc etc

Hope your enjoying another gambling free day... S.A 🙂

Hi Ginge

Glad you're here. Do not think for one minute that your recovery is insignificant to anyone elses. Cash did not matter to me when I gambled it had no value. I'm sure it's the same with you as you described escaping. My losses are no where near others but the psychological damage is just as great. Get on board with everyone here and you'll *** it.

Take care

Steve E

Hi Ginge

Good to see you in the chatroom, stevey is spot on what he says, i also would spend money i couldnt afford, ie, bill money, money for food etc, its not a good feeling is it. hope this site helps you, and gives you extra determination in kicking this nasty habbit. all the best.

neil

Thanks steve and neil enjoyed the chatroom today starting to feel a little more at home on here now this is all very strange to me somewhere you can be honest and understood without being judged maybe i can start expressing myself a little more. The more i think about it the more i realise that although the only gambling i do is strachcards it not only has left me thousands in debt nearly cost me my home it has also cost me alot more besides. The emotional things like your selfworth peoples respect and trust are things that are lost when you become an addict and at times seem impossible to get back. These i realise are the priceless things in life that no amount of money can buy and are the things that need to earnt not brought. So each gamble free day is going to be my way of hopefully gaining the trust and respect of those who i love so dearly and who i know love me but unfortunetly at the moment dont really know me anymore. Then maybe i can get back my selfworth well heres hoping anyway.

Another sucessful day but many urges to content with just hoping that will pass and that i have the willpower to resist x.

Hi Ginge

I read in your post to SA that not many people are addicted to scratchcards. That may be true but we are all addicted to gambling. Fruit machines did not interest me but they caused heartache for lots on here. As you say, you have lost more than money. Slowly but surely you can turn this round. Try keeping it simple in the day. Go for quality of recovery. Once you have some quality of life the quantity comes as a bonus. It's not about how long since you purchased a scratchcard it's about what you did today. Turn your thinking around if you haven't already.

Don't carry as much cash and recognise your triggers as when you are going shopping etc

Take care

Steve E

Hi Ginge,

I think rather more people are addicted to just scratchcards than one might imagine. There have been a number who have posted diaries over the months since i have been around. But like you say, scratchcards can get the gambler into just as much trouble as gambling on anything else.

I hope you have enjoyed another gambling free day. Regards.. S.A 🙂

Well back here again after all these years things went fine for a while but now I sat wondering when it all went so wrong again I'm here again in a bottomless pit trying to scrape my way out

Welcome back ginge, sorry to read you were gripped again by this horrible addiction.

Sending you strong and positive thoughts, to push you up and out

Suzanne xxx

Thanks Suzanne for taking the time to post today is a new day and determined to have a gamble free day things can only get better

xxx

They will, stay strong and keep positive

Take care

Suzanne xx

Well I've got through the day no gambling so day 1 done. No real problems just a lot of thinking. Why what do I get from it. And I think that I do it because I need to hate myself I need to feel worthless. I look back over my life so far and I've had many struggles unrelated to gambling, but then so has many other people and has probably suffered more than myself. I don't know how to be happy how not to lie how to have some self respect. I hate myself so I feel relived when I've gambled everything away because I've done something to hate myself to deserve to feel how I do. day 1 done don't feel better don't feel worse just take each day as it comes