Hi everyone, have been reading and following the forum for a few weeks now and felt it time I post something myself.
Am currently 26 days gamble free, this is the first time I have attempted to stop my gambling.
Have been gambling for about 10 years, was firstly poker, then the FOBT and then onto horse racing.
Over the last few years it's progressively got worse now resulting in 10k debt, I have a wonderful fiancГ© and 2 beautiful kids, I have put there future in jepody through this behaviour, now is the time for change, I have self excluded from all online bookies
It was always the same every month, get paid, try to increase Monthly income through gambling, lose, chase, borrow to make up shortfall. Spend the month cursing myself, promise that I won't do it next month, low and behold pay day comes and it's the same cycle.
Tomorrow is Pay Day most people look forward to it, I am dreading it! It's going to be my biggest challenge to extend pass 27 days GF.
Wish me luck!
A huge congratulations on clocking up 26 days and self-excluding from the online bookies.
Tomorrow, being payday, might be tough trying to fight that urge - but I hope you summon that strength to resist blowing your Christmas salary. It's an agony you can do without.
Urges have plagued me for the last couple of weeks (I'm about 3 weeks gf) - but I found visiting this site whenever I came close to gambling has been enough to stop me in my tracks. Not only for the support it brings, but just reading the predictable stories of loss after loss after loss helps to remind me that I'm only kidding myself if I ever think gambling is a solution to anything financial or is a positive or exciting thing that I need in my life.
It's so easy to become blinkered by the fantasy that the addiction brings. And it's easy to lose focus on the magical stuff - like you say, you've got a wonderful fiancГ© and two beautiful kids ... and it's Christmas! Don't let the lies of gamblng put your money in the bookies greedy pocket.
All the best - stay strong, and if the urge tries to rear its head - hammer it flat with an achievement of 27 days gf!
Equinox
Hi equinox, thank you for your reply and support.
I'm the same everytime there is a slight urge I log straight on here and get reading.
Will do everything in my power to not blow this start I've made
I too feel the same way and well done for being gf! Payday is looming for me and the temptation to double my wages online is overbearing. I’ve found reading other people dairy’s really helpful, keep it up!
Backontrack wrote:
... the temptation to double my wages online is overbearing.
Resist that temptation! Or maybe reframe it as an aversion to lose all your wages.
That's how gambling keeps pulling us back, we suddently become the most optimistic of people even though experience should have taught us the opposite. It'd be horrible for you to lose your Christmas wages. Even a win, for most of us here, is a temporary win before pending withdrawals are cancelled and everything gets ploughed back in.
exactly! I thought i was "up" the other week turns out my pending deposits hadnt left and i was just back where i started! I, like you have racked up a massive debt, and i need to start seeing it clearing before i go mad. All support to you thank you for the reply, best wishes x
Hi all, half way through pay day and all good, have done all my x mas shopping this morning, this time last year I would of tried to win back all the money I have spent just resulting in everything costing double effectively.
School run done so kids to occupy me untill bedtime then the real test comes.
Stay strong all
Do not loose those Xmas wages !! It will spoil your family time as well as your bank account
Thanks for this thread/diary it’s really helped me
Your welcome we are here to help each other
Pozz27 wrote:
have done all my x mas shopping this morning, this time last year I would of tried to win back all the money I have spent just resulting in everything costing double effectively.
Hi Pozz27 - well done with the Christmas shopping and resisting the urges!
Money does go so much further when not wasted on gambling. It's true about what you say about everything costing double after a loss. Everything seems so much cheaper when not gambling.
I remember whenever I lost anything, I'd always imagine that my next purchase, whatever it was, cost the amount of the gambling loss + the price of the item. That's when it would hit home how much I'd wasted - a Tesco loaf would sometimes cost £200.70.
Take care
Equinox
Morning all, god that's so unbelievably true! Well pay day has come and gone and not even an urge. Really starting to feel a shift in balance working myself.
Next stop 50 days GF.
Stay strong everyone
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