spose this is day one

Hi Dan

Get two photos take a deep breathe and get into all the bookies you use. They'll say to you that they are glad you have done so. A very professional approach is taken by the managers. They are trained to deal with this problem. Putting barriers in the way goes a long way to aiding your arrest of this addiction. |Do it and you'll realise how good it feels. You might resent it later because you feel like betting but it will save you and once the craving passes you realise what a good move.

Get in and get the job done. Let us know how you got on.

Steve E

thanks for the advice steve i dont think ive got any option but to, i can feel my chest getting tight worrying about this already. i supose i feel like i no the guys in the bookies and its more embarassing than anything but i will try to get myself opted out. i have done the websites i am tho disapointed with some sites of which u have to email somebody to get this done other sites its a immediate opt out, if u have time to email and wait for a reply then u have more time to bet. also think the bookies should take more responsibilty for the awareness on sites and in shops about gambling and opting out

so just went in the bookies and asked bout opting out and there was a new girl ive never seen b4 in there, she had no idea how to go bout it and the manager wasnt in today! got myself pshyced up for nothing, gunna have to go in on monday now as im working all weekend. i did think aout turning round when i got there but i managed to get in and ask anyway

Hi, thats a shame when you were all ready to exclude, I felt just as you did, butterflies and all when I went to exclude from the arcades in my local town, actually it was not nearly as bad as I expected, by law they have to have the forms there and the new girl should have known that. Dont put it off, get yourself back monday, you know when you walk out of there you will feel so much better knowing that it is no longer an option.

You are in the right place to get help, just keep reading and posting, you will get through this.

Remember that you never see a Bookie driving a ford fiesta!!! Dont help them to get them that posh Mercedes! Best Wishes Bandit

thanks bandit i will be in there on monday!

just had txt from a old pal about a horse to look at , these are the things i used to like. just drove home normally id be in the bookies on way home with the 30 in my pocket for bills and try and win on the horse, it was hard not going in there, i had the old feelings of just one win would give me a extra 90quid i need. but i fought it off cos that 30 quid i have now rather than lose it all. i found it hard to avoid so ive rushed home to post this and talk this through with the guys here. i managed to give my details to somebody special and its given me i lift knowing she can see my thoughts and how im hopefully beating this,and she never told me to leave her alone, i want to do this so bad for me and i no wen she sees it she will feel good for me to wich means the world! me and the rest of us can beat these demons and beat the bookies once and for all one step at a time. i wont think just one more bet cus u lose ur on a downer,if u win ur gunna bet again and u will lose. im not gunna lose anymore.

Its hard but its so worth it i've quit gambling once before mine is online bingos but more the games in them than the bingo i quit for 8 months and started again thinking i could control it this time but it was even worse the cravings do pass you have more money its better than winning 🙂 well nearly i do understand some online sites are very slow at self excluding you but your doing really well first time i quit i used to dream aboutg gambling and starting to get the dreams again it really is worth quiting gl and best wishes

jessy

thanks jessy. its amazing how the cravings do get u , and how people dnt understand what ur going thru unless they are ex gamblers or like us tryin to quit it. i think u cant go back to gambling again unless ur well over it, if u bet and win ull end up thinking ive won i can win again but ur gunna lose and wen u do thats the worst feeling ever n ull end up chasing those pennies to get it back and so the circle starts again!

i feel lucky i work weekends so i can keep buisy at work wen the main days of racing are on.

ive been offerd to work at cheltenham again this year for the tote bookmakers, i did enjoy lasy years work it was good to get a different view of thinfs. i really need the money, also i cant bet on the course as im not allowed wen working, i am wondering if i see things different if i go being a non gambler(well trying to be). or wether it will stir up some unwanted urges towards gambling. spose i could look at it from a test point of view but im only 2days into my recovery so bit early. it boils down to the money for me i need it im just gunna have to be strong.

any oppinons on my dilema would be appreciated.

Hi Dan,

Thought i,d reply to your working opportunity at cheltenham with what has happened on 2 seperate occasions to me.

As i said in chat to you on friday night i started recovery back in jan 2006 and for the first 19 months it went well because i didnt allow my self to be around the gambling environment.

Eventually though it happened and i was presented with a situation i had to make a decision on. My wife and i were invited to a free corporate racehorsing event (one of the big ones) and initially i thought "oh no,i can do without this "and why couldnt it have been something else etc.

I discussed it at my GA meetings and many poured scorn on me going and advised against it,well i think i too thought of it as a test and decided to go,my wife was a little wary but she knows me and knew if she wanted to stop me i,d go anyway once my mind was made up.

The day was fantastic from a beautiful food and lovely champagne point of view but the gambling didnt impress me much,yeh i got involved,i knew i would but all my fellow guests around me treated it completely different to me and i could see that.

I dont regret going (in principle) but i am glad i had a fair bit of time under my belt abstaining wise.It was almost like looking back at a past life i used to lead,my point being i could only SEE that because i had so much time abstaining behind me.

I think where earning moneys concerned we have to take what opportunitys we can especially if we have gambling debts but please be careful i know you say you cant bet on course and i guess that makes sense from an employers point of view but you and i KNOW we will bet if we want to.

The second "couldnt get out of it" moment was my pals 40th birthday and AGAIN they had chosen the races and then the casino,i thought "christ,why not something else" but hey it was his birthday,his choice.

It went ok and i had a good day from the drinking and eating point of view but it drained me keeping my wits about me,i would do everything to try and avoid it again and i guess the moral of all this is these events are ok for normal people who see gambling as a leisure activity but not for me who a long time ago crossed the line that turned me into a heavy binger gambler.

I hope things work out for you dan and you make the choice that best suits you but least harms you too.

Regards,

"" A NEW LIFE ""

dan, you can do it

thanks for the advice guys.

i think the overtimes back on at work so im gunna check that out and if it is *** on with that instead of the races,i think my big test will be next pay day so getting i few weeks under my belt will be good for me.

gunna try getting excluded from the bookies again this morning hopefully they boss is in today did sleep thinking about that,again wish it couldve happend on saturday when i first tried!

not sure how its gunna make me feel when its done, i hope itll be a realief to no i cant got back in there.

had a real cr** day at work yesterday i was so up and down but i managed to get straight home without thinking of betting online on some stupid stuff.maybe giving up the f**s at the same time is a bit to much alltogether i think if i can do both tho it will just make me stronger.really wish i had someone to talk things thru with wen i get my low points during the day just somebody to make me aware that i can do it. i dunno maybe its the lack of nicotine!!!

well i f*****g did it guys i am now excluded from the 3 bookies round by me that i use regulary. so no more quick bets round the corner!

i was in bits shaking and splutturing my words, i drove past twice then thought bout saying id done it and not doing it. but i went in and made it. wanted to tell everyone but couldnt tell nobody till now. so believe me if i can get in there and cancel this then anybody can so take hope from this . one step at a time .

oh and no f**s today too!!!!!!!

Excellent Dan.. well done!! 🙂

so i just woke up after my first day of being excluding to adverts on the telly for cheltenham festivel. these adverts are ment to stir up ur emotions towards the event towards the gambling, kinda makes u wanna be a part of the whole betting winning mainly loosing thing, i think next week will be hard for me i shall try to work afternoons so i dont have to be around the racing on telly or near a pc. ive not been a cg for the lenght of time some of u guys have been on here but i do relate to the thoughts and feelings that are said on here. i do feel good about quitting and not betting but ive not had any hurdles to jump yet. if i have a day off this week than im sure it will hit me. these are the times a feel lonley and thats why i go to the bookies and gamble just to be around people whio do the same thing. im sure i do it to punish myself for the way i treated the only true love in my life, i thought i dont deserve to be happy after the things i do.so i make things hard for myself. but being a cg i dont think bout the person that matterd the most to me.she was hurting and i no she knows wat im doing wen were not 2gether and that must kill her knowing im gambling. the truth is im still lonley and dont have the gambling to vill the void.so i need to find myself again and find the smile inside and out cos gambling takes it away. i will be dan again.!!

cheers ade i am going to reward myself after cheltenham and pay day if i havnt gambled so i can be proud of what ive done. and ill find something to fill that dark whole with something good and happy.

today was good day thismorning was emotional but in a good way had a lovley message of supprt from somebody i adore and trust with my life so that started me of in a good mood.

thought bout cheltenham today people at work keep asking me i tell them im not betting at the races this year!!!

did get me bit uptight and nervouse thinkg bout the event which aint good i tried to get my mind off it and chuffed me nicorette inhalor and remeberd how my day started to get thru it. big challenge for me comig up ive betted at cheltenham foe years, but i no i can do it im strong!!!