Staying off gambling

Anne. 1 wrote: Thank you so kind of you, yes early days for me it feels good not to gamble, when I was gambling I just could not stop and all the lies and deceit it completely took me over. Sometimes be up all night trying to chase my losses and losing more and more its crazy thinking I'm glad to be stopped still can't belive what an idiot I have been think I must have been insane.

Anne I could have written this!! It may not help but you are not alone, sounds cheesy but time helps and everyday being GF is day further away from gambling and a day closer to being debtfree. Take care S x

Hello Anne.1

Welcome to the forum it’s good to see from your posts you are finding helpful to write here in recovery diaries. It also sounds like you are sometimes struggling with feeling low. We do have a helpline where you can speak with an adviser and they will listen to your concerns. The helpline is open 8am -midnight and the contact number is 0808 8020 133 we are also on Netline http://www.gamcare.org.uk/frontline-services/netline

There is free counselling available across the UK if you want to know more about this advisers can tell you your nearest service. http://www.gamcare.org.uk/support-and-treatment/free-treatment

I can see you are also finding other things to with your time now. Here is some information that may help with managing time differently now you have stopped gambling I hope you find it useful. http://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-advice/what-can-you-do/changing-your-behaviour#.VBwD__ldXww

Keep posting we are here to support you.

Kind Regards

Forum admin

Hi Anne, I hope you’re feeling a bit better. Unfortunately it isn’t a simple progressive linear curve to being GF. There are good days and those less so.

I totally understand it is far easier to say than do, but do try not to let thinking about past losses consume you. It will, but only if you let it. It was always the main driver to a relapse for me. It was ‘justification’ to start a new gambling session. To chase my losses, to try and reverse my luck. Of course, it never worked out like that, every new session inevitably led to further losses. That is the harsh reality. Even on the occasions I would win, the money won was just tokens to gamble with until I eventually did lose.

Really try hard on focusing on moving on from something that is already done and that you can do nothing about. Once you have that acceptance, I can tell you from experience, everything will start looking better and you would’ve removed one of the main trigger points to going back to it.

Keep up the good work and do keep posting. That really helps as well I have found.

Thank you for all your encouragement it means so much to me to know we are all the same here and wanting to get rid of this horrible addiction. I hope you are all doing well.

Got through another day of not gambling I'm still getting urges hope it passes soon, I am feeling better for not gambling it just takes everything from us and more. My work has improved as I'm more focused on what I should be doing and not preoccupied thinking of gambling although have had some urges I'm ignoring this so far so good.

Hi Anne, you are doing great. Just always be on your guard...

That gambling devil on your shoulder is still there, just waiting for those times, those days when you are feeling a bit vulnerable. Don’t let him have his way! Every time you feel those urges, remind yourself constantly of all the bad things that gambling brought you. Remind yourself there are far more bad things than good things to come out of you gambling. He wants you to justify ‘one more harmless little gamble’. There is nothing harmless about that, we both know from our own experiences exactly how that ends.

A life gambling free is the way to go. Keep up the amazing work.