ex and would be ex-gamblers support thread

cantcope

Nice one Twirly . I'll have been off 6 years tomorrow!

mrskro

Read so many stories like my own.

My biggest weakness was WH Online - I contacted them to close my account explaining why - a really nice adviser told me that closing my account wouldn't help as I could just reopen at any time - he said that due to my weakness I would be better to do a self exclusion as this will stop me from gambling on the site even if I opened a new account. Therefore I have self excluded for 5 years!!!! Along with 6 other sites I was using!!!

I am now tackling my debts here goes nothing!!!!!

cantcope

Well done Mrskro. Life is better without being controlled by gambling.
You have a CHOICE whether to gamble or not. I choose not to, you can too x

You can go one step further and load some protection on your computer to stop you joining any other sites. I use K9. Its a child safetly thing but you can block all gambling sites. its free. you just need someone to choose a password for you x

I_will_win_n_save

Hi everyone, I wanted to share my story as I have come to the end of my tether with this disgusting disease, that seems to be sucking me dry emotionally and financial.

I started gambling a few years back as just 'fun' I did it once in a while and spent the odd £10 here or their online and if I lost or won I would just leave after that £10 was finished.

I only played the bingo, so one day the slots looked at me and I decided to play and from those day where you could win £100 from £1 spin I was sucked in, not realising the only mug was me for believing I could beat the bookies and win, lots of money.

Although the lure of the slots was bad my problem didn't really start until I went to the bookies with someone I worked with one day and started play 'dirty game roulette' I started off with £5 that day and left out with £100. I felt good 'he' said he had a system and it seemed like he did, (I know, how stupid was I) but I was blinded by greed to even think rationally about anything. We went to the bookies him and I before work, after work and during work almost everyday, sometimes we won and sometime we lost and when we lost we justified it by saying "it wasn't our money" poor move, if you ask me.

I was once ashamed to even step foot in a bookies now I was going in practically everyday, everywhere I went I saw bookies on the high street, bookies I never seen before or didn't car to notice. This is when I should of realised how serious my problem was, but I just brushed it off. I have become consumed with an addiction, that is so strong and powerful in what it does to me, I am afraid that I will for ever continue to do it. And all my hope, dream and aspirations will fail to blossom if I do not kick this disease NOW. I am a mother, a partner, a friend and I have loving people around and I fear I will just hurt them and push the away.

I come on this site asking anyone who has experienced this to HELP me beat this problem (I know ONLY I can truly defeat it), but I am looking for a little help in hand to control the urges.

I have not got a lot of debt associated with gambling, I however have borrowed of family members to feed my habit and I will pay them back.

I just need to stop and keep MY money and stop freely giving it away to these companies that are very much crooked in my eyes.

Thanks for listen and please help and maybe we can help each other.

I_will_win_n_save

cantcope

HI and welcome to the thread.
best advice i can personally give you is to find your nearest GA meeting and attend. I've been going for over 6 years now and without it i couldnt stop on my own. I tried and failed plenty of times.
Also, tell your partner. The more support you have around you the easier it will be. Stop associating with the person you gamble with too. They clearly have a problem as well and this will not help you.

To stop the urges you need to change your whole life around. go to work a different way, dont take any money or cards to work with you, associate with different people, block any gambling sites on your PC (i know at the moment its roulette but its been proven once you have an addiction you'll gamble on ANYTHING if you need to) xx

come back and post as much as you like. Have a good bet free day today xx

cantcope

Forgot to add, It's easy to blame the companies saying they are crooked but none of them put a gun to your head and MADE you give them your money. You did that all of your own accord. Unless you make steps to treat the addiction you will do it again and again.
At the moment, without changin anything you have no choice. Changing your life gives you that. I CHOOSE not to gamble

Indebted.Dunce

I have never posted on here but have been lurking for a long time. I am having one of those evenings where I am getting really itchy to go to the tables but am trying really hard to suppress the urge. Thought I would post here to try and keep in control as I will not be too proud of myself if I have to report back saying I gave in to temptation.

This is what I wrote earlier on my thread:

Have a real urge to go try my luck at the tables. I have got two voices in my head telling me different things. The first one is saying "go on go try it, what is the worst that will happen? lose £150, it is manageable" but there is another voice going "it is a bloody slippery slope and that one £150 can go a long way towards debt repayment or even treating yourself"!

So far, luckily, the second voice is winning! I decided to get myself some dinner, am sat at a little cafe in london munching my dinner and typing this! (Thought if I was busy typing this it would not only keep me busy till the urge passes but more importantly remind me of the promise I have made and totally dissuade me)!

citizenkitten

Indebted.Dunce wrote: »

So far, luckily, the second voice is winning! I decided to get myself some dinner, am sat at a little cafe in london munching my dinner and typing this! (Thought if I was busy typing this it would not only keep me busy till the urge passes but more importantly remind me of the promise I have made and totally dissuade me)!

what do you for fun or how else do you like spending your time? maybe you can try and put more time to those and if gambaling took all your time and fun then maybe try and find something you may enjoy?

Indebted.Dunce

Crisis averted! Had my dinner, walked in the opposite direction to the casino. Got to the station and accidentally took the train in the wrong direction, took the train back home!

citizenkitten wrote: »

what do you for fun or how else do you like spending your time? maybe you can try and put more time to those and if gambaling took all your time and fun then maybe try and find something you may enjoy?

Thanks CK!

I get very little spare time as I work stupid hours but I tend to chill with family and friends, read and just laze around. I have been meaning to join a gym but simply can't find an affordable one. I am also looking to restart some sports activities.

citizenkitten

do your children have a wii or some form of video game entertainment? if they do i am sure they will have ones with "games" where you have to move around and excersize, okay kinda not strenuous but better than nothing and get to spend time with the family.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/get-running-with-couch-to-5k.aspx