ex and would be ex-gamblers support thread

cantcope

I agree with William, You know you have a problem, unable to control your gambling. Now you have to decide whether you want to live like this for the rest of your life or if you want to stop. You really have to WANT to stop though otherwise it will just be a break from gambling.

There is plenty of support on here you decide to stop and there is Gamblers Anonymous. Not for everyone but for me personally i tried to quit many times on my own and GA is the only thing that has worked for me.

You are not alone and there are people that have done a lot worse than you. Do you want to be like them? You are still young enough to make a brilliant life for yourself. You will NEVER get that money back and keep it. I guarantee should you ever win that much it won't last long once you think you can "double up"

I wish you every success. feel free to post on here as much as you need xx

triple08

Hi, thanks for the support, i cant tell you how much i want to stop, this disease has blighted my life for too long now, i dont know what its like to live a normal life, so here is where it starts, it has too.

As far as G.A. is concerned i became a little downheartened with the members there. I went for 8 week and one day i was at tesco with my mum and i seen the one of the main lads there who claimed he hadn't had a bet for 10 years walk into the bookies next to tesco (i thought i recognised him when i first went to G.A.) anyway my mum knew this guy aswell as she come with me everyweek, she went into the bookies to double check and it was him. Next week there he was declaring to everyone how long he had been bet free. I stopped going soon after and went back to gambling and seen 2 more people from G.A. in the coming months. I am not trying to use this as an excuse not to go, i know how gamblers minds work and am convinced 50% of people that go there just go to keep the family happy.

To be honest i think reading the harsh reality of peoples situation either on here or other websites has more of an effect on me. I dont want to end up in prison or end up doing anything stupid, so like you say i am still young and i have to stop now to allow myself a future.

Thanks

williamD1964

the other guys lying is HIS problem, not yours. If he is fooling himself, then let him. Your responsibility is to you and to yourself. If you say that 50% go to keep their family happy, then be one of the 50% that goes to seek support, guideance and help. Remember, every day is fresh start, and take each day as it comes. Celebrate each day clean as a victory. Small steps...

cantcope

Great post William couldnt have put it better myself.

I'd give GA another go. Especially as you know what to expect. No doubt you were told that if you stop going to meetings you'll gamble and thats exactly what happened. Why not tell them why you stopped going? I think maybe you weren't ready to stop otherwise someone else lying to you and themselves wouldn't have bothered you, giving you an excuse to gamble.

Kepp updating the thread with how you feel. Tell your mum you want to stop and would like her support. Give her complete control of your finances. If you've got no access to money then you can't gamble and this will make the first months/years easier

good luck x

williamD1964

evening all, Hope all is well. Triple08, hope you are doing ok. If you want to talk, there are people on here prepared to listen.

Keeping the faith, holding the line, despite the temptions to run for cover!

riquelme

triple - some good advice already, heres some more.
1. why not get yourself banned from the offices
2. put blocks on computer
3. stop buying newspapers so you cant look at racing/ sports pages (if you like footy there wont be much to look at for a few weeks anyway)
4. get rid of credit cards (or someone to look after them and your money for you)
5. find other ways to get to where you need to get to rather than pass a bookies
6. only carry enough money for what you actually need today


best wishes, keep posting

triple08

Hi all, well i got paid my last wage today and dont have any access to cash so all is well. I've had some positive news regarding the job hunting and may have a few interviews next week. I am definately going to get gamblock on the laptop, i am now finding ways of keeping myself occupied as i am not used to being bored! Gym membership is also being purchased this weekend. More than anything i think this weekend is about trying to regain some personal pride for myself and live a normal life for one day at a time, to wake up and say that just for today i am going to enjoy myself be nice to everyone and not have a bet.

Tonight i am going to the local with my dad to keep myself out of trouble!

Thanks for your advice all and best wishes in your battle.

regret70

hello

i am so frightened. until 2008 i had a perfect credit history, no missed payments and i had never been i trouble in all of my life (im 26 now) i have a good job. in 2008 i got married and for some reason or other began to become depressed (this was never diagnosed by a gp but i work in health and i know the signs). anyway i found gambling and before i knew it i had gambled all my savings and taken out various loan. i now owe £22000 (!).

I have defaulted on loans because of gambling, however my LBM came in february and i have not gambled since. nor do i intend to ever again. I am setting up a DMP with cccs, does anyone know if they will find out about my gambling? i am so frightened i will lose my house and be sent to prison! the worry is keeping me awake at night, i dont want to go to court or anything i am so scared.

elfen

Won't be much to look at til the World Cup, and then you could always snaffle the footy insert off someone else.

JAX123_2

Hi, hope someone can help me. Having been sucked into online Bingo for a couple of years now I really need to remove the temptation. I have read a bit about Gamblock and been on the website but there seems to be an awful lot of complications around installing it, 'preparing your PC' etc and I am not at all computer literate. Also the costings are in US dollars and seem to be more than the £20-25 I've seen quoted on here. Have also read a couple of forums where this download has messed up peoples laptops, where they shut down even when the sites accessed have no gambling connection. Does anyone have experience of Gamblock and am I actually looking in the wrong place for it? Any help would be much appreciated.