Cant stop betting

Harryp_24

Didnt know where to post this, but here goes.

I have always earned a decent living (£36,000-£40,000) sine i was 18.
This left me with lots of disposable income which i filled my time off with gambling with friends in the casinos. It didn't matter, i didn't need the money, it was fun ect. I never got into/have been in debt from gambling and never gambled more money then i could afford to pay things.

However, ive recently bought a house, money on lock-down. But i still find myself gambling betting casinos/online poker/slots ect.

I can control not going overboard, but i cant control not doing it if that makes sense.
I know not to touch money that i need for this or that but i always get urges to bet. Like £50 here or there.

What im trying to say is im not a problem gambler (it hasnt caused me a problem in my life) however i cant stop getting urges to bet and i want to stop betting full stop.

When i was younger i went to GA with a friend who did have a problem (i thought could benefit from it). We tried two which were heavily linked to religion which i did not want to be a part of so it didnt work.

So i guess what im asking is, how have other people eliminated gambling from their lives? What steps did you take to stop urges ect.

Because of my situation with always having more money then i needed it hasnt ever caused me issues with other aspects of life, but i imagine especially now that i have a home it would effect other things.

TL;DR I get urges to bet but i dont want to gamble whatsoever. It has all stemmed from having too much money.

NotRichAtAll

Am betting this is the wrong forum for your problem

indian_summer

Iv just recently bailed my brother in law out to the tune of £4500 for gambling debts.Got himself in a payday loan mess.

Like you he has always done it,his friends have always done it,its a way of life and all he knew.

But like you he now has a home and family to support.

I helped them to sign up for credit reports,online banking etc as his partner was in the dark about all this and her keeping an eye on things will help his recovery (and make sure he dont send them under).

Hes also having a one to one with a lady helping with his gambling addiction which he doesnt have to pay for.

Hes on antidepressants now.
His mum had been bailing him out for ages,thinking his "spendthrift" partner was to blame.

What you need to realise is you ARE a problem gambler,its just the !!!! hasnt hit the fan yet.You know it will soon which is why you posted this thread.

Phone someone,talk to someone close,youve told us now tell someone else who will help you help yourself.There are places that can help you.Dont let that "religious" experience put you off.

Good luck.

xylophone

https://www.begambleaware.org/

Try above.

[Deleted User]

Read 'The Easy Way to Stop Gambling' by Allen Carr or listen to the audiobook with a free Audible trial.

newatc

As you control going overboard, why not lower your stakes so that you are "losing" appropriate amounts for the enjoyment received and your income.

Shakin_Steve

Speaking from experience of another form of addiction, you already know what you have to do. The very fact that you've posted on here means that you realise you have a problem and it has to stop. All the things that councillors, etc. will tell you will be things that you already know, if you're honest. Meeting with people of a similar disposition did me no good at all, all we did was talk about the one thing that was making us all miserable.
You can try imagining what it would be like to lose your home, your job and everything that goes with that. You can try imagining all the things you could buy with the money you are wasting. Or you can try imagining what it would be like winning loads of money at the casino....then you would stop, of course...not.
Get over the guilt, realise how lucky you are that you have a chance to stop....full stop....before it ruins your life. The only person that can help you is you. Because only you know you, much better than anybody else does. There is no magic bullet.

mt99

Excellent advice from ShakinSteve. I would only add that there but for the grace of God go any of us.

EdGasketTheSecond

The odds are mathematically against you so you know you will lose money overall therefore what is the attraction? If it's for entertainment and an evening out at a casino then just take a little cash for that like you were spending it on a meal or theatre but when that's gone, then that's it for the night.

Find something else to do that will give you the buzz. For me it is online games (no gambling involved) which are very exciting and cost nothing.

Flobberchops

Put all your disposable income into illiquid investments, that way you'll be unable to gamble without cutting into your daily living budget - and you'll be saving one hell of a lot as a bonus.

gregpicard

I can relate to you Harryp, I was the same going back a few years, especially during my University days. I was never at the point of, say stealing or borrowing money in order to fund my gambling. I always used my own money and never went too overboard. However, no matter how hard I tried I found it very hard to go even a day without placing some sort of bet. Even a small football bet made me feel alot better. I would go to the casino 4/5 times a week - didn't help that I lived 5 minutes down the road. The boredom thing was a big factor, I had alot of free time at University and was going through some personal issues, my parents had financial problems etc, so I had isolated myself and didnt have many friends. So to sort of fill up my day, I would gamble either online or in the casino.

I think it's very hard to just stop the habit dead. There is always a lingering at the back of your mind saying "Dam, I havent put a bet on today...." I can only speak for myself, but I decided to throw myself into other things and see if that helped by filling up my day. I picked up some old sports I had played, mainly tennis and golf. Also video games helped - although I was a young student, maybe not a good fit for someone with a house and a proper life!

At first things didnt really change but eventually I started to think less about the gambling and more about my activites. I went from placing a couple of bets a day, to a couple a week, a month, etc etc.

Now I do not gamble at all. I love my football, and can watch the games on a saturday without even a small pining to place a bet.

So in my case, just filling my time as much as possible with other things I enjoy over time eroded that niggling in my brain to gamble. May not work for you, but I would say it is worth a try.