- This topic has 27 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 4 months ago by .
-
Posts
-
-
Hi
i have been to and from many times before BUT this time i know i have to stop gambling!
i am addicted to all forms of gambling but roulette is my game of choice,i could be up a huge amount and still go until i am broke!!
i estimate that in 12 years i have done over a million quid on these machines and in casinos. i hate the machines and i am sure they are fixed yet i can not keep off them, does anyone have any coping strategies or tips to say away?
i am aiming on posting everyday for the next 100 days whilst going cold turkey, i realize i have a huge problem as when i have tried to stop before i have withdrawal symptoms that would make you think i was drug dependent.
currently i have a good job,a wife and 2 children and a house but i am at least 20k in debt(buried head in the sand long ago) but that could all change in a matter of weeks if i dont stop
the sickest thing was i was 5k up just 2 weeks ago,my betfair roulette bets placed stakes are over 50k in the past 2 weeks which for me is the realization i have a mega problem and need help
-
<
Hello and thanks for starting a thread in the Gambling Therapy forums
Here at Gambling Therapy we pride ourselves on being a caring and diverse online community who can help and support you with the difficulties youre currently facing. We understand that this might be a tough time for you, particularly if youre new to recovery, so come here as often as you need to and participate in the forums, access online groups and connect to the live advice helpline if you need one to one support. Were in this together!
Here on the forum you can share your experiences in a safe, supportive and accepting environment. The beauty of writing it all down is that you can take your time and you will be creating a record of your progress that you can look back on if it ever feels like youre not moving forward. So, share as much or as little as you like but do try to stick to keeping just one thread in this forum so people know where to find you if they want to be updated on your progress or share something with you.
And on that note….
Im going to hand you over to our community because Im sure they will have some words of wisdom for you 🙂
Take care
The Gambling Therapy Team
PS: Let me just remind you to take a look at our
privacy policy and terms and conditions so you know how it all works!
-
Hi whatif and welcome to the forum. well done on looking for help. Going “cold turkey” would be trying to do it on your own, you are no longer alone – you have support here, lots of other help avaialble as well – Gamblers Anonymous, gamcare, counselling and more, Barriers that you can put in place, like the self exclusion.
Keep posting and let us know the positive steps youa re taking.
-
Hi Whatif, well done on looking for help and self excluding and closing your online accounts, you have made the right decision . Regarding your debts STEPCHANGE helped me pay mine off and they are free all your money you pay them go’s to your creditors. Keep posting on your progress, one day at a time you will get there i did . 🙂
-
Well done on not gambling Whatif. A £2 limit on the FOBT’s? In reality that would just mean that an active CG would just take longer to lose their money. far better to avoid them completely like you are doing.
-
Well done on your gamble free time.
In terms of recovery a good day is when everything goes well and we don’t gamble. A brilliant day is when everything goes to **** and we still don’t gamble!! I think having your car stolen would quailify you for having a brilliant day in recovery, well done.
Well done also on finding a few new thigns to fill your time. No one is more suprised than me that I like gardening as well!
Keep p[sting
-
whatif, keep it up! I have been gamble free from just before Christmas! whenever you get a urge just remind yourself of how you were feeling whilst writing your first post!
H
-
Firstly well done – loving your posts
I just want to warn you that you need to be fully on guard, I have recently done 18 months of being gamble free and like you threw myself into my work and hated the bookies with a passion, although this was good, looking back I feel I was replacing my gambling addiction with a working addiction thus not dealing with my addictive personality, in the end I am back to square one as inevitably that one gamble led to multiple gambles and hitting the self destruct button,
all I am saying is be aware and give yourself some time and reward yourself for the progress you are making, it isn’t a race as you will always have the urge to gamble, as time goes on your mind will play tricks on you telling you you are stronger and may be able to have that gamble and not be addicted like you was before,
one day at a time, one thing that helped me was to look in the mirror every morning and tell myself out load just for today I will not gamble
keep up the good work and will look forward to reading your progress -
Good work on 3.5 weeks gaming free! I’d suggest self-exclusion from these bookies if you can. You may resist them 99 times out of 100 but just one lapse in judgment will be very costly if you do not have a back-up plan in place! Self-exclusion is often the deterrent that’s needed in times of peak urges to gamble.
-
Well done for reaching day 25 !
In answer to your statement/question
“I feel a very similar buzz from hard work so maybe not a bad thing?”
I think this is worrying, This is what I meant in you are replacing one addiction with another and not getting to the root cause, so although you are trying to put things right by working and earning extra money (which can’t be a bad thing) you are only feeding the void left by gambling/buzz and not getting to the root problem, and only filling the hole of gambling and for how long ?
Please don’t think I am trying to be problematic, everyone who reads this post can see how hard your trying and you are doing the right things, I personally think that you don’t want to be gaining that buzz from other places like work but trying to suppress those feelings.
You can try and put everything into your work but if you gamble again you will be back to square one and maybe lose everything you have earned in the last 100 days, whilst not really learning anything about yourself
But
If you put that time which you always found to gamble (and are now filling with work) into actually trying to
suppress the gambling then you will have a much better chance of refraining from gambling and understanding why you gamble.
Cold turkey is so far serving you well I just think adding more weapons to your armour will help you fight against this addiction,
Do you or have you ever been to G.A ? have you ever sought counselling ? would it be something you would entertain ?The reason I say this
I was going to G.A and doing well I put my all into it and was reaping the rewards of not gambling and making myself stronger at the same time.
Then last year I started up a removal business, it went amazingly well and was instantly making profit, within 8 months I had 10 people working for me. I had put my heart and soul to get it where it was, working all hours of the day and night, with working all these hours I had less time for myself and with that meant I had less time for my recovery (although I thought I had beaten the addiction) so I had more less stopped going,
As the stress built up of working all the hours coupled with more money in my pocket, the time lapse between me not working on my recovery and not going to my meetings,,,,, all this led me to a relapse, and losing everything I had built whilst letting people down on the way,
Although I have tried many times of chucking myself into work it hasn’t fill that void yet of gambling yet.
This is why I have came to the conclusion that I need real help and by getting that I will have to put my recovery before anything else, let’s face it we’ve been doing it for years with our gambling.I think everyone has a different way of dealing/fighting with the addiction and I am not saying that what I am saying is right, It is just my views but it is coming from someone who has tried alot of ways to beat the addiction and has picked up little tips on the way.
Speak soon and hope you have had a good day
-
Sorry for it being so long, I didn’t realize I had written that much !
-
So happy reading this thread!
Delighted by your success! -
Hi Whatif,
Well done on your gamble free time. Well done on making it clear that you weren’t going to the casino. You will find out who your real friends are and who might have just been gambling acquaintances. A few “I’m not interested” or “I don’t gamble any more” s usually stops the gamblign conversations. Maybe have a word with your brother in law or get your wife to sort out her brother!
Be careful with the drinking. It is easy to swap one problem for another. Also of course alcohol can weaken our defences when it comes to gamblign as well. If you are planning on having x number of beers or staying in the pub for a few hours then go with enough money in your pocket for that number of beers only. It will help you in more ways than one.
Keep posting and again well done on your gamble free time.
-
55 days is great! Good luck on hitting 100.
-
Been reading your posts with interest, keep it up.
Attempting to stay gamble free myself. After a few relapses, I’ve been thinking about gambling less and less this week. Just been concentrating on work, gym etc You mentioned being defined as a compulsive gambler, I really believe that we have the power to change how we are defined with support from our friends/family/these forums and move on from compulsive gambling. It’s such a negative pattern of behaviour and I know first hand how it changes you.Take it easy, Steve
-
Well done on 60 G free days, Whatif
You say, “If I can stop the thought of gambling, I can see myself being happy”
Believe it or not a CG can be happy even when gambling thoughts pass through our mind. It is when we dwell on these thoughts and allow them to develop into action, that the unhappiness sets in. -
well done mate, im gamble/trade free from around the 20th December last year.
have had many urges but have stuck to it.
keep it up!
-
Well done on your gamble free time Whatif.
A good day in recovery and everything goes well and we don’t gamble.
A brilliant day in recovery and everything goes to chit we still don’t gamble!
It sounds like you got through one of those brilliant days so well done.
-
Nice almost at the 3 month mark you’re doing great. Just remember to never let your guard down or think you’re cured to have a “small flutter”. Many of us stayed clean for long periods (6 months, 1 year even 2 years or more) all for it come undone with one slip up. Keep up the good work but always be vigilant! Think about how much better your feel now and think about how low you felt previously. Never give yourself the chance to go back to that place. Onwards and upwards.
-
The wins get you back in. Treat this relapse very seriously! You must stop now before the cycle starts again. SELF-EXCLUDE!!!
-
Hi Whatif,
It sounds as if you have a little too much access to cash right now. What barriers and accountability could you put in place so that it would be harder for you to place a bet?
Have you told your wife about your latest gambling? Whilst you may have won this also gives you “spare” unaccountable cash, where is it? Where would it be safer?
Keep posting, back to basics.
-
Hi there
I’m into day 8 gamble free, weekend was fine, in fact it was brilliant . This afternoon hard as I love cricket betting and I was constantly thinking should / shouldn’t I , well I didn’t and team I would have back cruising . For me like many others once I break my duck I’m I’m off again, it takes over my whole mind. It’s not the amounts as I can to a degree control that but it’s the shear obsession I have . It guts me I can’t “enjoy ” a bet on my favourite of all sports but I have to keep going, protecting my score of non gamble days. Although you’re up on recent blip start again, day 1. Winning is when it’s hardest to stop as that buzz is some drug but we must stop , gather mind and do everything possible so you can’t bet.
-
Look on your recent “win” as a high interest loan Whatif!
Don’t be hoodwinked. -
Hi there, love and hate gambling , that so resonates with me . I’ve gambled 2 days on trot now, won both days and I’m buzzing tonight, the highs and lows are immense. I will gamble tomorrow but then aim to abstain again . In honesty I’m taking rubbish but I’m gonna try. It’s the high I feel tonight I miss when I don’t gamble, it’s not like anything else, yet in head I know a loss is just around the corner , then the downer comes. It’s a drug I just wish I had never taken all those years ago .
-
For me the money is secondary sometimes , of course I can’t afford the losses but like you , that buzz is something else . I’ve woken up today all happy but looking at odds again, this is what angers me is not only money is the time I spend thinking about it, it engulfs me , I just can’t stop it. I’m betting with winnings today and then tomo stop even if I win .
I’m off work next 2 weeks on holiday , not going away , but I’m off with family and I want to spend time with them, not on mobile checking scores. Part of wants to control it and be in control but I know once I lose I’ll chase and end up down and skint for month . -
Hi Whatif.
Use the pain that you are feeling now. Get yourself banned from the sites that you visit opn your phone, get your phone blocked. Hey, if necessary get a “brick” fora phone that is less internet able.
This is a progressive problem so the question we all have to ask is – do we take the steps that we don’t want to take now? Or wait until we are deeper in trouble? keep posting and I hope you make the right choice.
-
What you got to remember is these machines are designed for bookies profit! The bookmakers make 50% and the staff 25% and government 25%! A guy who I know knows a guy who works in the bookies and he told me they control how much they payout from behind the counter in the shop! They got a button and after say every 1000 goes on they press the button on there computer behind the counter and it will pay out 30% do that’s 300! Then take another 1000 and do the the same! I got told by a guy in a pub last night his mate works in bookies in London and his taking home about 3000 every week wages after tax as that is how busy the bookie is in London! So if you can get a job in a busy bookies your laughing!!
-
Keep going on your days.. its good you know how the gambling is a scam.. It may just help in your resolve against this addiction. Well done keep going
Pea
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.