[ending it now]

Hi Im new here and taking this step to banish gambling from my life. I have let down my family and myself by not sticking to the NO GAMBLING DEAL. It all started with small games of poker as I was off sick with a bad back and bored but then quickly progressed to the bingo sites with the slots running along side them a big draw. My marriage had broken down and I didn’t have much of a social life so escapism and the friendly banter was a ditraction
I had to sort this problem out as I was in huge amounts of debt, letters arriving and persistent calls from collection agencies. My adult children were starting to realise that there was a problem and one took the decision to open a bank statement. One of the many letters I didn’t bother opening along with letters from the building society about the mortgage arrears. 2 of my 4 children sat me down and told me they knew about my secret life and wanted to help. We went through all the debts and how I could sort out each one.
I nearly lost the house but managed to sort out the debt and within a few months was back on the straight and narrow with Gamblock installed on my laptop. Successful for a while – until my laptop broke and I needed a new one. In just a few days while I was sorting the block I still couldn’t control myself. I felt ashamed of myself and confessed all but had the program installed again within days.
Now I have an I phone and there is no program to block the sites so instead if going to download the apps I am sat here feeling sick as I have relapsed again. I have only had it a week and know that I have spent at least £100 and need to either get rid of the phone or find some way to not give in to the temptation.
I hope that signing up to this site is going to help as tips on avoidance are going to be needed and I really want to be free of this demon
 

[ending it now]

Now is the danger time, no-one around! I could go to bed with my phone and log on to the sites or I could leave my phone downstairs and use a conventional alarm instead. Arrrr even the first hours are so hard!!! Sorry to rant on here but Im hoping that seeing it in print is going help me make the right decisions.

[icandothis]

Welcome to GT.  Great advice from one of our members, Bettie…just do the next right thing!  Focus on one thing at a time!  You can do this! 

[alan292012]

Just pretend your phone is not working,being broken for tonight,go to sleep then.Stay strong.

[Dunc]

 
Hi Ending It Now
In respect to your mobile phone there is a solution of sorts. All UK operators offer parental control stopping all content to under 18’s including gambling. Ive tried this with 02 its a really easy process, if you talk to your service provider they can turn off your ability to access gambling sites.
Thank you for posting on the Gambling Therapy forum. As you are a GB resident you are entitled to free online support through the Gamcare website at http://www.gamcare.org.uk/ .
You could also consider residential treatment which you can find out more about by following the below link:
http://www.gordonmoody.org.uk/
Can I suggest that you now copy and paste your post into one of the Gamcare forums where you will receive responses from others in a similar situation to you from all over Great Britain.
You can also access online or face to face group support through Gamblers Anonymous:
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/
We wish you well in your recovery.
Kind Regards
The Gambling Therapy Team25 year poker player, 25 year Hierarchal fool, 25 year ego boost…  Intellectualisation was my down fall, simplicity was my salvation

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