Please Help, New here

I would read a number of forum threads and journals here. There are some excellent examples of introspection which will help you to answer your questions. Understanding what has been going on in your head is the first stage in any recovery.

Hiya... your not alone. Iv'e been an addict for 25 years and like you I have sat and gambled for hours even days on end.

I guess your struggling with poor mental health and gambling is your escape. It takes you to a place where you don't have to think or feel anything other than the dopamine hit of anticipating the next win.

Have you signed up to gamstop yet? Its a useful tool to stop your gambling in its tracks and give you some breathing space to start to work on yourself and get to a better place in yourself.

Read and write and educate yourself. It helps... but always keep in mind that it will not be easy to stay stopped. Treat it like a full blown drug addiction... which is what it is.

perfectly put. it is an escape.. something just to pass the time, something to give me feelings 

Thanks everyone it’s awful I just did it again tonight, arghh!! I joined gamstop but signed up in a different name and use that now 🙁

Hey

We all make mistakes and at least you've admitted it how many people don't. I've got gamstop and gameban but there's always away round it if you want to find it but the way I see it now is when the urge is at its strongest I'll look around to find away and hopefully when I've found it the urge is less and i think of all the bad stuff that makes me not want to but who knows and your back on the train one day at a time that's all any off us can do 

Dear B2020,

Welcome to GamCare; It's good to see you on the forum, where you'll be able to get some really good advice and support from others sharing their experiences both of gambling and recovery.

It sounds like you are starting to reflect on the impacts that the gambling is having on you and are at a crossroads as to where to go next. Gambling blocks are a good place to start, but as others have said if someone is determined to gamble, then they will always likely find a way to do so as these do not address the root causes of someone's gambling.

It does sound like the gambling no longer holds any kind of 'enjoyment' for you and yet you find yourself caught up in a cycle of which it can feel like you have no control. It may be then that treatment support could be helpful to you in addressing the bigger picture of your gambling, by this I mean looking at any underlying issues, or any factors that may have contributed to your gambling increasing over the last couple of years; helping you to identify any triggers and so on. 

If this is something that you'd like to talk about, please do feel free to contact the helpline on 0808 8020 133 or via our live chat, both available seven days a week, 24 hours a day where one of our team of advisers will be able to go through all the options available to you. 

Wishing you all the very best, 

Helen

Forum Admin

I have called and have a telephone appointment Friday morning, I really hope I get out of this, your right there is no enjoyment anymore I just sit up all night and deposit untill all money out of my account is gone, then I borrow More money to gamble more, the I don’t have anything left to gamble with and owe more money out for it. And then I get depressed but mainly because I can’t gamble some more. It’s really strange I saw my mum gamble when I was younger and I used to hate it. I username to tel her she’s just throwing money away. And Now I’m doing it.  There really must be an underlining problem I just have done about 6k over 2 years! 

It's going to be tough for a while because you are attempting to break an addictive behavior that your brain is wired up for. However, if you do stick to it and put some distance between yourself and your last bet you'll suddenly realize one evening how stress free you feel. Embrace that feeling as it will be an early sign that you are winning in the battle to re-educate your brain.