My thoughts

Lou, it is lovely to see you post and sorry I didn't pay much attention in chat. I found it hard for personal reasons. I hope you are keeping well xx

I just sometimes feel bit sorry for people that dont have mental health diagnosis gambling can affect anyone.

Sorry your having hard time murlo make sure you contact gamcare if you've found it triggering xxx

Lou, thank you so much. I will be fine. I hope we can still catch up in chat x

Dear Loulou, 

Thank you for your post and your kind and thoughtful words. It sounds like it was a sensitive chatroom tonight, and while we acknowledge that some of you have been left feeling a little upset, it's testament to the strong community and caring nature of it's members that you are all checking in with one another. 

Wishing you all the very best,

Forum Admin

I have realised my issues of gambling were a result of mentally not being happy about something. I am recently recovering from finally realising this is wrong for me and am gamble free for a few weeks now. My struggle is because things are tough right now financially and am currently unemployed and looking for a job the strain is high so sometimes I get negative thought patterns which get me very low. I am hoping over time and once things can improve in terms of my financial situation that I will feel better and become more positive.

Many thanks for listening.

Hey.

We are all crazy. Sane and insane.we are just trying to make sense of it all. In away. If you judge yourself as mad to start with. You will find sain life much easier to live with. Try and stay happy. That is what it is all about,

Best

Criss

Feel like all hope is slipping away. I dont gamble any more, still get strong urges but avoid it apart from the odd scratchcard.

I am just struggling so much with my mental health rather than gambling, gambling use to be a way to cope. I dont belong on this site when I go in chat if I do I'm always miserable not a great influence or hope to others, I just offload problems on to the wrong people I'm sorry.

Wish you all well in your gambling recovery if any advice I do have is use. 

1) gamstop

2) stepchange 

Loulou

Lou, 

You are absolutely right, it is truly unbearable to feel the way you do. I genuinely believe you can beat this though. I know it is hard to see it right now, but the way that you are feeling will be temporary, things will change. You won't feel like this forever. Think about that day. 

I have a habit of getting into some dark places myself on occasions and the things I know for definite are a) I get through it and b) for all of the very temporary relief I may have thought I got from gambling, it made me far, far worse.

Keep talking Lou. There are many people who understand what you are going through. Sending hugs x

Dear @loulou,

I am sorry to hear you're struggling with your mental health, please remember you're not alone with this and that there are organisations that can support and advise you with your mental health. I've included some links that may be of use to you, these give details of where you can access help via websites and their helplines. You can also contact your GP for further support.

https://www.samaritans.org/

https://www.thecalmzone.net/

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/

https://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/suicide/

https://www.rethink.org/aboutus/what-we-do/advice-and-information-service/get-help-now/

Please remember you're not alone and it's very important to keep talking about how you're feeling, please don't give up hope @Loulou, there's so much care and support available for you on the above helplines from people trained to specifically deal with mental health.

As always, we're here for you with any gambling urges or problem gambling issues. 

Sending you all the best.

Kindest Regards

Joanne

Forum Admin

Lou, last year I never thought I'd ever feel better, I couldn't cope with how I felt and on many occasions nearly gave up and did try to give up, lucky for me someone must of been looking down on me, it wasnt my time to leave earth. I entered that chatroom never having anything positive to say, always feeling like I wasn't helping anyone, I felt like I didn't belong here. I relied on the wrong people who just wernt proffessionally trained to deal with mental illness, I think I did that because I felt like I could trust these people, but deep down they couldn't help me. There was only so much my GP and mental health worker could do too, it had to come from me. But when your in that very dark hole, we can't see it, I tried so many things to make myself feel better but nothing worked. I thought I was a terrible mum, terrible girlfriend, daughter , sister, friend, felt like giving up on a daily basis. I would wake up amd cry, because I had woke up, I didn't want to be alive, I didn't want to live feeling like that every single day. On here I took things the wrong way when people just meant well, I argued because I just didn't care. I couldn't see properly or think straight. 

I woke up one day and instead of crying because I was still here, I just sat on the end of my bed and stared out the window, I felt suffocated, so I got on a pair of leggings and my coat and walked out the door. As I was walking I honestly felt like I would never see my family again. I live in a town that's full of forests and mountains, I walked up a forest close by that has a bench in the middle of the trees that looks over the town. I sat there looking at my town and thinking. I thought about absolutely everything, my past, all my traumas, my family, my friends, and my kids. I must of sat there for about 2 hours, just thinking, looking, and I decided to fight again. I felt so lonely even though I have kids, a partner and close family, as I was walking home thinking about all the things I had already tried to help me get better, I tried thinking of what else I hadn't tried. I was still gambling, it was just before Christmas and I remember my GP saying my antidepressants would work if I didn't drink alcohol, so I decided to try that, I've not drank now since before Christmas, must be at least 6ish or more weeks and I do feel better mentally. I've also been pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I've been taking the kids to school and picking them up (something I wouldn't do before), I've started a course, been doing some shifts in my partner's work. It's been a battle, but I feel like I have more fight in me than I ever have, because deep down, I didn't want to die, I didnt want to leave my kids, I just wanted my mental pain to end. But that would just be me passing my pain on to my loved ones, and I can't ever do that to them. I think you just want the pain to end, but not your life.

There are so many organisations out there to help. If you don't like talking on the phone, call line also have a text service so you can text instead of ringing. You've done brilliant not gambling, and you will get better mentally, I know your probably thinking, no I won't, I thought the same, but honestly Lou just fight, there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

You have given me great support on here so please don't feel like you shouldn't be here on chatroom etc, yes you should. I've seen you give great advice even when your feeling low.

Don't give up, keep fighting, it's a long road, but you'll get there, I'm still walking my road, still fighting my fight, but I believe I will get better.

Stace xx