Good morning and welcome to my post.
*Firstly, allow me to apologies for the ClickBait-Esque Headline*
The long and short of this thread is to share a positive story; I realise how sceptical the majority of compulsive gamblers may see this as, but allow yourself to read through before deciding.
It's best to to start this story back in 2010. I was a fresh faced, precarious, fun loving 18 year old. I had just left high school and was on my way to Uni.
Im from one of the biggest cities in the UK, where fun and excitement was never too far for a young adult.
I remember walking down the road with my friends, a road that I was so familiar with its etched in my brain forever. My friend said to me 'have you been into a bookies before?' to which my reply was 'never'.
We walked in and I was introduced to a FOBT. I slid in £10, where being taught how to play 20p roulette, I felt a sensation that was so incredible, I felt insecure and alive at the same time. 7 minutes later I walked out with my friends and an additional £18. Wow. I played a game, it was fun, I have more money. Brillaint.
Needless to say, I'm sure this may mirror or draw similarities to huge amount of users on this page.
I could go through the next 9 years with you bit by bit, but the reality of the situation is you know where its going.
A few notable points are worth putting here for context:
I gambled my through all huge events from then until now. I'm 27. I have lied, borrowed and stolen so much that I actually don't really understand how I've gotten away with it. I turned into a manipulative, horrible person, who would literally do anything for a spin, turn of a card, list of football matches or horses I could gamble on.
I have gambled more than 2k in a day on a FOBT playing 20p roulette.
I have placed £400 on a football match, in order to claw back losses from a day, week or month.
I have literally been to hell and back, scraping the bottom of a relatives' purse, borrowing money from loved ones and come up with the most inventive, obscure and dirty lies to continue fulling an addiction that I knew would one day kill me.
I have had many days where I have seriously contemplated suicide and could not see any way out of an addiction that has held a tight grip of my life since that first day in 2009.
Now, I can even picture myself reading this post - I have done so throughout my gambling days on sites like this, especially when I have had a bad day, week or month. I'd try and read something that I could relate to, in the hope it'd make me feel better. I'd self motivate myself for maybe, a few days and basically go and gamble as much as physically possible - forgetting posts' like this in the blink of an eye.
If you've read this far, please continue to do so - as with the promise in the headline - the next part of this may save your life.
I'll go back to May, of this year. I got paid on the first Friday of the month and I had £200 left by the Saturday. I had gambled over £1300 overnight on online roulette.
This was it. Enough is enough. I had tried literally everything. Nothing works. This addiction is too strong. I am borderline suicidal. Here comes another 4 weeks of dread, worry, lies and unhappiness.
This hadn't been the first time I'd lost all my wages, in-fact far from it - I've done this multiple times - however for some reason this one hit me hard - most probably because I had tried everything to no avail; GA, self-exclusion, confessing to loved ones etc.
At this point, as I wallowed in self pity, I picked up a book one day on my way home from work.
This book cost £6 from Waterstones in the city centre. It was called 'The easy way to stop gambling by Alan Carr'
I thought to myself, 'why the f**k not'.
As I began to read, I felt a familiar feeling of 'yeah, yeah, easy said'.
As I continued to read half-heartedly, momentum towards understanding the message in the book began to grip me, in a similar way gaming has for a decade.
After a few days, I'd begin to read with excitement, hope and genuine happiness.
After a week, I was convinced this book was correct - it understood my thinking and headspace.
I finished reading this book a week after I squandered my wages at the beginning of May and haven't gambled since. I will never gamble again. I have been cured. I owe my life to Alan Carr and I swear to you, reading this book has saved my life.
Think about it. I too like you, was skeptical. But see it like this: This is a potential route out of your addictive destruction. This book has worked for a hard, heavy compulsive gambler who was at his wits-end. What do you have to loose? What do you have to gain? it makes no sense, whatsoever, not to read this book. Go onto Amazon, Apple Books or whatever and spend around £6 (instead of a flutter?) and give it a go. IT MAY SAVE YOU AS IT DID ME.
Since then, I haven't even had a small craving for a bet. I walk past bookmakers, casinos and scroll past adverts with glee; I see them as prisons for my brain that I have managed to escape from and I'm now invisible to them.
Please, please, just give it a shot.
Yours,
A happy ex-gambler.
*I apologies for any inconsistent grammar and/or rambling moments in the post. I had planned to go into detail about my gambling, but didn't see the point, when I realise that most of the readers on this page don't need that detail - it doesn't do anything for them. I would love feedback if anyone has read or plans on reading in response to this and would be keen to continue conversation about it, please reply*
Hi All
Been about many years ,age 52 and gambled practically all that time , bankrupt twice, marriage lost and all the other usual things, just trying to say Dom I’ve got a little experience, please don’t consider the book the final solution , I agree the Alan Carr book is very good and inspired me to quit and I did for 3 months, I am now in bankruptcy again. What trying to say put the other blocks in place enjoy being gambling free keep reading the book wherever you find strength use it to win , we are all different but blocks do matter.
On a positive, I have reread the book and put blocks in place like never before, my thoughts for myself is I’m always going to be a addicted gambler that isn’t going to gamble, so 111 days without a bet .
Hi mate,
thanks for your reply.
I totally agree and take on what you’re saying about it being a good tool, but not the end.
I think it’s worth noting that I was very skeptical when I picked the book up. I’d read reviews in the past about it not working.
It’s true that these things don’t always work for everyone - I do, however, advise anyone stuck in a rut to give it a blast - as I said in original post, what have you got to loose?
im not naive enough to believe it’s been solely the book that’s helped me stop; I think the reader needs to have a strong urge to stop? Who really knows? All I can say is I don’t feel deprived from a flutter and I don’t ever have craving to stick on a little punt. When everything else I’ve tried hasn’t worked, I’m super confident about this and I feel absolutely amazing - as if a dark cloud has been lifted from me.
on a side note, I hope everything keeps working for you mate! Glad to hear about you extended period of abstinence- keep it up!
Hi Alan welcome to the forum
Hi Alan welcome to the forum
Ha Ha - I think Allan Carr died at least 10 years ago.
I've never read the book, but file it under 'what harm can it do for a few quid'.
Wow, I don’t come by this site very often anymore and very rarely post on it, however this story bares so many similarities to mine I couldn’t not stop and say hi! I am sitting here on Day 398 living a life I never thought was possible in a million years, and I owe so so much to this book as well! Really heartening to hear it has done the same for others!
Good morning and welcome to my post.
*Firstly, allow me to apologies for the ClickBait-Esque Headline*
The long and short of this thread is to share a positive story; I realise how sceptical the majority of compulsive gamblers may see this as, but allow yourself to read through before deciding.
It's best to to start this story back in 2010. I was a fresh faced, precarious, fun loving 18 year old. I had just left high school and was on my way to Uni.
Im from one of the biggest cities in the UK, where fun and excitement was never too far for a young adult.
I remember walking down the road with my friends, a road that I was so familiar with its etched in my brain forever. My friend said to me 'have you been into a bookies before?' to which my reply was 'never'.
We walked in and I was introduced to a FOBT. I slid in £10, where being taught how to play 20p roulette, I felt a sensation that was so incredible, I felt insecure and alive at the same time. 7 minutes later I walked out with my friends and an additional £18. Wow. I played a game, it was fun, I have more money. Brillaint.
Needless to say, I'm sure this may mirror or draw similarities to huge amount of users on this page.
I could go through the next 9 years with you bit by bit, but the reality of the situation is you know where its going.
A few notable points are worth putting here for context:
I gambled my through all huge events from then until now. I'm 27. I have lied, borrowed and stolen so much that I actually don't really understand how I've gotten away with it. I turned into a manipulative, horrible person, who would literally do anything for a spin, turn of a card, list of football matches or horses I could gamble on.
I have gambled more than 2k in a day on a FOBT playing 20p roulette.
I have placed £400 on a football match, in order to claw back losses from a day, week or month.
I have literally been to hell and back, scraping the bottom of a relatives' purse, borrowing money from loved ones and come up with the most inventive, obscure and dirty lies to continue fulling an addiction that I knew would one day kill me.
I have had many days where I have seriously contemplated suicide and could not see any way out of an addiction that has held a tight grip of my life since that first day in 2009.
Now, I can even picture myself reading this post - I have done so throughout my gambling days on sites like this, especially when I have had a bad day, week or month. I'd try and read something that I could relate to, in the hope it'd make me feel better. I'd self motivate myself for maybe, a few days and basically go and gamble as much as physically possible - forgetting posts' like this in the blink of an eye.
If you've read this far, please continue to do so - as with the promise in the headline - the next part of this may save your life.
I'll go back to May, of this year. I got paid on the first Friday of the month and I had £200 left by the Saturday. I had gambled over £1300 overnight on online roulette.
This was it. Enough is enough. I had tried literally everything. Nothing works. This addiction is too strong. I am borderline suicidal. Here comes another 4 weeks of dread, worry, lies and unhappiness.
This hadn't been the first time I'd lost all my wages, in-fact far from it - I've done this multiple times - however for some reason this one hit me hard - most probably because I had tried everything to no avail; GA, self-exclusion, confessing to loved ones etc.
At this point, as I wallowed in self pity, I picked up a book one day on my way home from work.
This book cost £6 from Waterstones in the city centre. It was called 'The easy way to stop gambling by Alan Carr'
I thought to myself, 'why the f**k not'.
As I began to read, I felt a familiar feeling of 'yeah, yeah, easy said'.
As I continued to read half-heartedly, momentum towards understanding the message in the book began to grip me, in a similar way gaming has for a decade.
After a few days, I'd begin to read with excitement, hope and genuine happiness.
After a week, I was convinced this book was correct - it understood my thinking and headspace.
I finished reading this book a week after I squandered my wages at the beginning of May and haven't gambled since. I will never gamble again. I have been cured. I owe my life to Alan Carr and I swear to you, reading this book has saved my life.
Think about it. I too like you, was skeptical. But see it like this: This is a potential route out of your addictive destruction. This book has worked for a hard, heavy compulsive gambler who was at his wits-end. What do you have to loose? What do you have to gain? it makes no sense, whatsoever, not to read this book. Go onto Amazon, Apple Books or whatever and spend around £6 (instead of a flutter?) and give it a go. IT MAY SAVE YOU AS IT DID ME.
Since then, I haven't even had a small craving for a bet. I walk past bookmakers, casinos and scroll past adverts with glee; I see them as prisons for my brain that I have managed to escape from and I'm now invisible to them.
Please, please, just give it a shot.
Yours,
A happy ex-gambler.
*I apologies for any inconsistent grammar and/or rambling moments in the post. I had planned to go into detail about my gambling, but didn't see the point, when I realise that most of the readers on this page don't need that detail - it doesn't do anything for them. I would love feedback if anyone has read or plans on reading in response to this and would be keen to continue conversation about it, please reply*
Hi dom,
I got back from the casino on Sunday night after blowing everh single penny I had like I do every month.
Anyway I have tried everything to stop this rubbish. There is literally nothing I haven't tried.
Then I come across your post and thought why the hell not?
I instantly downloaded the book and stayed up till earlier hours reading it.
I must say it's a very Interesting read and a massive eye opener. I am now a 100 pages in. Let's hope this does the trick.
Mate, I’ve been there so many times myself; believe me when I say I know how hard that type of thing hits home.
please keep reading! As I said on my post, from the off i wasn’t wholly convinced. As I continued to read it became a lot more powerful and the rest, well you know the rest!
just keep in your mind that this is 100% the right decision in making a positive step out of a gripping hell. You’ve got this!
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