Struggling

I know it's easier said than done, but the only help available immediately is to pick up the phone. Give the Gamcare advisers a call unless there's someone near to you. 

That has to be a better option than just trying to sit with it.

Chris.

Hi Lou Lou. I know the feeling and I know the struggle and the upset when you lose it all. 

have you thought about using gamstop? It blocks you from all websites. I joined it a few days ago now and although the decision was hard it was the right one.

you’ll never be a winner xx

Hi Loulou,

I’m sorry to read that your struggling at the moment and that you find yourself in a difficult situation with life and gambling.

I remember what this feels like and I sympathise with you. It is incredibly difficult in the midst of a gambling rollercoaster when you’re frequently gambling losing lots of money and living with the regret only to repeat the same pattern day after day.

You can absolutely change this situation. You can stop and rebuild and carve out a different future. 

Quitting gambling, in my experience, is the same as quitting anything else where its most difficult at the beginning but gets progressively easier to the point where its something you used to do but no longer and it doesn’t bother you anymore. So, after a short time, I slept better, had far more money, far less stress, worry, sadness, regret. In time, I started to feel good and became clear headed and positive about my future.

With gambling I find it hard to stop but once stopped I can stay stopped. After only a few months my life changes significantly but in truth the changes began after the first three weeks.

Picture your life 5 years from now. Picture the life living as you are now and picture how it could look if you hadnt lost a single penny in five years. Imagine where you’d be in five years without the rollercoaster emotions every day winning/losing and worrying and stressing. Think of the time we waste with this addiction.

If I can stop so can you.

Make the decision that you want to stop. Put blocks in place that prevent you from gambling and never, ever mope about your decision. Instead, focus  every day on the positives of not gambling no matter how small they may be.

You are unhappy with this current life. Change it today. Its within your power to do so. Forget money lost - its gone forever. Dont focus on money lost in a short time you’ll be far better financially because you’ll stop losing.

Trust me. You can do it.

Care about yourself. I’ve no doubt you are a special person. Give yourself a better life. You deserve it.

RR

Hi Lou 

please don’t despair, I felt like you do 2 weeks ago, I went 5 months gambling free then lost £1,000 in one night.  I have lost all my retirement savings, I am 60 years old and running out of time to save.  I thought seriously about suicide.  My husband would get my death in service payment and my pension.  Problem solved.  But he would be devastated my Grandaughter would grow up with the stigma of my suicide.  I decided to stop, which I know isn’t easy, I wrote down all my debts and savings plan and things long term won’t be so bad.  I am 9 days free of gambling feeling anxious but keep looking at my plan knowing I can recover both emotionally and financially.   There is always a solution, the down side for me is no one knows not even my husband but it’s my problem. There is help, I did an online chat which helped.  Please don’t panic please don’t cry you can come back from this.

Lou, I am the most cynical person I know. I always thought it was about will power alone but use whatever you can. I have tried stopping so many times over the years and felt so low and just reading peoples posts has caught me and I am not lying to myself now when I say that this is it! So find whatever you can that brings you that confidence and dive in with both feet, what is there to lose? 

Thanks for your replies I've not managed to read them yet. 

Just phoned the crisis team as a last resort ..that rang back 4 hours later and said they dont have time to speak to me I shouldnt be phoning them ..

Now alone with these dark thoughts 

Phone the Samaritans don’t struggle alone, things will get better, please don’t hurt yourself you are not alone there are hundreds of us on here all feeling the same pain but you do have a future.

Hello Loulou,

Please give us a call on freephone 0808 8020 133 if you'd like more support for your recovery.

If you don't feel like talking with us, a free 24 hour option for emotional support could be the Samaritans freephone 116 123 

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

Take care,

Adam.

Hiya loulou

Sorry to hear your at such a low point at the moment,  I'm the same as I go5 in and out off mood swings, what I can say is when things are fresh and you've just lost your money your state of mind is at it's worst I know believe me as I done something stupid that I totally regret now, so you stay strong and get some help as you need it to clear your mind and help you see things from a different perspective. All I know is things do get easier when you've dealt with things and can see through the fog. Hang in there and seek help asap as it's amazing what can be done 

Wow I only wish I'd read this 2 years ago!! I'm all good now but this would have helped me big time xx