Hi Butchugly,
So many posts that I’ve read on here could easily have been written by me. This is only my second day on here and it appears that most of us think and act in exactly the same way. I go online knowing that even if I’m winning I wont withdraw the winnings. It defies logic as to why we play really. There’s an urge inside us that seems to have control of our thought process and makes us act in a way that defies logic and common sense, with no thought or consideration of the consequences when we lose.
It has been a complaint of mine for a while, that even if you self exclude yourself, some gaming sites still allow you to open new accounts, gamble and then complete their checks later before realising that you are self excluded. By then of course the damage is often already done. It has happened to me a few times. I have complained to a few big gaming sites that no one should be allowed to place a bet until their identity and age is fully checked out and verified and then cross referenced for self exclusion. Everything and I mean everything is biased in favour of the gaming operator. We just need to realise that we are all going to lose, if not in the short term, then certainly in the long term. The house always wins, that is a plain and simple fact. I for one am intrigued as to the methods used to change our thought process and habits, so keep posting and keep reading about other peoples experiences on here, it will be invaluable I’m sure.
There is plenty of advice, help and guidance on this site and I’m just beginning to tap into it. Ultimately, whether we stop gambling or not will be down to us, but this site should teach us ways and methods to change our way of thinking and hopefully give us the tools that will equip us to best face our daily challenges.
It’s a vicious cycle, we gamble, we lose, we get depressed, our self esteem hits the floor, we shut out the people close to us because gambling completely consumes us and so on and so on. I think everyone on here has reached a point where we all want to help ourselves and are seeking help and guidance in how to best do this, so you may not realise this now, but just being here and posting is a giant step, it is for me anyway.
Best of luck and stay strong.
Charlster2