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Hi there,
im new to this site and honestly to recignizing and admitting I’m a compulsive gambler. I started gambling 6 months ago. In 6 months I have lost almost everything and taken my kids and live in boyfriend down with me. I am so ashamed of what I have done and what I’ve become. yet If I can get my hands on money I will gamble it. I didn’t gamble yesterday and it felt good but did today. I’m just tired of this and need and want To get and be better than this.
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Hi staycg
This addiction takes us down very quickly as you have found out . I have managed different amounts of gamble free time and it is only when I have strong barriers in place .
This means things like a gambling blocker on internet devices, and no access to bank cards .
I find when my barriers slip , so do I !
Recently I changed phone and found myself gambling before I could put he blocker on.You can stop and you can repair the financial damage .
Perhaps you would find it helpful to attend some of the groups here on a Monday and Thursday night.Well done on taking the first step towards recovery and well done on your gamble free day – the early days are not easy .
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Hi. You have taken the first step coming here. This addiction is devastating. Recovery is hard but you can have your life back. The financial damage can be repaired over time. Don’t give up. Put barriers in place. Keep posting. Stay strong.
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Hi Stay
I think maybe you weren’t logged into the site so you couldn’t join group.
Don’t worry about today – it’s done!Now plan tomorrow – where did you gamble today and what steps can you take right now to stop it happening tomorrow ?
How you absolutely make it impossible to gamble no matter how strong the urge to do so is ?Xx
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Hi. You have to put barriers in place, ban and or put blockers in place. You can tell yourself that you will replace the money but it never happens. You only dig yourself a deeper hole. Take it from another CG. Have you told your partner? It doesn’t take long to lose everything. This addiction cab change you completely. Stay strong! Keep trying.
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Hi Stay and welcome to the forum. It sounds like you are ready to put in place the things that are needed to stop! Giving up control of your finances is a great step. At least the bills will get paid and you won’t be able to cause more damage that way. Do you have a couple people you typically borrow from when you want to gamble? I would borrow from my sisters. I told both of them I have a gambling problem. Please don’t give me any money as I can’t repay you. I had my finances managed as well. Have you thought about getting some counseling and or attending a Gambler’s anonymous group? It helps to have as much support as possible. Some people find knowing why they gamble helps them in recovery. Others don’t know why, or gamble for every reason possible and so knowing isn’t necesarily as much of a focus. It can be so hard in the beginning to stop. But, if we put as much effort into stopping as we did into playing we can do it. Well done on the steps you are taking. Laura
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yes, one day at a time! You are filling your toolbox with the different tools necessary to deal with this. The more complete the toolbox the more effective you can be in dealing with this addiction. Not all tools fit all CG’s but there are a lot of things that have been proven to help. So very well done! You learned an expensive lesson early but truly you are dealing with this at an early phase. It can get a lot worse as you have probably read here. Stay strong! You have the right attitude 🙂
Laura -
Hello and thanks for starting a thread in the Gambling Therapy forums
Here at Gambling Therapy we pride ourselves on being a caring and diverse online community who can help and support you with the difficulties you’re currently facing. We understand that this might be a tough time for you, particularly if you’re new to recovery, so come here as often as you need to and participate in the forums, access online groups and connect to the live advice helpline if you need one to one support. We’re in this together!
Here on the forum you can share your experiences in a safe, supportive and accepting environment. The beauty of writing it all down is that you can take your time and you will be creating a record of your progress that you can look back on if it ever feels like you’re not moving forward. So, share as much or as little as you like but do try to stick to keeping just one thread in this forum so people know where to find you if they want to be updated on your progress or share something with you.
As well as the forums New Members are invited to join Charles in the New Members Practical Advice Group On Mondays at 21:00 (UK) and Thursday at 19:00(UK)
And on that note….
I’m going to hand you over to our community because I’m sure they will have some words of wisdom for you 🙂
Take care
The Gambling Therapy Team
PS: Let me just remind you to take a look at our privacy policy and terms and conditions so you know how it all works!
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Hi staycg
Well done on everything you have been doing .
I had the same difficulty getting into groups recently . Try scrolling down to see all groups and going in through there .Keep strong – you are doing amazingly well.
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Hi. You are doing all the right steps to help.your recovery. I couldn’t get in the support groups either. ????? Keep going. Things will get better.
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How do you have access to money to gamble Stay?
I wouldn’t keep enough money on me to place a bet unless it was to buy something. And I needed to hand in a receipt. I asked for it to be that way. I heard it could help and honestly nothing else had. I had lost everything for my family. Everything. There was no more and’s or if’s or then’s. My partner told me the same thing. And I believed him.
At any time that you struggle with urges or the addiction reach out. Someone will have some advice. Talk to someone on the help line. Tell them you can’t get into the groups. I always have to scroll down the page to support groups available and then click on the purple “check all the support groups” button. Then I have to click on purple “view as list” button. If a group is open it will show in a list. English groups are listed as “open group”
Laura
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It is really good to read that you are moving forward. It IS so hard. We are losing our feel good fix and our gamble brain (that’s what I call the part of our brain that just wants what it wants!) is not happy. But that part of our brain doesn’t worry about silly things like keeping our money for important things like food and shelter. And it can get down right angry!
Here is a link I like to share with people as I think the information provided can be an invaluable tool. I have never read the book that is advertised but found the free tips helped me to understand why I was feeling the way I was when I stopped gambling. My gambling addictions counselor said yes these symptoms do apply do gambling addiction as well.
https://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/post-acute-withdrawal.htm
Never give up. There is always more we can do or learn to beat this.
Laura
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