mozzie55

It’s ok to feel anger, near impossibe to avoid it particulary when an injustice has been dealt but the real trick is to recognise it, compartmentalise it and dismiss it. The only control we really have is over ourselves and how we respond to the actions and words of others.

Hi Ken, I view anger as a very negative force that rarely yields a positive result. To get angry in the moment is only human but to dwell on that anger is like drinking poison every day.

Hi Andrew,
Everyone who stops gambling start on a site like this one, read the posts here it will help you understand that it can be done and that you are not alone with your problem. There is also a chat room, if no-one is there leave a date and time for your return, that’s how we link up, they also have meetings online here. If you like looking…[Read more]

Hi Mitten08, I have been where you are and from my own experience I would encourage you to celebrate your choice to stop rather than grieve over the losses. The losses play a powerful draw back towards gambling, if you can write off and accept those losses life will become easier.

Be proud and celebrate the choice you have made to stop gambling,…[Read more]

P.S. Your ’tile’ which I presume is an app on your phone is a master stroke for prevention, more should be that honest with themselves and use that idea. Brilliant!

Hi ms23 I can very much relate to what you have said, I found researching the mind of the gambler online very helpful, it was interesting, informative, quite fascinating actually and the more informed I became the more it helped me to make a calculated decision about my actions which lead me to stop, in fairness I did start with one to one…[Read more]

The first days and weeks can be the toughest but it does get easier. Take the words ‘GIVING UP’ out your thoughts as this suggests you are depriving yourself of something, replace it with ‘I CHOOSE NOT TO GAMBLE’. When you get an urge to gamble ask yourself ‘WHERE DOES IT ACTUALLY HURT’? This helped me a lot and I hope it helps you. I found that…[Read more]

My condolences for your loss particularly now with the constraints that Covid 19 puts on us all and your scenario highlights just how tough it can be. Your urges are born of wanting to escape from your thoughts at this time which is completely understandable but if you give in to your urges the feelings that follow will merely make matters worse…[Read more]

You have come to the right place jeannemarie and well done for having the strength of character to make this first move. From my own experiences and reading others it is clear that any addiction is a diversion to avoid underlying issues, an escape. There is a chat room on this site which can be very useful and they organise online meetings as…[Read more]

Nice one resolve777 you seem to be in a better place than you were with your last post. Well done, your experience shows that even 10 years on it is still a work in progress and not to become complaceant. Did you manage to sort out the problem over the family vacation? I have only 30 months gamble free to my credit but your post reminds me to…[Read more]

SaraphinaFox, thank you for your reply, when my gambling got out of control I went for one to one counselling, they did not judge me but they helped me to look within myself for the answers to my problems. Many were deep rooted from childhood that I carried with me into adulthood. I embarked on life coaching which gave me an equality with all on…[Read more]

Just to clear things up and appease the sceptics, my 30 years of gambling started at physical casinos, followed by online when it became available.

I gambled online for 30 years, in April 2018, here in the UK, we have a one site does all blocker set up by the gambling commission, I had the option to exclude for 6 months, 12 months or 5 years, I hit the 5 year button in a moment of clarity and disgust with myself and like you, spent hours trying to find a way around it. I am glad to say I…[Read more]

To stop I had to accept that my addiction was to the playing, not the winning, the house doesn’t take it back we give it back because the goal is not to win money to keep, the goal is to win money to play with, hence the fact that you view the loss of $3600 as you do.
I had to recognise that the time spent gambling was an escape from other…[Read more]

I should also add that everything in Vegas is geared around getting you to gamble, there isn’t even coffe/tea facilities in the rooms forcing you to go down to where the action is for absolutely everything. If your family tell you that there are other things to do whilst there, they are wrong, everything and I mean absolutely everything is geared…[Read more]

At the end of the day it is your responsibility to say no. If they want to go then let them but don’t go with them. It is your choice to make, you know the dangers and whilst I am horrified that your family is being so inconsiderate in this matter the only control any of us have is over our own decisions, We cannot control others or hold them…[Read more]

Hi Liz333, You can go onto chat from banner above, state a time you will be there to chat and others might join you. You can buddy up if you want one to one email exchanges. If you want to buddy up with me let me know and I can ask Ken for permission to obtain your email.

Hi Liz333, Thanks for letting me know, it feels good to know that my experiences with gambling can be used to help others who are on the starting blocks of recovery. It’s important to get help and support from people that will understand and not judge or condem you, if you have friends or family that can help you speak to them, if not join sites…[Read more]