Betting for years without hitting rock bottom

So just an update - I couldn't stay away from gambling completely unfortunately but lost another $3600 yesterday and I used Gamban in the UK for the first time in my life as I want to be out of this completely.

There are still other ways to gamble unfortunately outside of the UK, and unfortunately there is no solution for all of it, but overall I think this decision will only make things better.

If I were to take this thread back from November 2023 to November 2024 - so I spent far less on gambling in the past 12 months, but I'd like to spend completely nothing moving forward or as little as possible. That's my goal - avoid it as much as possible if not completely.

Thanks for the update NoMore,

I am sorry to hear that of your recent struggles, but I am happy to hear that you are giving Gamban a shot. With in-person sites, self-exclusion is a great tool, but with online gambling, it is much trickier since there are so many sites and ways to gamble. Even though we put barriers in place, our minds automatically try to think of ways around it. Years ago, I used to make an account with every online gambling site I could think of just so that I could self-exclude. Unfortunately, once that period was up, I would always start to gamble again. Now there are simply too many sites.

I was only really able to make progress by going to therapy and to let someone control all my finances. Unfortunately, not everyone has someone they can give control of their finances to. I keep no cash, I give them my cheques and they monitor my credit card purchases. They have been my saving grace.

Fighting this addiction with little support is extremely difficult. Have you given GA or therapy a shot?

Aries411 wrote:Fighting this addiction with little support is extremely difficult. Have you given GA or therapy a shot?

Thanks for your kind words first of all.

No, I don't believe in GA or therapy too much.

I've been with this over 20 years of my life and thankfully, things have only gone better. I do need therapy but not for gambling, that's how I feel.

I tried GA in the past, I honestly don't feel like it's for me, that's how I feel about it.

Was doing extremely well since my last posts - simply because I didn't bet.

But somehow I found myself causing a damage to myself.

I lost $1200.

I can live with that, but just documenting this and telling myself again to please please please avoid betting by all costs and all means whatsoever.

I will try to update this several months from now and not days/weeks from now, if that happens that means I'm on the right track....

I'm aiming for this.

Don't be too hard on yourself , NMBP . Your prior gamble-free days will serve you well as you get past this stumble . Relapse is never a good thing but it can teach us valuable lessons about our addiction and what triggers it .

I have faith in you ! Pick yourself up , dust yourself off and carry on . You got this !

NewSunRising wrote:Don't be too hard on yourself , NMBP . Your prior gamble-free days will serve you well as you get past this stumble . Relapse is never a good thing but it can teach us valuable lessons about our addiction and what triggers it .

I have faith in you ! Pick yourself up , dust yourself off and carry on . You got this !

Thanks