Gambling Addiction & Recovery Support Group

Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. A preferred term among many professionals is problem gambling, as few people described by the term experience true compulsions in the clinical sense of the word. Problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others rather...

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Gambling machines in betting shops

Ebzy8888
Ebzy8888

hey I started gambling when I was about 18 I remember my first ever spin on the roulette machine me my friend use to go every Friday to the betting shop when we got payed and for weeks we use to come home every week with profit. Now I am 27 and I am still going into the betting shops it is killing me inside the gambling I have borrowed all kinds of money and now I am just stuck. When I play the machines I could just sit there till i have no amount left to play with it is like I am another person hypnotised into the machine to just lose and when I walk away from the machine it's like wow have I just really lost all that money in that amount of time it is gettin worst and worst now and I just don't what to do I still hide to family and friends saying i don't gamble but I really need to stop is there any suggestions Thanks 

Wandering
Wandering
My suggestion is one many gamblers have problems with. "Go to GA".....They understand your problems and help to stop it. but you have to WANT to stop.
Ebzy8888
Ebzy8888
Would one to one counselling be good
nb18
nb18
Sorry you're going through this as well. I feel the same way as you described with the feeling of being hypnotized and then being like; what did I just do. Horrible way to feel. No real advice as I'm where you are now, but wanted to let you know I read and understand how you feel. Had I not put my name on the self exclusion list a few days ago I'm afraid I'd be there now and not sure how I would have funded it, but I'm sure I would have found a way, which is a very scary thought.
Ebzy8888
Ebzy8888
Thank you it is a scary place to be
Wandering
Wandering
Ebzy8888 It "Might" but the people who DO understand are living it, the therapist only is working off what they "Think" they know. They don't have direct experience of what an addicted gambler will, do to get the money for gambling.
Qwit4Good
Qwit4Good
GA and/or private counseling are your best bets. Be prepared to make some changes in your life. It is people, places, things and money that trigger us. You could also start with putting some blocks on your money: Ask your bank to lower your daily ATM card limit, or get rid of ATM cards and go to a pre-paid credit card that you can only make purchases with and not withdraw cash amounts, or let someone you trust hold your money, and/or write out some other things you can do for 20 minutes that cost little or nothing instead of gambling (when you have a urge - until the urge passes), and/or get a new hobby, revive old hobbies, exercise, art work, go to a movie, visit a friend. Do ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING you can to get away from this devastating addiction. You are fighting for your life.
Ebzy8888
Ebzy8888
Thank you
Robin-Mc
Robin-Mc
I know it seems like we’re hypnotized when we couldn’t leave a machine until we were completely busted, but that was simply our addition lying to us, that’s how an addiction of the mind works. By the time we realize we’re making ourselves sick gambling, there’s a chemical reaction going on in our brain, trying in vain to duplicate the way winning use to make us feel, but like any addiction, enough is never enough.
GA can help you. Helping yourself can help you. First off you must stop gambling. We know that’s easier said than done, we also know it’s possible. Throw all the help you can at this addiction, even if it means screaming into a pillow or sitting on your hands. One day at a time, without gambling, begins to clear your mind, believe us, it does. More than abstinence is also possible to achieve, but it’s important to get some clean time under your belt.
Ebzy8888
Ebzy8888
Cheers nice one yeah it is I put £420 in the machine the other day and got up to £600 any normal person would just walked away I was happy with 6 but just couldn't get away from it and ended up loosing it all
Ebzy8888
Ebzy8888
Is there any way I can self exclude from every betting shop I think it's awful the way you only self exclude in a certain areas
joeyruready
joeyruready
Once I spent seven days in a casino gambling. GA meetings and the people in the meetings are the only place I recieved what I needed to stop my own insanity. WE admitted we are powerless over gambling, that our lives had become unmanageable. WE came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to a normal way of thinking and living.

When I practiced my sickness I did it alone, when I practice recovery I can only do it with others. Feel free to message me if you want to work recovery rather than remain working self destruction.
joycatcher
joycatcher
Try to find a therapist who has gambling addiction knowledge -- Gambling addiction is the first/only behavioral addiction listed in the DSMV for the profession.
In my experience, therapists I visited DID NOT GET IT. But I did not have the luxury to "vet" them -- not good mental health insurance coverage.
GA --- OH GA was the BEST therapy. And if you can try a few diff meetings it always helps. They're all different.
Also w/ covid many online and phone meetings nationally.

What you posted we can all relate to --- when we won, we had to go back and win more, when we lost, we had to go back and regain our losses. if this is the fact we are STUCK. We are addicted and it will not turn out well.

Best to you and welcome