Hey there,

Thanks for sharing your story. I have also had large losses and have tried to quit many times. Can I suggest you download/pick up a book called ‘Easy Way to Stop Gambling’ by Allen Carr. I got it after a suggestion on here and it has totally changed my perspective on gambling. I have had almost no urges and I am on 12 days gamble free and it feels awesome.

Don’t use willpower, don’t make assertions like ‘I WILL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN’. It is dangerous – why? Because it rarely works. How many times have you said that to yourself? only to fall back in it a day or week later and lose MORE than you lost before. That’s what happened to me, dozens of times!! This book made me realise the willpower game is a dead end. You need to change your perspective and the urge will fade away.

Good luck in your recovery. I’ll be following your thread.

Hey again hintline. Killingit is right, refrain from big words like “I WILL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN” etc. They mean nothing. It’s like saying “I will never catch the flu again”.
First of all, you don’t know that, second of all it’s highly unlikely (that you won’t) and third of all, just like with the flu, you don’t have a lot of control over it (in state that you’re now in).

You definitely want to read that book by Allen Carr, “The Easy Way” and hope that it will work for you.

To quit gambling, you need to “trick” your brain, you need to get different perspective on things. Willpower alone won’t work. And even if you’re extremely strong willed, it would mean a life full of struggles. And as Geordie mentioned in one post it’s not what life is about.

Good luck and make sure you come here often.

Your post resonates with me a lot because these are the exact feelings I’ve gone through time and time again. Trust me when I say that it does get better from here. It will require a lot of hard work but it can get better if you decide to stop gambling, one day at a time.

Good luck with your journey and look forward to seeing you on here more often.

-Jack

I can identify hintline. My gambling has also progressed significantly recently. I’ve been an emotional wreck the past few days after losing boatloads. And I certainly have been where you are with the crying etc. I just got off the support groups and I must say I feel much better chatting to the community here in real time. I don’t feel nearly as alone as I did. Time will heal our emotional scars as long as we keep our feet moving in the right direction. All the best.

WC

Urges are difficult because they can seemingly come up out of no where: When things are going great, when they are not and everything in between. Reflecting back, I got to 6 months gamble free because I was very aware of myself. Very connected to my inner emotions on any given day. Although I am not necessarily religious, I prayed and meditated for strength and self awareness even when things were going well. I got away from that and that’s when the obsession started creeping back in. And all it takes is one big loss for gambling to totally consume my mind. So if you are having no urges perhaps take a quiet moment to yourself and ask why that is. Ask for the strength to remember this moment when things get more difficult. It worked for me in the past, I am hoping it will work again and perhaps it will help you.

Hey Hintline how are you going? Have you been able to abstain from gambling?

I am curious to see if Allen Carr’s book had the same effect on you. I think I’m beginning to sound like a broken record in other posts it would be good if I had someone to back me up!! ??

Seriously though I hope all is going well. I suggest you keep posting – this forum section is a journal after all. I find it is very therapeutic and it’s comforting to see when others post, especially as some of the stories are very sobering and have a lot of pain and loss.

Our resolve to beat this terrible addiction is what unites us. It’s important we never stop trying to beat it.

I also read Easy Way to Stop Gambling’ by Allen Carr and is very good…it show the ilussion of gambling, and that doesn’t worth…

somebody watched also the videos:Allen Carr’s Easyway – How to Stop a Gambling Addiction Online Video Program?