Is Gambling Controlling Your Life?
Welcome to the website - I am glad you are here, and hope you come back often. Feel free to surf around and see if you like what's on the site. This is a not for profit website and was put together by Graeme who is a recovering compulsive gambler. You can read all about the author in the about section of the website.
If you have navigated to this website there is a high possibility that either you or your partner has a serious gambling problem. If you have a serious gambling problem I know from personal experience that the effects on you and your family members can be devastating. You will find useful resources throughout this website which may help you to overcome a gambling problem.
A great many individuals can gamble normally, but for some the urge to gamble becomes all encompassing, and rational behaviour is replaced by all out gambling binges, which often results in the individual racking up huge capital losses, and spending hours upon hours gambling simply to satisfy his or her own cravings to gamble. This kind of gambling can be extremely dangerous and will often result in a slow deterioration in all areas life for the person involved.
Anyone who has a serious gambling problem will face the same systematic problems no matter what kind of gambling activity they may be involved in. Some individuals may be addicted to horse racing while others may be addicted to fruit machines or casinos. Needless to say that the outcome and problems created by placing the wager are the same for all problem gamblers irrespective of where the money is wagered.
You may have a serious gambling problem if you agree with some or all of the following comments
The more you answer 'yes' to these questions, the more likely you are to have a serious gambling problem.
- You may be gambling more than you intend to and you just feel that you have lost control.
- The urge to gamble may have started to dominate your daily affairs.
- When gambling and you run out of money, do you feel lost and in despair, and need to gamble again as soon as possible?
- Do you gamble until your last penny is gone, even the bus fare home or the cost of a cup of tea?
- Do you stay away from work or college to gamble?
- You chase your losses which often results in even greater losses.
- You often spend more time gambling than you planned.
- Have you lost interest in your family, friends or interests?
- You are getting into debt because you gamble.
- Have you lied, stolen or borrowed just to get money to gamble or pay gambling debts?
- Are you reluctant to spend 'gambling money' on anything else?
- After losing, do you feel you must try and win back your losses as soon as possible?
- Do arguments, frustrations or disappointments make you want to gamble?
- Are you reluctant to spend 'gambling money' on anything else?
- Do you feel depressed or even suicidal because of your gambling?
Symptoms of a serious gambling problem
- Your life may be filled with anxiety and stress.
- You may not be able to sleep at night because of all the pressures.
- You get irritable with everyone.
- You prefer your own company.
- You have become very secretive.
- You are losing your self esteem.
- You hate getting mail as you know it brings bad news.
- You like to act as if you are a big shot.
- You are losing bigger amounts of money.
- You do not pay your household bills.
- You are getting deeper and deeper into debt.
Do you think you have a serious gambling problem?
If the questions asked above sounds all too familiar and you believe that you may have a serious gambling problem, please do not to despair because you can regain control of your life.
It is extremely hard for someone to admit that they may have a serious gambling problem because this inevitably means that they are admitting that gambling has defeated them. A great many problem gamblers dream of the big win which will clear all the debts that have been accrued during their gambling activities, therefore to admit defeat means that they have to deal with the other problems that will have been created because of the amount of time and money that will have been lost to gambling.
No one likes to think of themselves as a failure but in this instance you have to fail in order to get over your gambling problem. It's a fact that many problem gamblers will only seek out help when their own gambling activities has defeated them either financially or emotionally. When a problem gambler's life becomes so unmanageable and this is often after years of systematic gambling he or she may have to admit defeat and then they become ready to accept some help. If you believe you have reached your own point of defeat please do not think you are not a failure, because you will have taken the first important step in recognising that you have a serious gambling problem and that you want to do something about it.
If you have developed a serious gambling problem it will not be easy for you to regain control. This point is easy to prove to you if you consider the following comment, "that's the last time and I will ever gamble again". Comments like these are easy to make when you are feeling remorseful maybe because you have just lost money. However the urge to gamble will soon return and losses are often forgotten.
Fact
It will take commitment and determination from you to regain control of your life and refrain from gambling. However help and guidance is available for anyone who is prepared to give that commitment.
A serious gambling problem does not ease with time in fact it intensifies and the urge to gamble will get stronger and stronger.
Most problem gamblers went through terrifying experiences before they were ready to accept some help.
Vicious circle
Individuals often dream of getting back money they have lost, this dream is symptomatic of a serious problem gambler and is often the trigger to ensure that the serious problem gambler keeps on gambling.
You may even believe that you can make gambling pay by using your own system or by using services such as tipping lines or some other guaranteed betting system which are numerous in numbers and are offered by so called experts.
Of course none of these systems can deliver what they promise because if they did why would they have to sell them in the first place.
You can't beat the odd's
The gaming industry makes huge profits each year. Some of these profits are made from normal gamblers who gamble for recreational purposes, but you never hear of the gaming industry reporting losses.
In other words you can't beat the odds and you will always lose your money in the long term.
If you believe that you have a serious gambling problem please consider doing something about this now and try to turn your life around.
If you refrain from gambling all the problems associated with a serious gambling problem such as the money lost, sleepless nights, stress, broken relationships, the endless hours spent gambling and the time wasted planning your gambling activities could disappear virtually overnight.
Does A Compulsive Gambler Really Want To Stop Gambling?
This is a question most problem gamblers ask themselves when they begin to realise that gambling has affected their lives. Most problem gamblers intent is not to lose all their money, but rather to win big and buy all those materialistic items they have always dreamed of.
Gamblers are not generally selfish people; in fact they enjoy buying things for their family and friends. Compulsive gamblers live their lives to just place one more bet. It does not matter if a compulsive gambler is up five thousand pounds, they will still gamble until they have lost all the money they stated with. This is reality for a compulsive gambler. When they win, their egos soar like a bird in flight. For that very instant they feel like they are on top of the world. For them there is no other way they can get that euphoric feeling. This is what keeps a compulsive gambler from really wanting to stop gambling. When a compulsive gambler realises that they are always losing their money reality sets in. They then question themselves. Do I really want to stop gambling? They decide yes I want to stop gambling. They are feeling good about their decision. They finally made the decision to stop. The next day comes and goes. The compulsive gambler is feeling good about themselves.
All of sudden they get an urge to gamble again. Next thing you know they are online and playing roulette or they are on their way to their favourite gambling establishment. They realise they did not stop gambling. They then play games with their mind, telling themselves just one more time and I will stop. Before they begin gambling they start thinking about the big win and how they are going to spend the money. They place the first bet. As the time passes they realise they are ahead, they are on top of the world and then everything begins to crumble. They only have twenty pounds left. What do they do now? They reach for their wallet and realise they have a credit card and they can get more cash. Before they know it they have lost that money too. They finally decide to stop gambling. In less than one minute after stopping gambling they begin to ask themselves questions such as "why did they not stop gambling when they were ahead" "How could I go and take all that money off the credit card". "How could I lose all my money again?" "What am I going to tell my wife?" "How could I do this again?"
They finally arrive back at home and have to face the music. A partner might ask. How could you do this to me again? They then decide its time to stop. The next day arrives and they ask themselves do I really want to stop gambling? The logical answer is yes but the reality is no. Once a compulsive gambler no longer has any resources to gamble with, reality sets in and they are willing to admit they have a gambling problem. A compulsive gambler will normally only ever seek initial help when all access to money to gamble has dried up.
IF THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR TO YOU Don't let a gambling addiction rule your life take action right now and do something about your addiction before every penny is gone!
The only person that can decide if they have a serious gambling problem or not is you!
Message from the author - Graeme
The best decision I have ever made was to give myself another chance to give up gambling. I am a recovering compulsive gambler so I know how hard it is to beat this addiction. I have tried on numerous occasions in the past to stop gambling and failed. But I never gave up trying to give up gambling. My life is so much better since I stopped gambling, the peace of mind I have today is priceless. I put together this website predominantly because I want to share my experiences with other individuals who may be addicted to gambling just like I am and because it helps me in my own recovery to write about my own feelings, successes and failures. My journey in recovery will last my lifetime and I pray that I never gamble again. However I am only ever one day away from that first bet and writing this website helps to keep me gambling free. I have a very important decision to make every single day. I can choose to gamble and go back to that life of misery that I would create for myself or I can choose not to gamble and live a happy productive life. TODAY I CHOOSE NOT TO GAMBLE.
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Self Help Books
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Resources
You will find lots of resources in this section of the website which may help you to help you overcome a serious gambling problem.
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