I have been gambling slot machines since lockdown I win money and lose the winnings next day so it’s causing me lots of anxiety. Struggling to kick the habit keep getting passwords off my wife or using her accounts. Any ideas?
Gambling causing anxiety
- Thread starter Phil10
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Phillies Phan
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Hi Phil,
I enjoy going to casinos. Blackjack and video poker are my vices. Fortunately the casino is about 90 minutes away, so it’s a bit of a commitment to decide to go. We also now have online casinos here in Canada where you win and lose real money. I just don’t let myself get hooked into that. Can you swear off it and occasionally travel to one? I do understand from your other posts that anxiety causes you travel issues, but taking charge where you win, and anxiety loses should be the goal of course. I know, not easy to do but we’ll worth the effort.
I enjoy going to casinos. Blackjack and video poker are my vices. Fortunately the casino is about 90 minutes away, so it’s a bit of a commitment to decide to go. We also now have online casinos here in Canada where you win and lose real money. I just don’t let myself get hooked into that. Can you swear off it and occasionally travel to one? I do understand from your other posts that anxiety causes you travel issues, but taking charge where you win, and anxiety loses should be the goal of course. I know, not easy to do but we’ll worth the effort.
Izthewiz
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Gambling addiction could be what youre going thru.
Many people with gambling addictions struggle with anxiety.
best thing to do is find a hobby for me personally i bought a metal detector and
started that it took my mind off of gambling
Many people with gambling addictions struggle with anxiety.
best thing to do is find a hobby for me personally i bought a metal detector and
started that it took my mind off of gambling
Jonathan123
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Has it ever occurred to anyone that the gambling companies are not in it for your health? The idea is to make money, not for you but for them. The hypocrisy is astounding. They say they try not to encourage people to gamble but put adverts on TV nightly. They are laughing all the way to the bank, and at your expense. Some of the directors of these companies are multi millionaires! They take gamblers for mugs, and like drug addiction they know it is difficult to break the habit. So much of modern addictions are based on desire and basic instincts. The desire to make a lot of money which helps the need to survive. Any addiction can be broken. 'But I enjoy a bit of gambling so why not'? OK, so if you want to go on subsidizing the rich their lifestyle, go ahead!
Cuchculan
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Is a lot more readily available these days. With the online form of gambling. Don't even have to leave your house. I do think that is what he is on about. Hence the password his wife is giving him. Have to open an account with these sites. And have so much cash linked to your account. Or a credit card handy. You can do this 24/7. Which makes things a lot worse for some people. Unless you wipe your computer of all these sites. Put a block on them all. Other than that you will just keep going back to them.
I went out house into city other day felt funny to be off my phone. On a bad day I can spend hours on it maybe 8 hours or often upto 4am on it. Just pressing the button to spin. Since covid I never see friends anymore so been desperate to make money but I started off making money but started to lose money. It’s a real battle I only it into it during lockdown. Lost interest in low stakes football bets as I can win quicker on slots but lose more.
Cuchculan
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Slot machines, real or online, only pay out every so many spins. What they can pay out is far less than you put in. Is not a fair spin. Were every spin you could win. If you are new to a gambling site they might let you win a few times to begin with. To sell you the idea that you can win easily enough. Once they have you hooked, you will win less and less. But you will be putting more and money into their slots. You will never come out on top. Never even break even. That is how it is all set up.
I kept telling myself past few weeks I can play casually not addictive but I stayed up to 4am. Until now not put a block on my wife’s accounts but perhaps need to close these too. I keep some open in hope I will go back to football betting. I totally lost interest in football betting as you win much less and smaller stakes sometimes. I do feel anxious when I go out. I suffered anxiety for years before it so no idea of if it’s the slot machines but perhaps it’s making it worse? I work about £100 in two days felt that’s good but within one night I lost £140. I feel those losses are not worth it. I mean I don’t earn much money work part time so like idea of extra cash but sadly any time I win I just want to play. Almost every time I lose the winnings despite trying other sites. I know how these addictions are up there with Alcohol. I once went about six weeks without gambling felt much better for it. Always takes big loses for me to quit how I handle the withdrawal process better as I keep wanting to go back on?
Online gambling? You are in the UK, right?
The practical - Request a block on gambling transactions on your debit cards with the bank. Sign up to Gamstop, it will stop any new accounts being opened with your name and address for a set period of time, and install Gamban on the devices to book the sites and apps. Might be worth seeing if you block the accounts your wife has as well if it's a problem - and she is okay with that, obviously.
I would also make an appointment with your GP as well. As you said, it's an addiction in the same way as alcoholism and they will be able to refer you for support.
The practical - Request a block on gambling transactions on your debit cards with the bank. Sign up to Gamstop, it will stop any new accounts being opened with your name and address for a set period of time, and install Gamban on the devices to book the sites and apps. Might be worth seeing if you block the accounts your wife has as well if it's a problem - and she is okay with that, obviously.
I would also make an appointment with your GP as well. As you said, it's an addiction in the same way as alcoholism and they will be able to refer you for support.
Thank I am already getting CBT via zoom is it worth mentioning to her as I believe the gambling is treated with CBT?
Yes, I would mention it to her.
Jonathan123
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This is a god example of an addiction. I know you won't mind me saying so because you have admitted it yourself, which is such a good sign. So many people with addictions will not admit it. often from a feeling of shame. The alcoholic who says, 'of coarse, I can stop any time I want to'. Can they? The same applies to gambling or any other addiction. There is always the chance of wining. 'I am on a wining streak'. There is no such thing. You are being manipulated by some of the best psychologists going. Getting money out of people is an art, and they have mastered it for sure. The only ones laughing are the directors and shareholders of the gambling companies.
People buy Lottery tickets, even though the odds are hundreds of millions to one of winning. The directors of the Lottery are millionaires, and they salve their conscience by donating a small part of their profits to charities. We are taken for mugs, and we allow them to do it to us. Playing on people's base instincts is not new. It has been done though the ages by those who have no problem robbing folk of their money by legal means. All this adds to anxiety. An anxious person may well resort to anything that will detract from the fear he/she feels, and they play on that.
I decided to self exclude my sites for six weeks to six months you can set it longer but most sites I can’t get on shut my wife’s ones down too since she shared passwords. I lost £90 pounds last night and that was final straw. I fear I would lose my savings if I keep going on so I now have to avoid all slot machines.
I use to go to bingo but not for 10+ years. Also football betting I was betting very low stakes under £1 so no big issue. I went off all gambling when playing slot machines as it was easy to win. Big wins big losses but now I am off these sites last night I couldn’t even think of playing as every site closed. My focus is paying back the money I lost but that will take a month or so at work. Being honest I started last year I would always come out on top then any wins were smaller £100 most and they could in take it back so I never came out on top. Over the month since 2022 I never made any money atall. So yes it’s correct they let you win at first then stop. I believe it was fuelling my anxiety I felt good if i won but but when I lost I got depressed stressed anxious so it was best to stop. I can update in a few months and hopefully I have stayed off this site rather than went back like before.
Cuchculan
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Get help now, so you don't have the urge to go back on those sites. Gambling is a mug's game. Only winners are the sites. Now you even owe money that you have to work to pay back. If that doesn't teach you a lesson, nothing ever will.