I have now received a reply to my application from Soho gambling therapy center. I am place in a waiting list and sent some advice on how to keep away from gambling while awaiting. I would like to share their advice in case some one here find it helpful. I am sure in here most of us already been notified of this helpful points by gambling therapy website.
Why you gamble!
Problem gambling is thought to be an impulsive activity. In other words, you encounter something to do with gambling and this leads you to gamble before you have time to think through the potential negative consequences. For you, the act of gambling has become more of an automatic habit developed over time than something you consider in depth before doing. The following steps aim to break this impulse and give you a chance to think twice about gambling before doing so.
1) Exclude yourself from gambling premises
Self-excluding from those premises you favour or frequent most often
Creating ‘safe zones’ around your home, place of work and route from home to work
Installing online blocking software – Gamblock ($90) and K-9 Web Protection (free)
By self-excluding it becomes more difficult and uncomfortable for you to gamble. By having these strategies in place it forces you think twice about whether or not to gamble, in turn making it more likely that you will break the habit and think through your options.
2) Reduce your access to money
Limiting the amount of cash you carry – if all you need is lunch money, carry £3 not £5
3) Enjoying your life without gambling
Many gamblers report there to be a void once gambling has been removed from their life. Gambling may have reduced the time you spend on other activities or stopped you seeking out pleasure elsewhere. Finding new ways of enjoying your life in the absence of gambling is crucial for keeping away the thoughts and urges that put your recovery at risk. Why not try:
Brainstorming a selection of new activities you have never tried but may enjoy
Restarting past hobbies and interests that gambling stopped you doing
Planning your week in advance to ensure these activities are regularly included
Rewarding yourself for the days, weeks and months you do not gamble
Take some time to think this through. It is important to find a balance between things that need doing (e.g. working, cleaning, paying debts) and things you want to do. And not everything costs money! By having alternative activities to do, you limit the amount of time available to gamble and have an outlet for enjoyment and escape that will not cause you problems.
4) Try not to think about gambling as a way of making money
It may seem obvious to you at this point but thoughts about winning can still drive gambling behaviour. Some people still hold unrealistic thoughts about being a professional gambler able to make money from gambling. Those people who attempt to make money do so by sticking to very strict targets, for both winning and losing. They don’t chase losses, nor do they chase wins.
If you are reading this it is more likely that you could be described as a ‘compulsive’ gambler. What do we mean by the term ‘compulsive’?
The compulsive gambler will continue to gamble in the event of both wins and losses
The compulsive gambler has no ‘off’ switch and thus will gamble until all money is lost
The compulsive gambler therefore cannot make money from gambling
Thoughts and memories about gambling wins will still occur but should be seen as faulty. Memories about wins tend to be more easily recalled than memories about losses, so you may be over-estimating your chances of winning due to a biased memory. Instead try to remember the instances when you have lost money – practice trying to recall images from those times and visualize the consequences you then experienced.
I am quite happy that I have taken the step to ask for help. Today I went to my neighbor and gave him a nice hair cut. Guess what..he gave me a £5 note. I did not accept that explaining that we are friend and I have not done it for money, and making the money makes me feel bad. But as he is, always been so stubborn, he insist. I took the money thinking I might be able to buy some thing for him tomorrow as a present with that money, so the £5 is in front of my computer waiting until tomorrow.
Today was a good day. One day at a time.