Hi Gov
You are doing so well in admitting you have this problem. It sounds as if it is hard for you as you have so many members who are gamblers.
GA really works. The GA I go to is really close to a tube station, so if you are as close to London as say Romford, you would be able to get in and out within the hour from Liverpool Street.
None of us can quit gambling on our own. At our GA we have many female members. Obviously you have childcare to think about, but hopefully your partner can help with that. I am doing 4 meetings a week at the moment and I am now on day 15 and I am able to deal with the urges to gamble. When I think about gambling I picture the worst – and that puts me off. Or I think of all the times I have lost so much money and I ask myself if no would be any different? If I imagine myself winning, I then picture myself losing it. There is no wining for CGs. Any ‘winnings’ just become fuel and ammunition.
Does your partner know of your addiction. Ca you hand over all money to him, block your computer, get in touch with the National Problem Gambling Clinic in London and refer yourself. But in the meantime, find GA meetings to go to.
Please keep posting here, share your thoughts. There are many wise people here who, just using this site, have managed to stop their gambling because they can be honest. Write whatever you need to. yesterday i was suicidal – today I feel like a differet person. This morning I chose some Just For Todays and also said the serenity prayer.
My thought and prayers to you and your little boy. I have a little boy too and because of my gambling, lying, cheating, stealing my wife is leaving me. That means she is a single mum and I am responsible. I need to recover so I can be a good dad from now on. I want to live in the present, and move on from the past. As my sister said today as I met her in the hospital (she is very poorly). The past is another country – they do things different there.
Good luck