I can't stop gambling. What do I do?

Start with this: you are not weak, and you are not the only one saying it tonight. Gambling is built to pull you back, and the people who stop are rarely the ones with the most willpower. They are the ones who changed what is easy.

Why promising yourself does not work

A promise made at noon has to survive 11pm, when you are tired, stressed or bored, and the app is one tap away. That is not a fair fight. The version of you at noon is the one with the good ideas, so use them to set things up, not to make promises.

Things that do not need willpower

• Lock the accounts. Self exclusion is a decision you make once and the book has to honour.
• Block the sites. Sixty seconds on an iPhone, and give the passcode away.
• Take the money out of reach. Remove saved cards and set your bank to ask for a second step.
• Put someone else in the loop. The text that says "I'm about to bet, call me" is the one that works.

If you have tried before and it did not hold

That is normal and it is information, not failure. Look at where it broke: was the app still on your phone, was the money still in the account, did anyone know? Fix that one thing and try again. Deleting the app on its own rarely lasts.

Not sure how serious it is?

Two questions answer it. If either is a yes, talk to a person today. The helplines below are free.