👋 Hi

Hi Laura !

Well done on the two weeks 👏. I find the first couple of weeks the hardest, always.

This time around is probably my 200th time trying to quit over the last decade.

Whilst always being an issue, my gambling became worse and worse back in 2022 after a relationship breakdown. Then I lost my house, and racked up around 40,000 in personal debt. Latest relapse set me back even further. I work a ‘normal’ job and this debt will take me years and years to get out of. 

How are you coping with no gambling ? What’s your story?

Hi Laura, 

Well done, that’s amazing. 

I gambled for 5 years, took out debt in my name and my husband’s name without him knowing!! £70k worth!! 

July 2023 I hit rock bottom and it all came out. I told my husband everything! He stuck by me and I’m now 800 days GF.

Take each day at a time, talk to people, grab hold of every bit of help you can get your hands on, and put every block in place. 

Good luck,

Claire

@cpparch Hi Laura, I gambled pretty much everyday for 10 years, and am now currently 22 days Gamble free! This time I’ve made sure every avenue to gamble has been blocked off, spoke to my family and friends and just been as honest as I can be with everyone 😊 what have you put in place yourself if you dont mind me asking? 

Good luck with your journey!

Shaw

@alcyiwx4j6 thank you for commenting! its been a hard couple of weeks. i started gambling during lockdown, i remember an advert for a site that offered a very good bonus if i deposited x amount so thats where my story began. i won a wee of money then it had me hooked. I got such a buzz of winning on online slots, always betting more than i could afford. i took out a couple of bank loans as i spent most of my wages every month on gambling, trying to win back the money i lost....always thinking that that one bet will be a big winner. Things came to a head for me in April 2023 and i went through gamstop after telling my partner and my mum that i had spent all my money. But something kept dragging me back in and i found i could access non gamstop sites and continued to use the online slots, whilst lying to everyone around me. i took out more loans, pay day and bank and credit cards, which has now left me in a lot of debt. I had to come clean once again about my gambling and the fact that i now have no money. its affected my mental health and ive currently been signed off work for 8 weeks. i have installed gamban on my phone and what a difference it has made to my life. i also have a gambling counseller that i speak with every week and i am currently going through the step-change charity who are helping me with my debt.

sorry for waffling on. i'm really sorry to hear that you are in so much debt, its honestly the worst. i really hope you are doing ok and are getting help and support too. we have got this!

Laura.

@cpparch Hi Claire, thank you so much for commenting 😀  and well done for 800 days GF! Amazing!! i hope that i can be like you one day! i am being open and honest with everyone and its helping me so much. i was so ashamed to begin with but im hoping that i can get through this period of my life and help others. Like you, my patrner is standing by me but its been difficult with a lot of arguing and issues with trusting me with money. i have gamban on my phone now which is my life saver....wish i had done it sooner!

thank you again for your message

Laura.

@zt8afh9p2c Hi Shaw, thank you for your message...well done on 22 days GF! Like you i now have every avenue in place to make sure i dont go through this again...honestly the worst period of my life ever! i speak to family and friends also but no one seems to understand the addiction and how it sucks you in. im so glad that i am able to speak with others on here who understand and listen. i have a gambling counseller that i speak with every tuesday and its really helping me.

Good luck with your Journey too 😀 

Laura.

Thank you, we should be extremely proud of each day we go gamble free! 😊 It may seem like a small step but remembering that each day is another step towards staying GF for the rest of our lives is huge. I feel you on that one, it has been the worst 10 years being addicted to gambling but I can finally say things are looking up! It really does suck you in, and makes you somebody you aren't which I find is the hardest bit to deal with, the lack of trust people have in you and the upset and heartache you cause is unimaginable, I'm still feeling the effects of that now, with my relationship on the rocks after coming clean unfortunately, but focusing on myself is the most important thing right now and getting the help I need to deal with this from wherever I can.  It can be quite helpful to get friends and family on here (If they want to) that may not understand, there are plenty of forums that I've come across from family members/partners that ask for help understanding or how to help a problem gambler etc. It might be worth speaking with your family. 

Hope you've had a good week 😊  

Shaw

@zt8afh9p2c thank you, i totally agree, every day is a small step to being gamble free. i cant wait to get out of this horrible situation. Like you it has affected my relationship and im hoping that things will get better in time. im doing everything i can and getting all the support that is available out there. its the debt that is really getting to me but im in the process of getting help with it. I hope you've had a good week too and that things will get better for you.

Laura.

@zt8afh9p2c thank you, i totally agree, every day is a small step to being gamble free. i cant wait to get out of this horrible situation. Like you it has affected my relationship and im hoping that things will get better in time. im doing everything i can and getting all the support that is available out there. its the debt that is really getting to me but im in the process of getting help with it. I hope you've had a good week too and that things will get better for you.

Laura.

@06kdm73ub2 yeah we can only hope, I think thats the part that has effected me the most the strain I’ve put on other people through my gambling. I’m glad you’re getting help with your debt though, once you have a clear plan in place to pay it off its definitely a weight off your shoulders! Have you spoken with Stepchange for advice on managing your debt? They’re really helpful and can advise on a debt management plan to pay back debts affordably, they’re really good.

Shaw