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Hello!l
im chris and im 23 years old.
finally come clean after I kept it a secret for 2 years.
I have posted a couple of times this year and this forum is really helpful. Im a problem gambler who has been addicted to gambling since the age of 16. I have been in debt since 2013 and never told anyone my problem apart from my counsellor (my counselling has ended).
But yesterday when I was at work I texted my dad all of a sudden and come clean to him.. I though I'd never do this. I had 3,000 pounds saved up which he knew about and he was so happy to see i had some money but I gambled that away plus the 4,000 that im in debt also.. But I can't live a lie and keep secrets anymore.
I live with my mum so I will be seeing my dad on this Wednesday coming for the first time since I texted him. I don't know what to expect as im pretty nervous but what ever happens I will have to be a man and take it on the chin as i think he will be mad which is totally understandable because what ive got myself into as he always tells me not to gamble as he knows i used to gamble.. But he doesn't know im still doing it.
I told him i took loans and in 4,000 pounds of debt. Obviously he was very disappointed and mad but I understand why he couldn't believe me as he knew i previously had an addiction when I was 18 when I lost all my birthday money. He though I was past this.. But I have been gambling and not telling anyone.
For 2 whole years I have kept this massive secret to self just itching to tell my dad but was never man enough to come clean as I didn't want to upset him or make him mad or disappoint him.. Like I previously did when I was 18.
I know it isn't much debt compared to some of our freinds on here but to me 4,000 debt was life changing for me. I got into this in 2013 and im in a worse position now than I was in 2013. I had everything going for me in 2013 when I was 21. Now since then I have lost friends And missed out on so many things and have to work in a dead end job in a warehouse in order to pay back my debt. Although I took this job in December 2013, im still here now in a worse position than I was before I started working there because I waste 95% of my income on gambling ever since.
I estimate I have lost around 45,000 pounds since I started gambling but worst of all ive lost friends and let my dad down which makes me feel even worse. Also now my whole family will find out about my gambling now but I don't care what anyone thinks anymore I just need them to be there for me as family. I'll be out of debt by January for February 2016 and then I can start living again.
Hopefully things can change for the best.
Thanks for reading my post.
Chris.
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Well done chris you've taken a step alot of people take years to take, and can be 20k in the red easily by the time they start taking serious action, wednesday will be tough but you are right you are going to have to take it like a man and have a heart to heart with your dad, maybe see if he will avoid telling others if you are bothered about that, aslong as he knows and can look after your finances while you pay your debt off then surely theres nothing to gain from other family members knowing? Your only 23 get yourself back on track for the next 6 months, then look for another job in the new year, good luck and well done on taking the steps early enough to save much worse heartbreak further down the line.
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