Debt

I have about 30k so is going to take me a long time to pay off. As painful as it is seeing it I use it as a reminder of where the gambling can lead to help me avoid going back in for more bets .. what's done is done and you can't change the debt over night but use it as a reason to stay away from gambling

I have days where I feel so much guilt about the money I have lost and the debt I have built up but I think feeling that way is a very negative feeling and obviously there is nothing any of us can do about yesterday. So i'm trying my best to move forward and to be nothing but positive. I know without question that all gambling has and will bring me is misery and so I'm putting all of my effort into leaving it behind. My new addiction is paying off what I owe and being happy gambling free.

Just try to be positive and take each day at a time. I owed around £30,000 at my worst, I've managed to get this down to around £10,000 now and this was while I was still losing my battle with gambling addiction. I've finally decided to meet it head on and as a result I feel a whole lot more positive about everything going forward.

Hi Gary, I am sorry to hear you are struggling, this is a really difficult illness to put away for good (mental illness). I think once you are sucked into this world/issue of winning/losing money it's constantly in your mind, you can try really hard to focus on other life issues, but the elation of winning and the pain of losing is forever within your head. For people with debt this anxiety/anguish is doubly duplicated, even if you stay away from the gambling which in itself is so difficult, when every payday comes, one of the bills is a gambling debt - constant reminder. I haven't got any answers about stopping gambling and moving forward, I have never been able or strong enough to beat the demon in my head, but maybe if I had debt it would make me be determined to quit for good. I would like to know the stats on here of how many gamcare callers (phone-on-line-forum) actually quit for good, my guess 5%, (they are a very strong 5%), it's so tough to beat Gary, my feelings go to you, catch u soon.

Hi Garydav5.

Its one of the most important factors in recovery and you have to put th money behind you with various thought processes and schemes...cup of water in the desert...... footballer spends that on a cake....... its only money......anything that eases your mind. You need to focus and focus hard that you are lucky you are stopping now before the debt was ten times greater, you were homeless or even in prison. It would only have got worse.

Its a lesson learnt at this amount before it got any worse.

If you dont put it behind you the debt could make you chase and you will end up even further down. Its not a get it back later scheme as the gambling dens have calculated the odds. They are not handing back their yachts and you need to fully focus on what gambling is all about and who is taking the real risk

Next you can only pay back what you can afford so never let the repayments get you down. It can all be sorted so you have enough to live on and the CAB are very helpful

The other thing you can do is reduce your access to credit with lower limits. It took me 50 years to see the light and have a very low limit of credit. The credit card companies want you in a zone where you are paying interest for a longer while. Access to easy credit without the fear of the credit trap is lethal

Please talk to people close if you can because a trouble shared will help you get your finances monitored and blocks in place

Best wishes from everyone on the forum

Thanks guys for your comments.