Hi all,
I thought I would join this site today to see if it would help me stop gambling.
Today I lost £500 in the space of an hour betting on tennis and whatever else was available.
I am in debt around £6000 as a result of gambling over the past few years and it is a constant reminder of how I have failed my girlfriend and son.
I will baulk at spending ВЈ100 on things for our home but will happily P**s £500 away on tennis bets on a Tuesday morning and I hate myself for it.
I don't feel I can move on until I have cleared all my debt and that could take years. The problem has been compounded by the fact I have been gambling more recently in order to clear said debt.
I know I need to stop now and have self excluded from one of the only 2 accounts I have access to. The other is proving more problematic as the only way to self exclude is print of a form and email it back to them. I don't really know how to do this as I don't have any means to scan documents. Why can't they just let me self exclude at the click of a button?!
Anyway, today has been a new low for me and I don't see any end in sight for the self hatred I carry around.
Hi AE2016
Welcome to the forum.
You might want to call our helpline and speak to an adviser who can give you information on debt agencies that you can contact for help with your finances. We can also talk to you about strategies to help you to stop gambling such as installing blocking software onto the devices that you use if your gambling is online. We can also facilitate a referral for you to attend free one to one counselling in some parts of the UK.
Our helpline is open everyday 8am until midnight our freephone number is 0808 8020 133 or you can also contact us on the netline.
You can also find some useful information about dealing with debt on our website here http://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-advice/what-can-you-do/finance-and-debt-management#.VBwEDvldXww
Sometimes by putting a plan in place as to how you are going to deal with the debt, this can help to relieve the anxiety, and consequently, the need to keep chasing your losses.
Do keep reading and posting on the forum and letting us know how you are getting on.
Best wishes
Forum admin.
Hi, I empathise with you. This horrible addiction will destroy every part of your life. I have gambled for about 15 years and one thing I can say for certain, is that life will not get better while you're gambling.
I know how bad you feel to have gotton in debt, I have been there too and am still there. I thought the same as you, I need to gamble to clear the debts, trust me my friend, it won't work!
I did gamble my way out of debt once or twice, but the trouble was the doors were open and soon as I was right back there, and as I managed to do it (get out of debt) then hey, 'I'll simply do it again' .
Unfortunately gambling is not about money, it is about gambling, wanting to do it, and there is always a reason, a justification, an excuse to feed the addiction.
I wish you well .
Best regards, Salamander
Thank you for the replies..
I feel a weight has shifted from my shoulders. I took out a low interest loan through my bank yesterday and paid off my overdraft and credit card and I will be debt free in 2 years, which is when we plan to buy a bigger house so this is extra motivation. Had I continued to try and juggle things and gamble my way out of trouble I would never be any further forward.
I also self excluded from the only 2 accounts I still had open.
It feels good to see a positive balance in my bank account again, it was soul destroying to always see a negative when I work so hard.
Reading through some of the stories on this forum has been a massive help because my debt is relatively low compared to some and reading these stories has been the main factor in me never wanting to be in that place again.
If I ever get the urge to gamble I will read some of the stories on this site and it will instantly stop me I think.
Anyway, thanks again and I will post an update here and there.
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