Feeling empty inside

@nicke261 yours is a story that's been said so many times beforehand and it will continue to be said by many like you afterwards. The fact is you are summing up the life of a compulsive gambler, which means that you do not have control of your gambling. The urge is too strong and once you place the first bet you are lost to the addiction. 

You write that you can't talk to anyone but in truth you won't. Why won't you talk to your dad? Why won't you talk to a gamcare adviser? Why won't you find a GA meeting and talk about your problems there?

I guess by writing on here you have made the first step towards asking for help but do you want it bad enough? Have you finally had enough of feeling like you do when you gamble?

Please let me know because however deep the hole that you are in is, I can show you the way out of it.

Chris.

Hi mate

Thanks for sharing, my life style with gambling resonates with yours. I’m now over 9 months gamble free and despite temptation of Boxing Day football, covid and other factors, I am managing to stay clear and continue with every day life as best as I can.

Like yourself, I would have £100 to start with and then turn it into 5k, you feel great and on top of the world but the greed continues and you think about making more money whether it’s to cover your losses or simply make profit, and once you start to lose its so hard to stop until your down to the last penny.

The most important thing to remember is to own up to the problem and look at your life and ask yourself if you really need to gamble? I have a great job that pays well, house, car, partner, pets, good family / friends etc... why put all of this at risk through gambling. It takes a strong person to admit the problem and put all measures in place to stop it and personally, the best thing is to do is walk away from gambling completely, my life changed for the best.

Think about the question, do you really need to gamble?

Thanks for the reply! It's good to know you've been in the same place and managed to get out of it and have a much better life.

It's the getting carried away part that I struggle with, I know 100% I can go without it for weeks/months but all it takes is one small bet and I'm in a world of trouble. I've got no financial problems, if anything they are in very good position and I can't touch a certain amount of it so I know I won't gamble it! It's the fact I know how hard I've worked for the money I waste and practically flush it down the drain that's the killer.

Last night I kept saying I'll take it at 600 then when I got to that point I said I'll take It at 550 and then 500 until it started robbing me, I changed my stake to £4 and got the bonus...I felt relieved and thought here we go I'll get some money back, instead it gave me £10 I was livid and thought it's gots to pay in which it took every penny. I couldn't wait to go to bed.

I've just changed my bank account to not allow any gambling in which has been successful for the last 4 weeks until boxing day so here's to a new start and hoping things look up in 2021.

I've had years in the past when I'd gamble every day, this year I've lost a lot less but had bigger splurges. I don't wake up every day thinking what can I bet on today to make money like I did 4/5 years ago.

Thanks for your reply I think as you said the best thing to do is to totally remove yourself from gambling that is the only way. I'll NEVER go into a bookies again and if your accounts are restricted then there is no way I can be tempted.

I'm quite shocked to see how many people are in tricky situations once I get out of this habit I hope to inspire many others ?

@nicke261 Still doing okay?

Chris.

Hi Chris

Been gamble free for 2 weeks now and feeling so good! I've put gamblock in place, the best thing I did and wish I did it sooner.

I've now got aims and ambition, what worked for me is writing all my finances down for the year and seeing where I can be by Christmas knowing I can't gamble. Obviously a thought will always be there but with gamblock in place and high aims I can't see myself ever doing it again.

I never want to be back to where I was, I'm 30 next January and I'm standing by "life begins at 30" with good strong finances and my dark days in 20s far behind me.

Thanks for your concern Chris, you are doing a fab job on here, I hope one day I can inspire people and help people recover from their dark days of gambling and put it past them, this site is good for people to take first steps, so many people in the same situation, gambling is evil and I wish I never ever had that €2 spin on the roulette wheel 12 years ago I'd be in a different place but that is life and we have to move on and put it in the past.

Thanks again