Good afternoon all...
I thought I may introduce myself and engage with other CG's on the forum.
At the age of 24 gambling has completely taken over my life for a solid 9 years... it has led me down a life of pure misery, depression, anxiety & many other emotions im sure you can all relate to.
Having moved into and grown up in pubs since age 11 I have always been around gambling... when i was 12 years old i was placing football accumulators on every single weekend (the local bookie was a distant family member!) eventhough the stake was £2 or £3 the winnings were £40 - £50 which for a 12 year old boy is a significant amount of money.
At 15 i got completely hooked on fruit machines. This started from a time when i gambled my £3 dinner money and won £105... Fruit machines have been a huge issue for me growing up as they were so accessible . This has been a real issue for the last 9 years - only last weekend i lost over £100 on a fruit machine.
Since 18 my problem has spiralled out of control through a mix of football bets, machines in bookies, casinos, horse racing & online virtual blackjack & roulette... a very conservative figure of my losses over the last 3 years will be £30K, i dread to think what the figure would be over the course of my gambling life.
Im at a stage where i am gambling £1,500 on payday every single month, have taken out and blown loans on gambling and any other money i have access to.
Im 24, I had an amazing girlfriend of 7 years (lost through gambling), had a great career ahead of me, and generally had a lot to look forward to....
After this battle i now find myself single, have recently lost my job, being treated for anxiety and depression and at a complete low.
Today is the first ever time i have seeked help in any form as i am truly fed up of living this dull, pathetic life. I have banned myself from all bookies in my area, have self excluded all online sites and have an assesment on 13th April for counselling.
I've read through a lot of threads today and some have been inspirational so all comments will be very appreciated.
Thanks 🙂
Hi Deano,
I spoke with a trained advisor earlier today who pointed me in the direction of some of my actions...
There is a meeting in my area tonight which i will be attending, not sure what to expect but see how it goes!
She has however it may be salvagable once my problem has been sorted.
Thanks
Ben
Thanks Deano, much appreciated!
I have had a quick look.. off to the meeting soon so will have another once im back.
Ben
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