Hey everyone,
Just thought I would introduce myself,
I first started gambling round about 2009 my last year of university, where i would gamble the odd £1s and £2s on horse races, greyhounds and the football coupons. Like most gamblers the only reason I Started gambling was to make a bit of cash I was a complete novice to it and didn't understand the odds nor what the form column meant for instance 1112211PU223. I can remember going into the bookies for the first time and asking the assistant to fill out a slip for me as I had no clue. I went through a spell where I didn't have a winner for the first month or so as I din't have a clue, until one day an Australian horse race was running (horses and carts). I picked the favourite at 1/2 and had a £1 on it. It won by a country mile and I couldn't wait to get my 'winnings' all 50p of it! I can remember thinking to myself what is the point of that! Thats when i decided to get a bit braver and put more on.. It worked for a while then like the majority of my betting life I began to lose my profit and my own money I couldn't quit whilst I was ahead..
The 'normal' ways of betting was just the tip of the iceberg on the day that Kauto Star won his second Gold cup, I found a new, exciting way of making money the FOBT, I can remember the exact bet i had the first time around it was a £1 on red on the roulette wheel, needless to say I should have realised the game wasn't as easy as i though there and then as it hit 0. I stopped using these FOBTs for a while yet one day I was drawn to them again and started playing Blackjack, once again i know it sounds daft at first i didn't know the rules. I didnt realise that even if I had a 'poor' 12/13 etc I would still win if the dealer bust. As silly as it gets i was hitting and busting 17,18s etc this was going on for a few weeks losing £1s until someone told me that I could win if the dealer busts...
That was it I was hooked I was winning and using the money for my bets for the week whether it was the football or the horses. I didnt think I had a problem till about 2011-12 (cant remember the exact time) but I was £300 up on a fobt and low and behold i ended up being -£100. That swing was like a punch to the stomach, my girlfriend had sent me out to the shops for a few items and a usual shopping trip of this sort would take me an hour. This one took me 3! I got home and broke down completely she knew what was up and said I had a problem. As we dont live together because we cant afford to atm, she didn't ring me, nor text me for over a week. She told me If i didn't stop I would lose her for good. I can rfemember her saying to me I'd rather if you hadn't of told me how much you lost.
So I agreed to stop, i lasted a few weeks but then started again making excuses, that work wanted me stop over an hour etc and thats why there was extra money for little treats, but again new years eve of the year I lost again heavily. That was it I gave up gambling 'for good' I stayed clear for 9 months and was going really well then in September 2012 I started back again, once again the reason was i saw something I really wanted in the shops and instead of saving, I thought a quick go of blackjack on the fobts and it would be done. I won the required amount and bought the item, promised myself its a one off.
I was wrong since then ive been gambling more and more, I've wiped out £3100 of my savings through gambling and this weekend just gone where i lost over £1000 was the last straw. I gave up Gambling for good on Monday and been clean for 2 days i really want to get better and get my life back
I know its a long post to start off with but thought I'd give you an insight into my life.
Hi Rocketman86,
It's excellent news the you've decided to stop the rot and come here to tell us your story.
Contact Gamcare for counselling and or attend GA local meetings.
Self exclude from High St outlets and block online gambling sites. Hand your finances over to a relative.
You need to have the strongest measures in place so when the urges arrive you cannot gamble.
I've found the 2015 Challenge a great help on here you could join it as well. It's very much one day at a time and I've got to 50 odd days gambling free. You can do it as well, believe me. You will then get your life back and I can tell you it feels sweet.
Take Care Now.
Hello RocketMan,
Don't be so hard on yourself, as we have all had multiple quits.
From your last quit, you have hopefully learned there is no easy money to getting what you want and that you can't get relaxed and just gamble one more time, as it leads to multiple times after that.
This life is a live and learn life, so don't worry. Every quit we learn something.
I am hoping this is your final quit and I am hoping for your success.
Regards,
AM
I am 32 year old Female with along Term partner and 15 year old son. I work full time and my Partner works Full time.
I had a Grievance with my work place back in 2012. This quickly Led to me suffering with work related stress and quickly followed Depression and Suicidal thoughts.
I was off work for 8 weeks and started using online gambling (Mainly Bingo Sites). Little did I realise at the time that illness/mental health issues and gambling do not go hand in hand and quickly I had an addiction.
I got several credit cards to fund the addiction and was allowed by the banks to go over the £1,000 / £1,500 limits on my cards No questions asked. This quickly mounted to over £20,000.
I do take full responsibility for spending and my addictio. When suffering with mental health issues you DO NOT logically think and do not make rational decisions.
I went back to work and a year later raised the grievance again and was off for a further 6 weeks.
I just felt low and would gamble to try escape my issues. This led me further in to debt and led me to cut my arm. I thought so many times of ending it all to try make all my problems go away.
I managed to build my courage up to go to the doctors for help. I was assessed and referred for counselling . I was let down on the first session and the counsellor cancelled. I could not build my self up to go again.
I found someone in my local paper who was a recovered gambler and he charged me to do some counselling . This did not work and I was still having a flutter 4 years later.
I have now managed to get some free counselling with a gambling counsellor.
I did write to my local MP to ask for help to stop the advertising of these gambling sites. He wrote to government and It was a "We can't do anything".
This is because the Government gets 2 BILLION from gambling so WHY would they do anything to help.
I am passionate and want to help others and try stop the aggressive advertising from 9am until late. Drugs, alcohol and s*x would NOT be advertised before the water shed but it is okay to advertise gambling and destroy people's life's. NO ITS NOT .
I understand some people play bingo, slots, gambling okay with no issues. But many people have a problem and this destroys lives and families and even drives people to suicide .
I am now working with a journalist and have put my story out there to help others and stop others making the same mistakes I made . Iam going on Breakfast TV this week and hope to change legislation and stop the aggressive advertising .
dailym.ai/1Ajxedc This is my article in the daily mail and I have a petition on Go petition If you wish to sign it
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