I need help.

Sorry to hear you’re having a bad time. Practically you should register with Gamstop, this’ll prevent you playing on any online UK casinos. It’s been a game changer for me.

You been there Vin?

No one understands or would understand mate. I mean you would get the ‘how stupid are you’ but you know that, if it wasn’t an addiction you wouldn’t do it would you.

Keeping it from the mrs is hardest for me, she can read me like a book.

£6 a day for an overdraft wont help. Queue next problem though, its made me turn to the whisky. I self loathe so badly.

I feel for you completely. How long have you stopped for before? I'm on my thIrd attempt, completely screwed up all rent/bills this month and really struggling to tell anyone, or ask for help. I found much help here, and really just struggle with how much i’ve lost and how much i’m letting everyone down. I think having a bit of peer support on here can make all the difference.

Thank you. The hardest part for me is the self loathe once I’ve lost (which i always do cause even if i win I’d carry on.)

Ive stopped for months at a time, yet i always then find myself watching roulette videos on youtube or something, seeing them all win thousands and wondering why I’m so broke. Really am my own worst enemy.

Sorry to hear about your rent and bills, I work in banking, and know they should do everything they can to help...its just making the call isnt it. Its a ticking timebomb for me, until the interest and charges take over...I know I’ll put my family first though and the loans and credit cards can do what they need to to me if necessary, long as the essentials are paid.

Have you managed to tell anyone at all? My problem is close people have known and helped more than once, its sheer embarrassment and guilt and the rest to even look at them in the eye and ask for help again, I deserve this is what i keep telling myself. Are you gamble free? How is it..

Distraught1

I feel your pain and your story is very similar to mine - the self loathing, the thought that being skint and winning it back, hell! I even have a background in banking.

I was where you are now a year ago (slots were my downfall and after losing thousands, I locked myself in the bathroom and cried, thinking how do I get out of this). Like you my wife and family know nothing of my addiction.

I decided to stop. I know it sounds twee but just take it one day at a time... It's amazing how quickly you see gambling for what it is. You may have the odd lapse but overall you'll be better off especially if you stick around here..

As someone who has similar experience, don't be afraid to shout if I can help in any way. I'm now over a year gamble free.

I haven’t told anyone. My partner has problems of his own and to be honest I feel guilty because it’s as though I’ll be telling him just to make myself feel better - he can’t help as I earn the money. I am currently ten days gamble free... but it feels like a bit of a cop out as I have no money anyway!

Oh, and if your credit rating is still good, hive your debts off onto an interest free card...

Stelvio wrote:

Distraught1

I feel your pain and your story is very similar to mine - the self loathing, the thought that being skint and winning it back, hell! I even have a background in banking.

I was where you are now a year ago (slots were my downfall and after losing thousands, I locked myself in the bathroom and cried, thinking how do I get out of this). Like you my wife and family know nothing of my addiction.

I decided to stop. I know it sounds twee but just take it one day at a time... It's amazing how quickly you see gambling for what it is. You may have the odd lapse but overall you'll be better off especially if you stick around here..

As someone who has similar experience, don't be afraid to shout if I can help in any way. I'm now over a year gamble free.

Thank you Stelvio. This helps, I literally phoned gamcare straight after just like help, even though i knew there was nothing they could do.

Can i ask, does your family still know nothing? Were you close to financial ruin similar to me as well?

The depressing thought for me is gambling is going to be around in my life long after ive stopped watching a roulette spin. The worst isnt it

Stelvio wrote:

Oh, and if your credit rating is still good, hive your debts off onto an interest free card...

The funny thing is here my credit is good, if i didnt have so much debt as a result of gambling....be lucky to get tv from brighthouse now. Wont lend a penny, and the credit cards i have are 0% at the moment, just a timebomb waiting to explode, that with the loans and overdraft, no way will i be able to pay them back before D Day and interest starts crippling me

Lil30 wrote:

I haven’t told anyone. My partner has problems of his own and to be honest I feel guilty because it’s as though I’ll be telling him just to make myself feel better - he can’t help as I earn the money. I am currently ten days gamble free... but it feels like a bit of a cop out as I have no money anyway!

One day at a time Lil, I’m about 3 hours gamble free for the same reason, fact is we got a big tunnel to go through before we see the light. I been on this site those 3 hours and its helping, I feel less of a complete failure and understand other people suffer from the same problems I have. I know exactly what you’re going through. Its good to vent it dont you think.

Hi Distraught,

First of all, well done for posting. It may not be much to you but it’s the first step. I’ve been in your position and your amounts sound the similar to what I’ve lost. I’ve gone months without gambling then go on a run of gambling online everyday for weeks until I’ve cleared out everything I’ve worked for.

You need to sign up for GAMSTOP, take a step back and see that this is not a money making scheme you will even succeed in. I’ve watched YouTube videos too and wondered about a strategy to win etc...but it’s not gonna happy.

I signed up for councelling - give it a go. I did it for 3 months and it did stop me gambling but I did start up again. I’m over a Mo th gamble free - the urges have gone but I still think about the losses and what I could have done with the money....but I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact there money is gone....you just need to put it behind you, move on, go cold turkey. I told my wife last year...she doesn’t know about the gambling over th last few months...but I’m done with it now. No more.

Thanks rupidoda, not gonna lie I posted through tear filled eyes thinking about everyone I have let down...AGAIN. How many times can a person fk up? Was/is my thought process.

I’m confident ive pretty much self excluded myself from 99% of sites now, this is addiction for you, i got a gambling blocker on my iphone and used internet explorer on my xbox. Cringe at typing that.

The worst part is its all so fixed as well and I’m clearly aware of that but it still doesn’t stop me, you know what i mean? Someone offering you a fiver to guess the number kinda thing. Just an absolute joke.

Good to hear you’re done now, i have every intention of quitting and stopping completely its what i want more than anything. My worry? Seeing my wages come in and 95% go before ive even sneezed. Thats when the temptation for me will kick in. Or seeing the joke of overdraft charges I’m now gonna get. Such a long road ahead trying to not even think about it.

Definitely feels better to vent. Just hoping I can do it! It’s good to share and hopefully we can support each other.

Distraught1 wrote:

[quote=Lil30]

I haven’t told anyone. My partner has problems of his own and to be honest I feel guilty because it’s as though I’ll be telling him just to make myself feel better - he can’t help as I earn the money. I am currently ten days gamble free... but it feels like a bit of a cop out as I have no money anyway!

One day at a time Lil, I’m about 3 hours gamble free for the same reason, fact is we got a big tunnel to go through before we see the light. I been on this site those 3 hours and its helping, I feel less of a complete failure and understand other people suffer from the same problems I have. I know exactly what you’re going through. Its good to vent it dont you think.

Definitely Lil, yes we may be massively in debt as a result of this terrible addiction. But money isnt everything. It is replaceable, its paper.

The trend on here I’m noticing is that we’re the masters of our own destiny, ive said it already but I actually hate myself more than i dislike anyone else right now. I need to mend that, without gambling and lies and debt and sh1tty things it and myself has given me. I honestly wish I’d never gambled in my entire life.

What annoys me the most, I watch a football game or any sport or anything, and every other advert, bet this do this free spins that, just sucking people in. They should be banned.