Hi everyone. I joined yesterday and today is my 3rd gamble free day. I am not sure why I never joined this forum sooner. I guess I thought I could kick this terrible addiction on my own but instead it has gotten progressively worse with time as my debt has increased in proportion. I have reached rock bottom and it's time to act. I have over 30,000 of debt thanks to gambling despite having a very well paid job. I really have no excuses for the debt. I'm also knee deep in payday loans every month.
in the last month and a half I have lost over 6000 in gambling losses mainly on playing blackjack in casinos but also a bit of online live casino losses and some other games like roulette and slots while I was in Vegas for work a few weeks back. The main problem though is blackjack and the bloody side bets that I throw so much money at hoping for a quick return.
my gambling has gotten so much worse lately. I can't seem to go for more than 5 days without going back into a casino and losing over a thousand pounds each time. It's so sick. I feel physically unwell each time I mess up and lose big and I hate myself after for the rest of the day and longer. After a few days of being gamble free I start to sort out the mess of my financial situation, I make plans, take out loans to consolidate the payday loans and then before I know it I am back to square one. I really don't know what is wrong with my brain to go and throw money at something that gives me so much pain and worry and makes me feel on edge all the time. I really want to give up and sort myself out. I know I am better than this. Stress at work is partly to blame as to why perhaps my gambling has increased over the course of this year. Gambling provides a total escape of life for the time you are gambling and that can be appealing, to not think if all my problems for as long as I am sat in a semi circle waiting for my cards to be dealt. However the problems just get worse because of the gambling, the losses, the time wasted and I really want to stop this viscous cycle of self destruction. My life was much better and happier before I discovered gambling and I really want to go back to that time. I feel I've kicked the online live casino addiction as I've not done that for over a month. I've gone back to being obsessed with real live casinos instead. In the past I have been also addicted to lottery scratch cards and online lotto games but I soon put a stop to this when I deleted the app and stopped buying scratch cards at the supermarket.
I am on my 3rd gamble free day I will be using the forum regularly to try and beat this awful obsession which will ruin my career, relationship and finances if I don't take action now. It will literally destroy my life and gambling is not fun at all when you see the reality of what it causes and brings. I hate all those adverts on the telly making out gambling is some great fun affair full of glamour and laughter. It really is not that in real life. In practice gambling is some debt ridden badly dressed unhealthy person with sweaty palms and high blood pressure from all the losses and worry sat in some dingy smelly casino or bookies. Nothing healthy, fun or good comes out if gambling and I want to sort my life out once and for all.
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Good morning
just wanted to say you come to the right place , there is some ppl affected by gambling nad the endless online companies and casino popping up in every city let alone countless bookies , it really is showing our modern society in a dirty light and your right the victims are normal good ppl who can,t control it like me and u and so many here
talk more soon as im a work earing a honest crust andthese casinos gambling companies really don,t need anymore of our money there plenty of young naive newcomers to destroy
if you want a tip to prevent re lapsing break the triangle /money , time , location you need all 3 to gamble break the triange you cant
Hello!
Welcome to the forum and big kudos to you for coming here. The advice given here is great already so read the above posts.
As you've stated, it's gambling as escapism. Sitting in the little semi circle makes the problem/boredom go away and the humdrum of regular life takes a back seat to a give and intense dopamine fix. I went there too, gambled through boredom and to escape things. Sadly, win or lose, the problems still remain and as we all know with gambling, you lose in the long run. This makes the problems worse but somehow you focus on finances over anything else. It shifts the problem and sadly often the initial problems aren't resolved, just pushed back and the cycle of gambling is repeated. Escapism isn't great so I suggest working out the problems, focus on them, change for the better.
In regards to finances, you have a well paying job. £30k plus is a debt that is manageable if you have the funds coming in. Set a plan and stick to it. I've paid nearly £10k off in 232 days and nearly debt free. Most was personal debt, not from gambling, but gambling added to it and would have made pying it off impossible. I could never say I won £10k in nearly 8 months of gambling. Actually lost a fair whack. Gambling is no good for anyone, even if we win, it goes back in.
You must accept the money is gone. Don't chase losses. Gambling industry relies on chasers!
Finally, self exclude. Fill out forms, take your pic to bookies and casino. Break the time location money triangle. Get software blockers just in case online gambling creeps back in. You'll find a gamble free life to be a wonderful one.
Keep posting, you have loads of support here and will sort this!
Abet
Hey everyone thanks so much for taking the time to encourage and advise me. I definitely will be putting the time money location bit into practice. I work near the west end so there are endless casinos within a small radius. I have often ended up going to casinos after a few drinks following work. If I were to leave my debit and other cards at home and only take small amounts of cash each day I would not have the means to succumb to temptation. I have gambling prevention software on my phone so that is good. I tried to join sense the other day but it asks to go to the casino in person in order to self exclude from all UK land based casinos. I called up one of the casinos where I've lost a lot of money and they said I need to go in person to fill out the sense form. I really don't want to go to a casino just yet and I wish there was another way to join sense. I will however join it at some point soon. In the meantime I'm delighted to be gamble free for the 4th day. Take care everyone.
I've made it to day 6 without gambling so so excited I've not been gamble free for 6 days in over a month. I'm so happy and feel much better about life already.yes I have terrible debts yes I'll need a payday loan of over a thousand in a few days time to pay the rent but at least I have my sanity and am acting rationally not slaving to my gambling addiction or feeling depressed after yet another mega loss.
Hi all joined today I really need help with this it's ruining my life and my family's life I feel as though I am at the end and have no where else to go everyday I wake up wondering how am I going to get yesterday's losses back and as you all know you don't.
Well done Mladina, every day without a bet is progress, you can finally use your well earned money on the better things in life.
Arsenal, first things first welcome, you could not be in a better place, everyone on here s either going through what you are going through or have gone though it and are on a good road to recovery, not sure what you gamble on but if it is online then get a blocker put on your computer, give control of your money to someone you trust if need be, one thing I have learnt not just through my gambling addiction but in life in general, you cannot change what has happened, you can only change the future, make today day one, everyday without gambling is a success, speak to people on here they all have great advice and are very supportive, if you need further help maybe looks counselling, but stay strong and stay positive
Heather x
Sorry did not like the beginning of your name lol !
Hi Arsenal1, sorry to hear things are not good. It's a very familiar feeling and the only way to feel better is to stop any and all forms of gambling. The first few days are the hardest then it gets easier and you start to feel better and happier and gradually you begin to forgive yourself and your resolve to stop gambling strengthens as you begin to value and respect yourself. Just do everything you can to stop gambling from tomorrow, make it day one. Get yourself barred from all UK land based casinos by joining sense, close down all online accounts. Only carry small amount of cash on you leave cards and other means to get money out at home. Get blocking apps installed on your phone I have one called shield my teen. Finally just accept that what's lost is lost and move on from it just promise yourself you will never lose another pound by gambling. Finally call the gamcare helpline as they are great I thought. Good luck in beating this horrible addiction that has damaged our lives.
Well done for being here, thousands still aren't ready to take that step. And you all/we all have something to offer each other in advice, support. Just teading through people's stories is so helpful. All the best, keep up the good work, you deserve a better life and only you can give it back to you.
Day 7 is here I'm so excited to be up to a week of not gambling after today. One of many milestones I hope. I love the feeling of not hating myself or feeling guilty because of gambling losses. Love the day counter on the home page of my profile 🙂
Day 9 of being gamble free. I'm so happy to have made it so far. I've got far more focus at work now and my relationship is benefiting too. I'm not grumpy because I've lost a load of money, I'm not hiding gambling losses from my fiancГ© and I'm not trying to drag him into a casino so he loses money too and we end up arguing because we've both lost and are upset. We enjoyed a lovely evening last night instead going to see a football match with a trip to the pub before and after and some delicious pizza. I had so much more fun than being sat in some casino fearing how much I'll lose and feeling guilty and depressed after.
Well done!!!
I love reading stuff like this when i first login. Keep up the good work!!! Walk tall and be proud of your accomplishments.
Welcome Mladina,
Well done for accessing the support of the forum and the other forum users. Yuo have taken some positive steps to stop your problem gambling, such as restricting access with using the blocking software, and having also enquired about the self-exclusion through Sense. Which I hope you continue to follow up with. Using this Forum will help you to track your recovery progress and get some wonderful supportive messages from other Forum users as you can see.
I thought to just suggest that you may now feel comfortable to use the Recovery Diary Forum, so you can continue to track your recovery and your gamble free days.
Please feel free to call the helpline if you need further information and support, the helpline advisors can also provide information of counselling services you can access, as well as facilitate a referral. You can call us on
Please continue to use the Forum and Chatrooms which are available each evening.
Take Care
Forum Admin
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