If you have just lost savings please read this!

Very brave J to outline how chasing cost you so much and not only debt.

J make a diary if you can, the support is amazing here and I would as will others like to know more about your history

take care x

Hi J

Well done for coming on here and admitting your gambling problem. Just a couple of things I take from your post and the main one is in the last line of your post "There is so much more to life than gambling" I haven't heard a truer word said !! Chasing, all compulsive gamblers do this and for me is the main part of this addiction/illness as we can't just accept our losses however much they are, we have to go back to try and get what we've lost back and more but if we do win we don't stop do we ! It's one big vicious circle unfortunately !! As you say your young enough to get rid of all this before you get a mortgage and family to support one day and believe me from my experiences there's nothing worse than losing your family through gambling ! Good to hear from you and look forward to future post but the one thing you have to remember is that you have to WANT to stop !!

All the Best

Darren

Good Morning

Thank you for your kind responses, this post was more of an eye opener for anyone in the position I was 3 years ago.

As devestating as losing your own money feels, if you can stop before you start borrowing you are saving yourself a world of problems.

I will take your advice and start a recovery diary right now.

All the best

Great Post, i hope lots of people read it!

Rhoda wrote this to me a day or so ago

"Look how many young people come out of university owing thousands....they have a lifetime of repaying debt...but they are paying for lessons learned (both in terms of academic education and life experience). Your debt is what you are paying for your lessons learned"

I took so much out of that comment, i have learnt a very expensive lesson but it's only money,

I am chasing £50k of debt, however i'm doing it now through stepchange to sort it out. Not through gambling. I got to the point i was chasing and then wasn't chasing the debt, i just wanted enough to gamble to next day and the next day.

I simply saw money as gambling tokens.

Evening Dan

Thanks so much for your post.

I was reading your diary this morning, I still cannot get over your first post, the courage to take the first step and share exactly what you was going through has inspired me with my diary, I will follow yours every day.

Wishing you all the best buddy

Thanks Jman123.

I've done the hard bit and that was admitting I had a problem and telling my loved ones the truth.

Other diaries prompted me to be brutally honest. Its 7 days since i was looking at suicide as a way out.
Once i'd opened up the reality set in and again I was in that place.

Be brutally honest in everything you say and do.

You have it all to look forward to now. Yes 5 years of paying your tuition fees back to the banks, marriage, family and mortgage.

All the best in your recovery. I look forward to your posts in the future.

Thanks J. I am where you are 3 years back...my savings are being lost to gambling as I'm trying to chase the 5k I have lost....reading you post scares me that instead of savings, I will be using loans etc in a couple of years time...I need this fear to make me stop...I've got kids and a mortgage and really need to divert any cash to those important things rather than being selfish. I'm hoping reading posts like will make me see straight when I get the urge to gamble.

Evening rupidoda

I appreicate you taking the time to read my post, I honestly can say it enough. Things can get so much worse, and its suprising how quick debt snowballs. You build up debt on a couple of credit cards, consildate them with a loan, continue gambling, you then need a bigger one to consildate your old loan and any new debts youve got.

Savings are savings no matter how big or small, at least it is your money. I have to look at my debts and come to the harsh reality that I will not win the money to pay them back, you must do the same with your savings.

Honestly I had great people on here 3 years ago saying the same to you as I am now, dont have the same regrets as me.

Wish you all the best mate

Hey Jman
Hope today has been a good day for you.

Evening Dan

Today has been a good day, I hope it is the same for you.

2nd day gamble free and Im starting to get my head around my debts and payments, this month is going to be super tight but after this month I know things will get easier.

Best of luck to you mate, I will keep reading your posts well into the future.

Jman thanks for this post.
I have been in your situation and had managed to turn my life around but now find myself where u were initially.
Your post has given me the boot up the backside I need and I hope u can take some faith in knowing u can turn ur life around too but always keep your guard up

Thanks for your post Killie, I am just about to write on your thread.

Its amazing know how we can help eachother on here.

I will keep my guard up and thanks for the inspiration knowing it can be done.