Hi everyone. My name is Sam, I’m 25 and I’ve been addicted to gambling for 7 years.
I always used to think gambling was a fun thing to do with whatever I had spare. A few quid for a scratch card, lottery ticket or football bet. Never anything extortionate or completely insane until I discovered online casinos. I was 22 when I first started playing online casino and it began with smaller amounts like £10 here or £20, if I was feeling lucky. This never hurt me financially and was always just for fun until I had my big win…
Then I had a big win one night. I took the lot, no hesitation, no intention to go back to it and I was ecstatic. Little did I know this would be the event that has caused me to ruin my life.
3 years have now gone by. 3 years of endless payday loans, overdraft charges each and every month, desperately trying to gamble my way out of it every time I get paid and then having to find a way to survive the rest of the month with no money and bills to pay. I’m currently in a ridiculous amount of debt, I’ve alienated everyone I’ve been close to in my life and I’m on the brink of losing my relationship.
I made the decision to block myself from any gambling site and tomorrow I’m going to confide in my mum about everything that I’ve done and where I’m at now, and relinquish my financial control to her until I get better.
I don’t know why it has taken me until now to realise that even though I have been hurting myself for years, it’s everyone else in my life that I’m punishing for it. I love my family, my friends and my partner. Money is powerful and necessary in many ways, but now that I’ve become so used to not having it I see that it’s being without those people that I would truly have nothing.
I’m sure it’s going to be a long and difficult road ahead but I know that I can do it. It’s just taken me a long time to see that.
For anyone that reads this, don’t give up on yourself. A better life is there you just have to find the courage to go and get it. ?
Just reading your post & it hit home with me in a lot of ways. Well done on admitting to yourself that you have a problem & you are taking steps to beat it. I am going through the progress of trying to beat this addiction. With help, support & honesty to your love ones, & the tools you have put in place, I really hope you come out on the other side smiling. What has helped me also is I come on here when I have stopped gambling & had the urge to gamble again & read people’s stories. The road is going to be hard, I went 25 days not doing it then had a blip but have to just move on and deal with it. What I have read a lot about & what I have done also is give control of money to your partner or your parents until you get out of debt & you feel you are in control of your gambling. All the best with your recovery
@jy82 Thank you for your kind words, it means so much to hear that. I’m sorry to hear you had a blip recently, I know how it feels because I’ve been there, but it’s just a pot hole on the road to a happier life. Keep on pushing and doing the best you can, you’ve got this!
Gambling gets alot of people on greed especially many people winning life changing amounts but cant stop, this also happens with alot of lottery winners too, some people dont want to stop they only complain when they are lossing which is most common thing in order to quit you need to work on yourself the world revolves around money find stuff u can do maybe get yourself in other activities human are selfish and greedy we want everything on a silver plate these gambling companies spends millions to get people hucked it business you cant change the past but u can change the future gambling will only ruin you on the long run no matter how deep u are u can change yes it difficult what good money if it taken everything money cant buy i.e time your health your family it comes a time where all this doesnt matter we have limited time on this earth make it useful
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