I have been looking through posts on here for a couple of months now, and finally made myself also join and write down about my problem, which I know I have.
I am 26 and around £18,000 in debt. It started when I was at uni and won money on bingo, few hundreds here and there which was a lot to me then, however now I am working full time with a decent income I find myself chucking these hundreds away like its nothing. I could control my gambling until summer this year, then it suddenly spiralled out of control. I always withdrew profits and would only play once or twice a week when i had nothing to do. I now find myself coming home from work and going straight on the pc to gamble, before i know it my night has gone and so has my money and I do it all again the next day to try and win back the previous days losses.
I haven't told anyone about my problem. I borrowed money off family but lied about what it was for. I have credit cards that are now maxed out and in the past few months i have turned to payday loans....
As i live at home still with my parents I had a lot of money left over every month to do what i like with, i guess that is how i am now in this mess. I am now in a situation where my £1200 monthly salary goes all on bills, paying my mimimum payments on cards etc. I used to have £200 left a month until i took a payday loan out and now I have £0 left from my wage. I finish paying money back next year when I will eventually have money spare again. What i dont want is to use that spare money on gambling again. I need to stop myself, and fast!
I should think myself lucky i am in a situation where next year I will be rid of payday loans and will be paying my credit cards off with money left over, but right now I am depressed that I have nothing until then, because i have been so stupid.
I am going to say today is it, no more. I will keep posting on here with how I get on. 2015 will be a new year, no more gambling and i will get out of my debts. Fingers crossed.
Hi Katie,
Like almost all gamblers, the problem is gambling and the result is money issues.
Best to separate the issues and tackle directly, both cause you stress and anxiety I imagine and debt can lead to gambling and gambling can(WILL) lead to debt, I know the deadly circle too well!
Lots of help on here for gambling think about :
Gambler Anonymous - daunting to go into a room of strangers and admit a problem but does work for a lot of people. Others prefer online diaries on here as they are truely anonymous.
Counselling - you can get this from Gamcare if they have something in your area, I have also asked my GP for some. For me this was very benefitial, I find a lot of gamblers bottle up feelings and counselling helped me understand why I felt like I did.
Family/Friends - one of the hardest things for gamblers is all the lying we have to do to keep the facade going, because ultimately we are ashamed. I found great relief in telling my wife my problems despite being scared to death! Also I've told a friend I do have a gambling problem but not to the full extend. It really helps as when payday comes along they can help manage your funds so you aren't tempted to have one little deposit which tends to evolve in the whole wage!
Self-Exclusion - go on live chat/email/phone as many bingo/gambling sites as you can to say you want to self-exclude. Commit to the fact you aren't going to gamble again, that was scary for me! You can self-exclude by up to 6 years with most I think.
Gambling blocking software - depending on your PC/Tablet/Phone there are different applications you can get which will block all access through the internet to gambling websites. K9 is one I've used. You will need someone to have the password or you could just unlock it yourself, this is another good reason to confide in a loved one.
For your debt, if there is no money left over after your wage you should maybe consider a Debt Management Plan. PayPlan are a company I've used before. It may dent your credit file slightly but as long as you don't default it should be repairable (I'm not a financial advisor so double check!). They will take into account how much you earn, how much you need to live (rent, food, clothes etc) and how much you can afford to pay back per month. I think there are some good links on here to many debt advice charities, so have a look, maybe even give them a call. Sometimes it's reassuring just for someone to say it's going to be alright!
Well done on making your first post, let us know how you get on!
Hi Katie, good advice from Tearsofaclown above. Definitely consider contacting Payplan or Stepchange to help deal with your debts. I had a debt management plan with Payplan and although you need a bit of nerve dealing with credit card companies etc at first it was a lifesaver. If you have litle money every month for a long time it is more likely to make you depressed and then turn to gambling for both comfort and to try and make some quick cash.
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