More than 150k in debt

Hello  Rcvnc

It is good to see you here on our Forum;  You will find connections with others in Recovery from problem gambling which will help you to not feel so isolated.

Problem gambling is cunning, powerful and baffling and without help it is too much.

Along with the Forum we also have Advisers available 24/7 to help you through this.  You can contact an Adviser by calling our HelpLine on 0800 8020 133 or by using our LiveChat option.  I encourage you to make contact so we can discuss the best way forward to overcome gambling issues you are currently facing.

In the meantime, please continue sharing here on the Forum where others will share their experience, strength and hope with you.

All the best

Amanda

Forum Admin 

You have a lot going for you. Focus on your strengths. You have a good income. I believe you will beat the gambling temptations in time and enjoy life again. Use the Gamcare resources. They will help you. You can do it!

I don't know if this is allowed but I would recommend you listen to Dave Ramsey. I don't agree with everything he suggests and as he's American not all his advice is relevant in UK but his baby steps about saving money and paying off debts quickly with a goal plan and the snowball effect, you might find it helpful. I signed up to Gamstop and kind of replaced gambling with having a goal of what I want to achieve financially (and the final realisation that gambling is NEVER going to help me do that) but the money I earn can, if I do the right things with it. You have a really solid income, try to work out a plan and things could look much better in a years time. I wish that for myself and for you also.

Hi mate, I’ve been stopped a year now after getting about 20k in debt over a few years! 
The thing that worked for me was to remove my access to my own bank accounts and share accounts with my partner, if not get someone to keep an eye on your bank account! Sorry if that’s not the way you want to tray and stop. Just thought it might help. 
 
All the best. 

@absentee There are different levels and stages to problem gambling. For a lot of people it's not about money, although it's money that we obviously use to gamble with. It can be about escaping from reality for a while, it might be still living in a dream world that that big win will get rid of all of our problems, it might just be that the addiction is too strong and regardless of how much money you have coming in, your brain convinces you that an easy won amount of money is better than a hard earned wage. You lose, you start chasing, you win, you convince yourself you've got a system, you lose, you keep chasing! 

If the cycle of gambling isn't broken cleanly it's almost impossible to just stop just because you must have enough money to not need to gamble.

Come clean to a loved one, find a GA meeting or a counseller, break the cycle. Actions become change.

Chris.