My Story

Consider confiding to your partner (or even just showing her this post). They tend to be more understanding than we think. A problem shared is a problem halved, plus it is an excellent barrier against future relapses.

I think what all people who come here have to re-alise that coming here and a post here and there will not solve your problem. A confession to loved ones will not solve it, a 12 week one hour per session with a counsellor, will not solve the issue, it may assist, give some temporary comfort, but the only way to stop (besides cutting up your debit card and carrying £2 a day to work) is through sheer willpower in wanting to stop. I had saved hard all my life , I gave it all to roulette and more besides (two pension funds), I won at the back end of 2016, a life changing amount on roulette and gave it all back. I have lost my second time around partner from this problem, I will never be able to share my life with anyone again, I have nothing to offer. My children have lost their self respect for me, all have tried to help in many forms, but i always new better. If you are on this site you have a problem, a very serious problem, take it seriously, or you will lose everything and everyone in your life.

Hi Dan1983....I think what we have in common...besides being compulsive gamblers!...is that we gamble when we have access to money. I am similiar in that I go on binge gambling sessions....not often, but when I do...oh boy can I do some damage. Huge amounts in such a short space of time. Limiting your access to money is definately one way to help curb this. Also put as many online blocks as you can...self exclude from anywhere you can so that when the urge hits you, you are actually not able to gamble...without great difficulty. I guess we will always find a way if determined to do so...but at least these blocks slow us down and give us enough head space sometimes to re think our actions. This is an addiction and worst than that it is a progressive illness. I only wish that I had understood the process so much earlier in life. But its never to late for damage limitation. We are not in our right mind when we gamble...and 100 times more insane when we are chasing loses. All logic goes out the window and we simply cannot control ourself when this beast takes over. I have lost a huge amount over the last 12 years...but finally I have said NO MORE. I find coming on here daily really helps me to reinforce the message that gambling is a mugs game. The house always wins in the end. As the old saying goes...I won hundreds..but I lost thousands. Time to stop throwing our hard earned money away. We will never beat the odds because the odds are never in our favour.

Thanks for the comments, some good advice. I’m too embarrassed to tell a loved one right now but I think limiting my access to large sums of cash is something I will definitely try and do. My partner is amazing with money and if I give her control it may just be the best decision I’ll ever make. I really do want to stop, it’s madness, makes no sense and is just a miserable existence.