HI...I'm William and i have serious problem with gambling which has been out of control for many years now and has gotten to the stage were i'm thinking of taking my life just to be rid of this curse.....my wife has left me with my son and our house which most would say is lucky...i don't feel that..i have lots of debt and the only way a gambler see's his way out of debt is to win lots of money,,,which is more or less my story with debt as all i can see is debts nothing i'll win that money and clear it all off........iv'e tried gambler annon but found it too religious....i thought by taking the 1st step and finally accepting my addiction that maybe seeking help in this forum would give answer's to question on how to stop and live a normal day to day life
Hi William
The easiest part of your problem to fix is the financial side - there are lots of options available to you for dealing with your debt. You just need to contact a debt management company with a list of your creditors, the amounts you owe to each one, your household income and your outgoings. We have Step change in the UK which is free.
I found myself in a similar situation, except my wife threw me out of the home. Do you know where she is staying? Are you able to contact her? You need to have a conversation with your wife and you need to be completely honest with her about everything. Let her know how long you have been gambling for, where, when, why and how much you owe. Try to show her that you want to change. Hand over the household finances.
But you must understand that this is a terrible burden for your wife. She will find it impossible to understand why you have gambled and why you couldn't stop.
I attend GA meetings since I decided to do something about my gambling and I have found the meetings useful. The 12 steps approach adopted by GA is the same for any addiction.
I find it useful being in a room, talking about my on experiences and feelings and listening to the experiences of others. But I understand that GA meetings are maybe not for everyone.
Whatever you choose, whether it be GA or this Forum, it is important that you are able to talk about your compulsion with people who are or have been going through it themselves.
Gambling, like you said, is a curse but it is not unbeatable as long as you want to beat it. Please put the thoughts of taking your own life out of your head; that will cause more problems that it will solve.
Good luck to you in your recovery.
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
