Hi everyone, today I hope and believe I have lost my last bet.
I have half quit in the past, often going months without gambling but this time for the first time I have admitted to myself I have a gambling problem. Knowing this, I hope to be able to curb it once and for all.
I have gambled since I was 13 and am now 29 so for 16 years I have wasted thousands and more importantly wasted time, effort and emotion through gambling. Fortunately I have never lost anyone I love through gambling and I want to keep it that way.
I have felt very low today with the mess I am in financially and the secrets I am hiding from my partner. I am trying to think positively that this can be a fresh start but there is still a lot to clear up firstly before I can truly feel positive.
As sad as it is to read other people's stories on here, it helps to know how common this cancer is and that we don't have to fight it alone.
Hopefully there are others here who have placed their last bet today and we can support each other through it.
Thanks
Gav
Hello Gav1987
Welcome to the forum.
Well done for admitting your problem and seeking help.
Certainly lost a lot more than just the money myself. Gambling is a progressive addiction for most of us, things can always get worse.
Self-excluding, installing blocking software or handing over financial control to someone you trust are all good barriers to put in place to help you stop and take stock of your situation without causing any more financial hardship.
From there different things work for different people: counselling, CBT, religion, therapy and GA are just a few options.
GamCare offer free counselling, a helpline, netline, the forum and a chatroom. Keeping busy is crucial, there's plenty on this site to do that - get involved.
You might find starting a recovery diary helpful.
StepChange are used by many people to help manage their debt.
It's so easy to slip (headfirst in my case) back into gambling, stopping takes some of the commitment, time, effort and emotion that gambling takes away - then some. It's not easy.
GamCare helps many people - it can help you too.
Blessings
Glint
Hi Gav,
Welcome to the Forum!
I agree that acknowledging and admitting to a gambling problem is a great first step to take as there is no such thing as half stopping. Half stopping means continuing to gamble and stopping means not gambling anymore.
Glint already suggested many strategies you can implement and which can make stopping easier. You can also contact us on the HelpLine or on the NetLine and talk these through with an advisor along with other support which is available to you.
You say that you are hiding this from your partner and maybe this could be a good time to start talking about your gambling problem in your every day life, too. While it often comes as a shock to people to hear about a gambling problem, to hear about the consequences of gambling and of how it affects them, more often than not, partners, families and friends try to understand, try to support and try to do what they can to help bring abut change.
I am glad that you have decided to join us on this Forum and that you have made a start by talking about your gambling problem and about how to move forward.
You are not alone in this, we are all here to help.
Kind wishes
Gabriele
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