Hi all, I’m here for a few reasons, one being I’ve just spent good money that I got a loan of to gamble which of course I inevitably lost, however that’s nothing on the last 4/5 years of my life, I’m 26 years old and I’ve earned over £125,000 since I was 21, needless to say I’m writing this as I’m in about £5,000 worth of debt with not a penny to my name,  I get £500 weekly which in fairness I do pay my bills but aside from that I get paid the Friday morning and I have no spare cash come the Friday afternoon as I loose it, I told my parents about this problem around 18 months ago and they have tried to support me. They got me signed up to GameStop I’m excluded for life, however these last 6 months I’ve been able to use my friends online betting accounts. I just transfer him the money and that’s that, I’ve told him numerous times to change his password when I loose but he himself is a bad gambler so he never does, I can’t blame him as it’s me sending and betting.  But I’m at the stage now where I have had enough, I want to live a life where I can afford nice things and treat myself and not sit every week skint or borrowing money from good people, I tried gamblers anonymous a few years ago and it wasn’t for me, I have a type of autism that makes me really uncomfortable around strangers, so I don’t know where to go from here. I just want to be free from that low moment when you loose your money. I’m genuinely sick of it but as most know when that feeling goes you are ready to bet again. I just wish i could control the urge. Any advice is welcome. Thanks.Â
Hello. Rather than be told anything, is there any advice on here that you have read that you think might help you? The forum must be full of advice so I wondered if you read anything on other people's posts and thought that could be useful or helpful to me?
Chris.
Dear @christopher177,
welcome to the Forum and thank you for sharing your experiences.Â
It sounds to me that what would be helpful for you is to ask your parents to manage your money for you for a while. So give them all passwords and access to online banking so they can temporarily change it for you, and give them your cards as well. Agree on a set amount of cash per week, to give yourself the opportunity to practice handling money safely. If you have done similar before I would recommend to give it another go.
I would also recommend that you make plans for your free time in advance. Especially the Fridays. It sounds like it's a real habit that Friday is gambling day, so replace this with a new habit. Plan something nice like going out for a meal (or having a nice take-away in the current situation). Go for a walk with a friend. Or buy yourself a small treat with a set budget. Do something fun that you look forward to doing, that's not going to harm you and which helps you feel good about yourself.
We can offer you one to one treatment support, so if you are interested in that and would want to discuss further strategies or just get things off your chest please call us on the Helpline or Netline https://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/talk-to-us-now/ we are here 24/7.
Please keep sharing and posting, we'd love to know how you are getting on.
Wishing you all the very best,
Eva
Forum Admin
Â
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.
