New member

Hi @welshdragon123, 

Thank you for posting on our forum and explaining your situation. 

Well done on taking steps to address your gambling problem and reaching out to GA. 

I would really encourage you to call our helpline at Gamcare 0808 8020 133 or come through on the netline to have a chat about your situation and looks at additional ways we can support you. You are sounding really determined to make a change and we could help you with that. 

Many thanks

Forum Admin

Your post is quite worrying as you’ve not addressed any of the reasons why it is your gambling

You have already syphoned over 40 grand off your parents to fund this addiction and this is quite possibly the most dangerous part of your story as I fear there could be more bail outs waiting in the future

Debt & financial troubles are fundamental side effects of gambling addiction …..a lack of funds can often be the only way of actually stopping an addict in his tracks

If there is no fear of the credits running out then there is no reason to stop

there comes a point in every gamblers life where they have to face up to the reality they have created for themselves

 this is the only way we can begin to repair the damage

 By giving you all of these bail outs your parents have effectively created a bigger problem and its extremely important you ensure they are educated in gambling addiction going forward

Hi, 

As with many people on here I can relate to a lot of your story .

I don’t have anything clever or inspirational to help you out but I do know by coming on here and sharing your experiences you are genuinely trying to stop gambling and sort out your mess.

In regards to having mates who are all involved in gambling I do understand, but if they are good friends  you should be honest with them and say that you want to stop it all .

My life revolved around gambling and although it’s early days for me , honestly there is life out there without it.

Obviously you have to want to stop and it’s very easy to stop if you have no money , but once you realise the harm it’s does  then it also becomes easier .

Well done for admitting your problem and we’ll done for asking for help .

Good luck being gambling free and your new start 

Hello mate,

As you say, similar to a lot of people on this site. Like you I was a teenager when I started gambling and this continued until I was 30. I joined back in February (I'm 31 now). Like my diary says, I'm a compulsive gambler and my last bet was and is still 13th February 2019.

What has happened has happened. You can't change the past. My parents helped me by giving me a few thousand to clear my credit card debt. Instead I cleared 25% of it and gambled the rest away on roulette. I know the feeling, it's shameful. Again, you can't change the past but you can plan for a better future. Plan to become the person you know you really are.

Here's a few things I did which has made my 8 month GF journey successful so far:

- Join Gamstop for 5 years. It's simple to do and it blocks you from gambling on any online site. Give them every single accurate detail about yourself so that they can do their bit successfully. 

- I walked into every local bookmakers and signed a form to self exclude myself. 

- Call the 'multi-operator' who can get you self excluded from other local bookies you didn't even know existed.

- Good to hear you are going to a GA meeting. I went every week for 3 months and found it very helpful to hear other peoples stories and share my own. 

- Keep logging into this site to read other peoples diaries/success stories. 

- Be 100% honest with your partner and parents. Tell them everything. Gambling thrives on secrecy so you have to get it all out in the open. 

- You need to restrict your access to money/gambling funds. My partner looked after my debit card for 3-4 months. I had access to our JA but obviously so did she. Don't carry cash unless you absolutely have to. 

I hope some of this helps. Let me tell you something pal, I never thought I'd get to where I am now. 8 months clean. It feels so amazing to say that!!! It seems like a long road now but let me tell you, that time goes so fast. I no longer have to 24/7 feeling of dread and guilt. I literally never spend money anymore, it all gets saved and goes on my son etc. YOU CAN DO THIS. NOTHING, LITERALLY NOTHING POSITIVE COMES OUT OF GAMBLING! 

Keep us updated with how you're getting on. 

Posted by: Givemethebuzz

Your post is quite worrying as you’ve not addressed any of the reasons why it is your gambling

You have already syphoned over 40 grand off your parents to fund this addiction and this is quite possibly the most dangerous part of your story as I fear there could be more bail outs waiting in the future

Debt & financial troubles are fundamental side effects of gambling addiction …..a lack of funds can often be the only way of actually stopping an addict in his tracks

If there is no fear of the credits running out then there is no reason to stop

there comes a point in every gamblers life where they have to face up to the reality they have created for themselves

 this is the only way we can begin to repair the damage

 By giving you all of these bail outs your parents have effectively created a bigger problem and its extremely important you ensure they are educated in gambling addiction going forward

Hi mate 

Thank you for your reply. 

I agree with you completely, when I go home next I will be telling my parents the extent of my additional ‘no holds barred’. They know I have an addiction but they do not know how bad it is or don’t understand.

It sounds awful but when i received 25k I had no intention of stopping, I didn’t look on here as I felt ‘I didn’t need to’. I now know I absolutely need to and there is a fundamental change in my application to gambling and I am going through a ‘re wiring’. 

The first step is to pay off my debt, I am then giving full control of my finances to my partner for the foreseeable future so she controls my money. On top of that I will be going to GA and the betting will be no more. My last bet was last Sunday and I am absolutely determined to keep it that way through a mix of willpower, not letting my parents ever bail me out again, and giving all of my money to my partner to give me. I am determined to beat it this time one day at a time