New Member - Hi All

Hey Guys,

I decided to join this forum as I think it will help me in the long run, being able to chat to others, read like-minded stories and maybe journal a bit that I can read back on when I need to.

About me, I'm in my late 20's based in Ireland. I've found myself in recent years gambling more and more and in ever higher amounts. I played mostly online (slots / blackjack etc) but have really managed to cut back on this, I still do slip up occasionally and find a casino I've not self excluded from and deposit but I feel like I've made some progress here and the slip up's are few and far between. Don't get me wrong, still lots to do on this front!

My real issue I think is the bookies, betting on horses / dogs / cartoon races etc, I could lose hundreds in a couple of hours and then find myself stuck for money the rest of the month. For the first time I've had to borrow money from a friend to get me through the month, this is really what made me join today and take a good long hard look at myself and to be honest I felt so ashamed. I do feel like I've had a wake-up call.

I want to try track my progress here and get advice from others, this is my Day 1. It's the first time I've admitted to myself that I have a problem and that I need to get this in check. I suppose I'm fortunate in some ways that whilst this has been and continues to be quite a stress on my life, I can see that if I can get myself on track I can get my life (financially and mental health wise) back. Financially I've probably dug myself a bit of a hole, but I'm lucky that it's not an insurmountable one.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and apologies in advance, when I write it's basically me putting my thoughts in writing and may ramble a bit.

Best of luck all,

Xzeras