Good afternoon,
How are you all? I've just signed up to this forum as I'm looking for some help, from maybe people that have been there, I mean in my opinion they really may be best to advise...
I'm 28, haven't really had the best of childhood's but always been a really straight and honest guy. I can take or leave alcohol, have never taken drugs and before maybe the last 6 months, in terms of gambling, I simply enjoyed a little bet on the football at weekends.
I have a decent enough job and live on my own, but I've had problems with my mood, depression and anxiety for maybe a few years, probably stemming from mental abuse and sometimes seeing physical abuse as a child. I have in the last 6 or 7 years overspent, had bad luck with cars etc and my debt stood at maybe 18 or 19k.
So, probably about six months back, I went to the casino with friends, and had a go at the blackjack, lost a bit of money, went over to the roulette wheel, and won it all back, and then some. I was chuffed, and although I'd consider myself an intelligent enough lad, I realise now, it was the start of bad things to come.
There is genuinely nothing like the buzz of winning on a straight up at roulette, I wouldn't even say it's about the money, although having cash helps of course. Then slowly over the following weeks, I started probably gambling as a way out from depression, and I did okay. I got to know roulette, its ins and outs, the numbers I liked to play.
I'd lose, then I'd win, I'd lose and then I'd win. I'd say I broke about even. Then I had a bad loss and couldn't get it back. I was gambling not only online but at the casino, only on roulette. I didn't really recognise any problem until I found myself gambling online on my break at work. I did think 'this isn't right'.
I eventually started feeling the weight of the losses and it added to my debt. I'd get the odd buzz of the win and temporarily everything would be great and my mood would even be better but as you all know I'd go back to the table.
I'm now at a stage where I'm £26,000 in debt and I'm in the rpocess of taking out an IVA as the only real solution to my debts as I can't get a loan. Other than that I'd have to go bankrupt. It's not all through gambling, but it has tipped me over the edge.
I sort of feel like I can get over it all and as I'm not able to gamble online anymore as my creditors have access to my bank details, I've been finding ways of getting to the casino. I'm actually writing this on the back of being £220 up over the last couple of days, but still I know I need to stop.
I never thought this would be me, I never thought I'd be someone with this kind of issue. I need to stop, I want to stop, but it's not as easy as that.
Some words of advice would be great. Thanks to you all for reading.
TwentyTwo
hi, you posted, you deserve a reply, positives you have come hear (read a lot on here), you have an income, you recognise you have a problem, you are young: negatives you are in debta and that is increasing, you have been gambling very recently, you have only come hear to-day. you are in your infancy in trying to stop gambling.
You have to want this yourself, you have to say the monies never coming back, you have to put blocks in place. I came here in 2012, i new i had a problem, i was pretty well off then, did I listen, did i read, did i do counselling, no, i thought i new better, i can control this, well it's uncontrolable when you need to come to this site.
Read the diaries, see what gambling has taken from people, you can re-cover and have a good life. But you will have to work at it on a daily basis.
Good luck
Hello TwentyTwo
Welcome to the forum.
Good to start by putting blocks in place: self-exclude from websites, bookies, casinos, download blocking software to devices, handing over financial control to someone you trust are all good ways to help you stop and take stock of your situation without causing anymore financial hardship.
From there different things work for different people. You show good self-awareness by highlighting some underlying issues that might be making you more susceptible to a gambling addiction.
I have an anxiety disorder which I dealt with by gambling; I've really struggled to control my gambling every day since my first bet.
Addressing your depression, anxiety and past will usually go a long way to helping you manage your gambling addiction.
GamCare offer free counselling, CBT, therapy, GA are a few things that might help you.
Give the GamCare helpline a call to help give yourself a clearer idea of the best way to move forward.
This forum is a good place to learn how other people deal with their addiction. Read about the forum, go into the chatroom, join a challenge thread - get involved.
Pleased to have you on board.
Best wishes
Glint
HI Twenty two, how you doing? I can't offer mcuh more advice than that above but keep posting, keep a diary on here and read others too.
I'm on a debt repayment plan, have all blocks in place and the only account I have access to is shared with my husband. I cannot gamble as I am unable to. It's taken me a while to get to this point but, since I have truly put all the barriers up I have no inclination to gamble. Hopefully you will get to this a lot quicker than me..it's taken years, lots of stress and debt; we're worth more than that.
Take care and very best wishes
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