No money when I should have plenty

Hi steph92.

I hope that you will get financial advice from someone like the Citizens Advice Bureau. I know it can seem easy to say but high interest loans are not advisable and your car is now on the line.

When the gambling stops the rest can be sorted out. You can only pay what you can afford and they will freeze interest and accept token payments. You cant work yourself into the ground with nothing left over

I have to say that there comes a point where its not about saving face but instead reaching out for all the help and support. I hate what this addiction does to people but you are not alone.

Can you talk to people close about it? You will get lots of help here about recovery and making gambling history

Best wishes from everyone on the forum

Hope you are ok Steph?

Sammy x

Not really Sammy. I'm about 10 days GF but really want to gamble again. I shouldn't but have been watching You tube videos about those who gamble excessively and appear to win. I was watching them to see if they lose. it doesn't make me feel as bad then. but each time they appear to win. One in particular appears to win thousands. I'm.up to my neck in debt and have even started to borrow money from work colleagues. ( really bad move). I really really hope I can beat this addiction once and for all.

Hello Steph.

It really does sound vital that you get some support and put some steps in place to block gambling as much as you can. It's worrying that you're watching YouTube videos, as that could trigger you to start gambling again. if you haven't already, why not give us a call on the HelpLine? Joydivider's right, there are agencies that can help you get the debt under control without having to rely on high interest lending. We can point you in the right direction, and get you help with your gambling as well. Call us on 0808 8020 133 or chat to us on the NetLine.

Best wishes

Deirdre
Forum Admin

Hi mate, I feel your pain and sometimes it’s very hard to all of us but getting into gambling again is definitely not the answer .

You doing very well , fight this terrible addiction with your life you can beat this . I wish I could help more but I wish you all the best .

Hello sorted

Fighting for my life is an understatement. The past 15 years have been hell trying to fight off my addiction to FOBT. From blowing all the insurance I received from the premature death of my husband to losing all my wages on a regular basis just on FOBT I must have lost Inverness of 300k on those machines. It pains me immensely to even go there but that's the reality of my story. It's sickening . I know now the time has come despite me saying this so many times over the years.

Do you really miss the money? I reckon I have blown 30-35K in the last 18 months and while I wish I hadn't, I just miss feeling normal. Perhaps thats what we all ought to be looking to get back in our lives?

Hello WB90
That money would have secured a very good future for my kids. I feel a lifetime of guilt as a result. I'm managing week 2 of abstinence from these FOBTS and betting shops. Spending all my free time gambling wasn't exactly quality time which I could have spent doing productive things. I guess feeling normal would be a great feeling. I was beginning to get that feeling back some years ago when I stopped for 7 months. I'm just hoping to be able to stop now for good.

If you did it before you can do it again. You are right, it's a lot of money that could have gone to better use, but its gone. It isn't coming back but we can still do the right thing and get back to a better life.

2 weeks is great, well done! Probably feels like forever, but its an awesome start.

Yesterday I actually walked past the bookmakers and was slightly tempted. The though of sitting at a machine which I used to do is now becoming a sickening thought. I'd sit for hours with loads of punters gathered round me shouting at what n7mbets they think are about to land and then as soon as my £100 spin was finished I'd be up to the counter to load yet another 100 onto the machine. This was a more than regular occurrence. For a 40 year old woman it was vile. I'd 9 times out of 10 walk out 2/3 k down. I used to call it the walk of shame as both punters and staff would stare at me for either pity or being totally stupid. I'd often go away to try and get more funds together and go back in to often find the punters who watched me deposit thousands sitting on the same machine reaping some profit from my huge deposit but it still never taught me a lesson. It's a dreadful experience and used to lead to drink fuelled evenings to try and forget the consequences!!!

Temptation is to be expected, but you passed that test. Its all the other tests for the rest of our lives thats the hard part. I guess thats why they say one day at a time!

I managed to resist some horrible urges at the weekend and was quite proud of myself, only to let my guard down and lose £100 yesterday. Thats peanuts compared to the sums I would normally gamble, but that money could have been put to such better use.

We just have to keep at it! You sound like a strong person so im sure you can do it 🙂

I guess as long as you realise that you made a mistake that's the main thing. Just stay strong and keep going. I thinking posting and supporting others is a way forward also. It just keeps 9ne going and makes one realise that one is not fighting this alone

Absolutely, that's the beauty of a forum like this. If you've never been to GA I would suggest giving that a try, you can get some wonderful supportive and really motivating people in those meetings.

I know I'm at my most successful in not gambling the more I engage in places like this

I havent gambled now for more than 2 years. One day i just awake up and realised how stupid i was. i had a business and remember gambling all the week's taking and it made my cry for days. i felt absolutely sick! i just realised that i could not live like that anymore, something had to change, i had to change. i sold the business and got into fitness and in my opinion it saved me! I am a personal trainer and nutrionist. i start to help other people reaching their goals and that really helped me with my addiction. in my experience, its really important to fill your spare time doing things that makes you feel good. like running, having fun with the kids, helping charities etc. i know its easy said than done but it really helped me. at the moment someone that i know lost everything because of gambling. wife, kids and home.. everything gone! I really believe that we have on us, we need to look inside ourselves, think about the reasons we are here, what is the mean of life.. and what we actually doing with our lives allowing this terrible addiction to take over and destroy everything. i will dedicate the rest of my life to help others because i've been there and i know how difficult is to get out, but it can be done!! I just hope you guys can get your lives on track because we only live once and we should make the most of it!! allow your self to be happy with your beautiful families. All the very best.. i wish we could all meet up one day.