I've been gambling for over 40 years and am now retired. If I told you how much I've lost you wouldn't believe me as its a fortune and I'm just an ordinary bloke. I could have bought each of my kids their own first houses. I'm not rich, didn't earn a fortune but was pretty content with my lot so didn't take expensive holiday and didn't have expensive cars so I did have spare cash particularly later in my working life which I've squandered. I've given up a few times for up to a couple of years after nearly losing my partner over it. Now I just lie. I am more deceitful. I have blown a bloody fortune. I self-excluded on-line which was a blessing and then self-excluded from the local bookies. So after a while I now spend time traveling further away where they don't know me. Further and further away....... I hate it. I hate myself for doing it. The time I spend in the bookies is wasting my life away when there are so many other things I would like to be doing. Nobody has even known what a massive problem I have - I'm lucky that I still have my own house and no debt - but my retirement lump sum has gone down the grid. I have little reserve left now and I'm frightened. I have stomach ache and am suffering from stress (yet I am not a person who suffers from stress!). You young guys who gamble, trust me, if you can stop it now as you will lose your wife/partners over it. It will take over and ruin your life. Time you should spend with family, with kids enjoying life instead of wondereing 'is there a bookies near here'. Self-exclude immediately and totally and pack it in....just do it without thinking or you will make some stupid lie to yourself of an excuse up to not do it. Don't have 'one last bet' I've had thousands.......I am sick to my stomach and hate myself but tomorrow I will go and collect my losing slip balance and then phone the helpline to tell them the addresses of the shops that I now go to. But there are always more.........trust me you young guys must pack it in before you reach 60 and look back with disgust and dismay at how much you could have done if you didn't gamble. Cancel the racing tv channels. Don't go in the bookies. Tell your partner (not particularly how bad the problem because they might not be able to handle it or understand fully) but tell them you don't want to do it as you can only see it getting to be a problem. You will hate them if they stop you but you can't do it without their support. Its past 1am and this is what I've been churning over in my stomach after losing more money chasing what I've lost - its impossible to get back what I've lost as its hundreds of thousands. I'm a mug and I hate it.
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Hi mate. Firstly thank you for sharing your story with us all.Â
this Friday just gone my partner found out about my gambling addiction and now knows every penny I’ve lost and the debt I’ve built up. The Road is long and hard but admitting is the first step. I have a 1 year old and the fear of losing them is my driving force to be better and be someone he can look upto.Â
it’s hard for me to give you advice as your older and wiser but all I can say is deep down when you get that urge you know it’s not worth it, you can’t change your past and win back all that money but you can impact your future you may not be able to give your loved ones expensive things but you can give them you and I’m sure if they knew your troubles you would be plenty enough.Â
uou can do this pal be strong and talkÂ
Hi mickpa
I stopped gambling and had exactly the same feelings as you sick to my stomach increased stress bad temper and moody I lost my ex Over gambling so completely agree with you anyone that reads your post or mine should stop And get help , as for your stress and The stomach aches get help talk to a counsellor on here they are amazing its how I started and now 10 months free of gambling  you will find once you start talking the stress eases and so does the stomach aches it’s all related to stress and once you start talking and getting help the stress will ease. The best piece of advice I can give you is not hold on to the guilt of  the money you lost let off of that guilt and get the counselling it takes a little time but  once you do life starts to fall into placeÂ
 Always here if you want to chatÂ
chrisÂ
Thanks mate.....of course you are right and I agree with everything that you have said. I've been here before and 'know how it works' so to speak. I wish I'd never seen the inside of a bookies right back to the 70's and it drags you down mentally - yet I'm one of the 'lucky' ones as at least it hasn't ruined me financially as I simply won't borrow to pay by gambling. I've woken this morning after a difficult nights sleep and immediately thought about how I can win a few quid with the balance on my last betting slip before I pack it in (yet again). I've spend 30 minutes finding the horse too......Bloody stupid curse that it is. I am genuinely in torment with this and I'm not an idiot having had a decent job, had a good reputation and handled responsibilities with relative ease. This problem sweeps up everyone regardless of background and education. What to do and how to start......its not easy.
Hi mickpa, I’m glad to hear you have stopped before you got into debt but understand it’s horrible to think what you could have achieved with the money. I haven’t lost as much as you describe but enough where I could have bought a house and be mortgage free. In a similar way, I’m not rich and don’t have a high paying job but didn’t really go out much And saved up a lot for my age...until gambling of course.
I’m glad you stopped yourself from betting on the horse.
Thank you....sincerely thank you.Â
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