So Annoyed

Hi Con

I am a recovering CG.

you wrote..."Now i'm in a crappy situation where I owe money that will take me 20 years or so to pay of that's if I want any type of life at all..."

There are a lot of us in similar situations. That is exactly what we do. You have to have a life. If you try to pay off your debt in too short a timespan you will put too much pressure on yourself and possibly want to gamble to try to 'win' the money. The sensible approach is to work out your budget, and then allocate any spare money you have to pay off debt. If it takes 20 years to pay it off...so what, at least you will be living a life. And just like me and many other recovering CG's with debt, your life can be a happy one.

Best wishes

you wrote "Being a year free gambling lead me to believe i might be able to have a little flutter and leave it at that."

Many times i've thought that and many times done the same as you

Until i accepted I couldn't

Eventually the same thing happens

Don't place the first bet and you can't place the second

I will add this is easy to say but far harder to live on a daily basis.

Get your toolkit filled and keep working it!

Told my parents about my problem and debt this morning, now everyone that needs to know does.

Still feeling crappy. Hurts the most to know it's hurting the people around me and it's something I will never live down.

its best when its all out in the open with the people close. I got myself into 15,000 debt threw betting. Ive used many debt management companies but step change is by far the best and really helpful.

Ive been going it alone with my problems which lead to my relapsing then chasing money again. Once i had admitted to thise close what ive done it was a small weight of my mind. I dont want them to help me finacially as its my own fault however its good to know that they are there to support me . It sounds the same for you, you need to have that good support base behind you as every day is different.

Keep going and you will get to your destination

Thanks Nolpet.

Yeah it makes sense dealing with it alone wasn't smart.

I'm in contact with step change still trying to figure out the best way to tackle my debt.

Hi Con

The crappy feeling you have towards yourself will diminish. You will gradually come to 'like' yourself again. For me. I think it took around 18 months or so, and then I suddenly realised..."hey, I am not such an a...hole anymore".

You have done the right thing by telling those close to you. Support is vital in aiding your recovery.

Best wishes

Spoke to my parents last night. Felt like an intervention it sucked.

They sort of took ownership when It's my problem and I own it, I told them because if they're able to help that's great if not it's not the end of the world but I would like them to know either way.

Confused by their reaction to be honest, don't feel any better or worse for telling them. I was thinking/hoping it would be a weight off my shoulders but it's not.

Feeling ok today for the first time in a while. Had a good chat with my partner I think we are both on the same page.

Early days yet. Still in limbo regarding my debt in contact with step change who have been great offering me a solution. Next thing for me to do is make a list of pros and cons of going ahead with a debt management plan.

Con

Hi,

I have had no problems with Stepchange and the biggest pro for me is that I get no letters or phone calls from those I owe money too. Just peace of mind really.

The only con is that it is going to take 5 years to clear.

Best wishes

Hi Balvaird,

Yeah I've accepted that it's going to take a while my main concern is if I get a default on my file for 6 years.