Hi all. I have finally come to the realisation that I have a problem which I need help with as gambling has had a negative effect on my everyday life for too long.
My main problem is with football betting and not knowing when to stop. I will have a good win and think 'I'll stop now and withdraw the money' but I'll leave a little bit in to play with, the next thing is I have lost that little bit as well as my winnings. I then lose more money trying to chase my losses. No matter how often this happens and I tell myself it won't happen again, I invariably end up doing the same thing every month.
I have also more recently find myself on my phone at work betting on any obscure league I can find which I know nothing about. It has come to the point where if I have money in my account I feel like I need to have a bet.
I have racked up large debts over the years and see gambling as a way to claw some of my money back and help clear my debts - it of course doesn't end up working like this and I keep on digging a deeper and deeper hole for myself.
This is now having a negative effect on my family. My partner has already helped me out once when i got in to debt and this week I have had to tell her I have got myself in trouble again. I have let her and my son down and have been in denial for too long.
Hi DKK86,
Welcome to the forum and I hope you find the support and help you need to go free from gambling. You have identified that for you it is not possible to win with gambling in the long run either if you win or if you lose a bet. Having that belief will help to get you into the right mind set that gambling does not pay, it will not improve your finances and can lead to disaster.
Be encouraged you are not alone and we are all here to "listen" and help. Make sure you have self excluded yourself from all gambling websites you have access to today if you have not already done so and follow the other recommened steps towards recovery and keep reading and posting on the forum.
All the best
Hi ucantwinever,
Thanks for your reply. Yes i'm hoping I begin to have the right mindset but I know it's going to be hard. Usually on a night like to night with Champions League fixtures on, I will sit and watch the scores come in and track my bets. So it will be tough getting used to just watching the games.
I have taken the step to self exclude myself from websites. I am also going to go to a Newcomers GA meeting which is being held local to me.
It is good to know I'm not alone and that forums like this exist when you need support.
Hi DKK, welcome to the forum 🙂
We cannot win because we cannot stop! I convinced myself for years that the only way out of the financial mess gambling had gotten me into was to gamble (I know), it even seemed a good idea after inheritances/loans/remortgages had gotten me back on an even keel! It's taken me a good while to accept that gambling isn't about the money which is why like any other addiction it is progressive, we need bigger & bigger hits to get the same 'rush'.
Sounds like you have come to your senses way faster than I did & the GA meeting is a great start 🙂 I would advise against letting the missus bail you out but telling her is a must. She would be better helping you break your gambling (Time-Money-Location, remove 1 & you cannot gamble) triangle by taking control of your finances for a bit, scratching the CVV number off of a new card so you can't use it online if this is your poison, or helping download blocking software (K9 is free but there are other paid versions that work on different interfaces which GamCare can advise you about) maybe. She can also get support here if she needs or wants it. Maybe give the footie a miss for a bit, can you spend that time with your son or watching something with your partner?
You're definitely not alone with this & life can be so much better than throwing your money away on a bunch of mates having a kick around in the Outer Hebrides. You can win, by choosing 'no' - ODAAT
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