Wasting My Young Life Away

Crossroad,

First and foremost, good for you for admitting you have a problem and seeking help. I was you, just 23? days ago! (can’t remember which day now, they are flowing together which I think is a good thing). Anyways, I finally admitted to myself that I had a problem, and for me it was too late before I got myself in serious trouble, so it’s awesome that you came here before anything like that happened to you. This is hard, but it is super rewarding watches those days add up. First things first, you should find ways to block ways to gamble. Excluding yourself from online sites and casinos near you, cutting up cards that you used on these sites, and possibly handing over your finances to your parents so they can keep track of what you spend your money on so that you cannot gamble. If you keep gambling, it just gets worse, I promise. Good luck to you, and again, props to you for admitting you have a problem. This is such a great place to talk to people that have the same problem as you and just want to help! (: Welcome!

I also live with my parents, but renting is expensive and at home u can save most people don't have this opportunity to save. I too live with my parents and i saved up a deposit and bought a flat. I done it by giving my parents my paycheque each month and getting back money when I needed it. They also put parental blocks on pc to mean I couldn't gamble online. Its worth asking them as it really helps. Then I joined sense scheme for casinos and rung the telephone number to exclude from my local bookies. This all works but u have to want it. If you do this u can save for a deposit and be a catch for potential partners if ur single.​

At 22 u have a very wise mature head on ur shoulders, at that age I was spending all money on drink and a good time. So live ur life and spend ur money on u, friends and family.... I wish i could go back in time and be 22 again

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Thankyou for kind words and great advice Amanda and Adam. I literally spent the whole day before heading off to work self excluding myself from every online account I've made, all 48 of them! I couldn't believe I've opened that many accounts over the last 4 years, very scary. This is the start of my new life. I feel great right now, but I know soon enough I'm going to feel the burn. I will weather this storm, and I won't ever go back.
Thanks again, I wish you both the best of luck from here on out 🙂

That’s awesome, congrats on moving forward! Just remember to take each day on day at a time! I think setting a goal helps! So say, 7 days GF, then 14, then 30, etc. It helps you focus on something! (:

Thankyou again Amanda for taking the time to send me some positive words of advice 🙂
I just read your forum post and I'm now rooting for you even more . We're only human and we make mistakes, this mistake doesn't define you. I don't know you, but I know you're not a bad person. It says alot about ones character if they're kind to a stranger behind a computer screen :).
It sounds like you have a loving and supportive family, and they will help make this difficult time easier to get through.

Good luck from here on out Amanda, and well done on 24 days GF 🙂

It’s absolutely no problem. (:

Aw, thank you so much, I really needed to hear that. My family has been amazing, which I’m so thankful for because I thought I lost my husband for good this time, but he’s even more amazing than I thought he was.

I hope you’re staying strong and remaining GF! Thank you, 25 days now! (:

I'm happy to hear that Amanda and I really hope everything continues to get better for and your family 🙂
Unfortunately for me I went to the casino today and lost money. I'm back to day 0 🙁
My best friends are gamblers and they invited me to join them for a meal in the casino. I've been so bored for the last 4 days that I tagged along and stupidly thought I could resist the urge.
After the meal I was about to walk out the door to go home, but my friends wanted me to stay and said that I should just watch. I'm not blaming my friends at all, I know this was my choice. My mates are good people, they are just shackled with this addiction also.
I know now that if I want to be GF, I can no longer meet up with my friends. Change sucks, but it's what I have to do.
On a more happy note, congrats on 26 days Amanda 🙂

Good luck on your journey mate, remind yourself daily of all miseries gambling has served you and walk the other way.

If only I could take my own advice.

You can still meet up with your friends, just see if maybe y’all could do it other places(: Find a new hobby you all could enjoy together! It would be good for them also! I’m sorry you had a relapse, they do happen, and they might happen again, don’t get down too hard on yourself, you are still trying, but you should probably put better blocks in place for yourself to ensure they don’t happen again!

Thank you so much, I can’t wait until I can congratulate you on your 26th day. 🙂

Thankyou Progress for stopping by, I really do appreciate it. I wish you the best of luck from here on out, and hope you can be happy and GF in the near future 🙂
Hello again Amanda, thanks for always taking the time to message me. It's comforting to know that a stranger is rooting for me, makes me have more faith in humanity 🙂
Sadly, I gambled again today going into the bookmakers before heading into work. What I lost in the 20 minutes I was in there, was more than I was going to earn for my 8 hour shift. Feeling really hopeless at the moment, and sad at how this addiction is taking over my life.
I'll start over again and I will take each day as it comes. 26 days GF feels out of reach for me, but I'm going to try.
Congrats on 27 days, you're doing brilliant! 🙂

Hi Crossroads . You can beat this . Yes you gambled but this time it’s with remorse . Previously it would just be normal . Take solace that you have come straight back here and confessed . Surely that’s a victory ? I’m 43 and it’s taken me this long to wake up and smell the coffee . You are doing this at the right time . Dust yourself off . Pick yourself up and learn from it . Ask yourself did you have any blocks ? Were you honest with yourself and others around you ? I think the answer was no . Learn from it . Kudos for coming straight back . Have a plan for tomorrow , onwards and upwards you will never win , accept it and deal with it . The transaction from the outside looking in is mindless . Where on earth would you work an eight hour shift and someone said , just hand the money over and get nothing but stress in return . The dynamics just don’t add up , it’s non sensical but that is exactly what we all do. You can put a stop to this right now , good luck and feel free to say hi

Hi Bryan,
Thankyou so much for taking the time to give me some advice, I really needed to hear this. You're right, my recently losses have hurt even more and I think it's a good thing. Before I accepted that I'm a CG I didn't feel anything after losing and didn't think of my future and the dark road I was heading further down.
I'm getting sick and tired of walking into the bookies and throwing my hard earned money away, I just want to stop but it's so hard. The 4 days I went GF felt like a lifetime, I was so bored and out of my mind thinking about gambling. I watched the football and I wasn't interested because I didn't have a bet on, it's so scary to me that the only joy I get in my life outside of family and friends is gambling. No other hobbies interest me, I wish I could find something.

I know I'm only 22, but I just can't see my life without gambling. It's my escapism, so I can forget about all bad things going on in the world and all the problems in my life. I'm destined to fail, I feel that I'm too far gone.

118 days is amazing Bryan 🙂 Good luck from here on out

You just mentioned something that you can control- the bookies . Tomorrow go with someone you trust and once and for all end this by barring yourself . It’s scary but the right course of action . Make that block and then your mind won’t play tricks with you . Make sure you update me on your progress I’ve got your back