Like other Gamblers Ive been gambling since I was a Kid over 40 years ago. If you can bet on it I have tried it. By 2000 I was £50000 in debt with nowhere to turn. My minimum loan repayments where more than my take home pay, Then I discovered online poker. By 2008 I had paid off all my debts and had £180,000 in the bank and just got married. 2 years later I had lost it all and £30000 in debt again. Couldnt face the wife so back bags and run away. 2 weeks later returned home and confessed everything and told her I wouldnt gamble again. Then I convinced her to take out a loan and invest all her savings into a new business with me. Now its 2015 and I have stil been gambling but all under control and the business has been very sucessful. Paid off all debts including mortgage and got £150,000 in the bank but nothing gives the thrill of gambling. So thought I would try a dabble in shares...just £5000 to see how it goes. Shares go down in value so get another £5000 hoping to get money back but go down again so invext another £10000 and it continues until Ive now invested £60000 which is only worth £20000. Then beginning 2016 things start to change and the shares start to go up in value....get back to £60000...oh should I sell now and call it a day..but hey no Im a gambler got to keep going...then they are worth £100,000...then £250,000 now the are worth in excess of £500,000. Any normal person would stop now. Sell the shares and take the money but me? No I can't Ive got to keep gambling. If I sell them its just stake money to buy more shares with...where does it end? It will never end until I lose everything. Went for a walk today with the wife and kids. They wanted an icecream but 4 icecreams at £2 each is £8 !! I am NOT spending £8 on 4 icecreams !! So went into Iceland and bought a pack of 4 cornetto for £1. I guess only a addict would understand as no normal person wouldnt. I just want to be a normal person. I dont want to be a gambler anymore but I cant stop. I wont stop until I have nothing again then I will have to gamble again to win it all back. I can't do this anymore. I just want to be taken away from all this. I just want to be happy but I dont know how. Sorry.
Hi Jack & Jill
I hear & identify with your story. I tell myself I can't ever win ever! because I can't stop! No amount of winnings will ever satisfy me. Peace of mind & serenity is priceless. I am starting to feel some after being GF for 21 days (I think) Keep close to this site. I wish you well.
Roxi 🙂
Sounds like you're in a great place really. Sell the shares & be happy.
I totally understand the pennypinching. Went to the seaside today but wouldn't get cash out for the arcades without finding a cash machine that didnt charge anything. No logic.
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Hi J&J
Parent of a gambler here - and I have witnessed the very worst sides of the gambling problems. Fatuesque hit the nail on the head when he said you are in a great place at the moment. It would be a pity to undo all the hard work you have put in. However, I can sympathise with you having that constant nagging feeling to gamble and that is what you need to work on now. Sometimes keeping the nagging feelings to yourself makes things worse. You maybe should take some quiet time with your wife/partner to talk it through because it really is so difficult to handle on your own but before you do that talk to the counsellors on here for emotional support and other stuff, just to clear your head a bit. You are lucky you have self control already and looks like you have done well to fight this and get back on your feet and still have your family. I am afraid whole families can be destroyed by this and hopefully yours will stay in tact and that ice-cream story tells me there is hope for you to do well!
Good luck to you and your family.
Hello JackandJill. Welcome to the forum.
The situation you describe is so typical of problem gambling in that you can't win because you can't stop, even when you're ahead. As Fatuesque said, you're in a good place right now. It can sometimes be painful and triggering for other gamblers to hear about successes but I'm sure everyone would wish you to be able to stop now while you're ahead rather than carry on, lose it all and more.
But if it was as easy as that, you wouldn't be here. We can help you think this over and work out what you want to do - whether you want to stop gambling with your money and how you are going to do that. We have free counselling, and we can point you towards gambling support groups like Gamblers Anonymous.
Give us a call on 0808 8020 133 or chat to us on the Netline - the link is at the top of this page.
And keep posting.
Forum Admin
Hi and welcome
It's a tricky one shares are currently going through the roof. I've watched shares almost daily since the last recession.
I can see why you can't cut and run. That's similar to say if I was playing a fruit machine and it was on a hot streak to me it would be crazy to walk away when it's paying. But all hit streaks come to an end. And your's will be with the release of article 50
Due sometime early next year
Personally I would take out your stake and a bit more so if you do get hammered you haven't lost as much. Because half a million is a lot of money to lose
The money you leave in could still make you a bigger fortune.
And technically your gambaling for free
Update....Finacially still in same place havnt gambled apart from the odd night out at the bingo but emotially still in a very dark place sitting alone reading the forums...crying but dont know why. Still as unhappy as when I had nothing. I hate this materialistic world we live in. Anyone want to join me in buying a VW camper van to live in just driving around Europe living without money ? Just imagine catching a fish to cook on the open fire with the mushrooms you have found in the woods and eating under the stars at night ...heaven.
Really glad you have kept in touch with the site. I have witnessed how gambling can completely knock the stuffing out of a person and leave them totally exhausted by the whole experience for quite a long time. That worry about the problem itself and then the stress of making sure your family and work life are ok at the same time, and all the other annoying things that go with it. You sound exhausted by it all and maybe it would be a good idea to still talk to one of the counsellors on here about the after effects of stopping. You seem to have done really well with your recovery and are obviously quite resourceful with your finances. I think the camper-van dream is probably something most of us imagine ouselves doing at the end of a really tiring day and what a lovely dream that is!! Good luck for the future.
Hi JackandJill
After seeing what you wrote on Ggdon's thread I came over here to read your diary. Really sorry to see you're in such a low place. Can I just repeat what we said back in August - we are here for you. Counselling may be available. We can direct you to other sources of support too. Why not give us a call on 0808 8020 133 or chat to us on the Netline?
Take care
Forum Admin.
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