Hello. I am struggling to live with myself after losing virtually all my savings over the past 2 years, including another £2,000 last night. I ran up debt over 20 years ago which i paid off in 5 years and vowed never to repeat again. I stopped gambling for 7 years after this and then around covid convinced myself small stakes would be ok, which they were for 4 years. I was pleased with my self-control, and then managed to turn a £30 bet into a £20k loss. Ever since then it was as if a switch was flicked and i lost all control and seemed to have slipped into a path of self destruction. All the while nobody else has a clue of my problem, and losses. I manage to appear "normal" to friends, family, work colleagues and partner.
I cannot believe what I have done, and the bright future i could see 2 years ago now looks very different and uncertain. The only plus is that I don't have any debt. There is no logic to what I have done. I consider myself intelligent, but cannot be after the mess I have made. I regularly goes months in the summer without gambling, as football is my downfall. But with the World Cup being on this has been a temptation.
I did have some counselling in 2013/14 which helped. Gambling has taken money, time, opportunities and being fully present with loved ones. I never thought i would be in this position again at 56.
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
