This is a long post - about where it all started and where I’m at now.
I was only paid on Friday, and the first thing i did? I credit £10 onto an online gambling site. Then when that was gone, £20. When that was gone, another £10 and so on. I’ve been working 8 hours a day every day since so god only knows how much more I’d have spent if I had the time!
Anyway, the predicament I’m in is, I’m 23 and I’ve been living with my mum for about 3 years now. I was brought up by an amazing, upper class foster family that I adored and adored me. I got into a long term but long distance relationship. I moved back with my birth mother and got a transfer with my employer to be closer to my partner, but a year down the line the relationship got toxic... he was a compulsive liar and a cheat. It hit me harder because of the hassle I went through to be closer, losing my friends, my foster family, moving jobs etc and also losing a boyfriend that I loved so much. At my lowest I discovered gambling... and some how after depositing my very first £20, I won £250 or just under.
It made me feel great, happy and the things I did with those winnings made me feel even better. Buying clothes and such. However I haven’t stopped gambling since and haven’t won anything near £250 again, but I keep chasing it.
My mother doesn’t know I gamble, and I’m the bread winner as she’s never worked in around 40 years but this month I’ve left myself with around £200... out of £1000. Bills have been paid (phone bill, gas and electricity, broadband etc) so yes it could be worse but my mum thinks I still have around £700 left!
It’s her birthday this month, as well as my aunties who I’m VERY close to and I told her I’d buy her a new phone which I now can’t afford?!
I’m thinking of what to tell her about not being able to get the phone and we only have less than a weeks worth of food because I’ve been working too much to fit in any shopping.
Any support or advice would be great!
Be honest with them mate. You’ll probably be surprised - they’ll be supportive and wish you told them sooner, and it will be a massive weight off your shoulders. You could hand over your bank cards and online banking to your mum?
Hi Tom,
Get everything out in the open, this addcition feeds on lies and turmoil. I used gambling as an escape, find your nearest GA meeting and make it a part of your life as this addiction can consume us and destroy us.
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