cant go on

Hi Leah,

I would echo what GT says. The biggest thing you have on your side is time. I was in a similar amount of debt at your age and couldn't see a way out. I've proceeded to gamble for another 15 years before fin ally making the decision to sort myself out. I've had a few half hearted tries over the years but I've learned there are no half measures. If you're serious about giving up you need to consider most if not all the following. Self exclusion. Arrange counselling via gamcare. Handing over control of finances to someone close. Commit to recovery now and you could be right back on track with your life very quickly. Or you could mess your life up for another 15 years like I did!! Go girl you can do it​

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Ps you should defo start a diary. it really helps your recovery journey

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Hi, Leah,

Would you contact StepChange or the CAB about managing the debt?

re the gambling, stopping is doable, it's being done throughout the forum but it takes your time, your commitment and your effort. Complaining and beating yourself up are NOT substitutes for putting up proper barriers.

Contact Bet-On-Anything-You-Like-Dot-Com and request permanent self exclusion. Put blockers on your devices. Ditch your smartphone. Contact StepChange. Call GamCare and arrange counselling and support or better still try GA meetings. Tell your nearest and dearest so that they can also get the chance to come to terms with it and if you can, hand over financial control. These are the things that will make a difference.

Or find excuses not to and keep falling to the temptation to gamble. It's your choice but I hope you choose well.

BW,

CW

Hi Leah,

​would be good if you felt able to post an update. There's a ton of support here for you

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Day 3 gamble free, still in lots of debt , started reading a book called the addictive personality its very useful

​and hopefully will make me see straight

Hi Leah, good luck in your recovery from my experience if you work hard and give it a little time, life will become much better. Hopefully will see more of you on here. Keep posting.

Still no change I've tried everything I can to stop myself, but I find a way around it, feels like there's a demon inside me, I've doubled my debt and have no way of paying my bills, feel like giving up completely, I dont feel therapy would help, I will see someone once a week and after a day forget what they say I have no will power

Leah1991.

Time for some tougher talking because I care about you. We care about you on here.

You dont seem to realise how dangerous it is. You havent done everything but I understand that is your gambling mind not really wanting to stop. You are at a known stage where you know you should stop but really you just want to stop losing and you are addicted to something but dont fully understand how and why.

They are tempting you and you are buying them a nice lifestyle. If you continue you will massively increase your debts. Some of the little treats gambling has are bankruptcy homelessness isolation and suicidal thoughts. This is no silly game...it will destroy you

I wouldnt live with a gambler and Ive been one. All you will generate is the feeling that money cant be left on the table. Im not saying you are a bad person and the addiction has gripped people from all walks of life. However it destroys trust and a strong addiction could make you do anything

Its taken your pride and self respect...Can you see that? You need monitoring and living on an allowance while you gain a heathy gamble free mind

Telling your parents your friends and putting self exclusion blocks everywhere is the start of doing everything.

Therapy will help because you need to know who you really are inside.

being gamble free is a much better feeling of freedom and self respect

Best wishes from everyone on the forum

@leah1991 hi I know this is really old. I have the same problem you had with Rainbow riches lol I searched for it and found this thread on here. Just wondering how you getting on?

Hi Leah

Have you tried to have your debts put into an IVA? Contact citizens advice. I did this years ago successfully. The majority of my debts were written off but I still had to pay a nominal fee of what I could afford back to creditors. They helped me to get a basic current account which has no credit facility. For five years I was living very basically but it was much less stressful. As for abstaining from gambling itself, the usual blocks and handing over responsibility of finances to someone else is an option. This part I have not managed sadly. But there is still hope so don't give up. I haven't.