Hi guys I have started gambling 6 years ago when I had a part time job and I realised I was addicted to it a couple of years later when I won £1000 out of £1 bet I made. It went downhill from there.
Since last summer I spent over £10k on online slots, roulette and sport betting. I got to a point where my bills are well behind, I am well in debt with over £6k loans unable to pay and creditors calling me everyday to make a payment. I have no money for food or rent until next month when I get paid and I have made an appointment to a psychologist but I have no money to go. My family is dissapointed, I have lost my girlfriend cause of this habit and my mother is working nightshifts to pay the bills.
I am planning to get therapy and get a software to block all the gambling content. When I am done with my debts I am planning to build a website where people like me can chat to each other, raise vouchers for food in case they are in need and help them with therapy and advice.
I would be really grateful if I could raise at least half of what I need to help me became a normal person again and work all the way up and save other people's lives whilst is not too late. We all deserve a chance.
Thank you very much beautiful people.
Hello Alexs.alex93,
My first piece of advice to you (apart from the obvious one to block gambling in everyway possible) would be to contact your creditors and tell them your situation. You need to work out a payment plan to play them back. It could be worth contacting a debt management company for EG Stepchange to help you with this.
Focus on getting through a day at a time. Do what you can each day to imporve your situation and try not to get too down about things. Yes, life is going to suck right now but you are young and there is a way out of this. You have to want to quit and not just stop losing. You have to accept that this has to be the end of you gambling FULL STOP. You can't gamble your way out of this, only make it worse.
Look after yourself and take the help you can get.
Stay active on here, take care mate.
Cheers Sjw Sjw I found a software called Gamban which will help me a lot. I am trying to stay positive and take things as they are. I will get in touch with creditors as well hope they will understand the situation . Take care and stay positive
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Dear Alecs.Alex93,
We can understand your wanting to take a creative approach to your financial problems. It does sound like your mounting debts are causing you a lot of hardship. There are several helplines which can offer you free impartial advice and free debt solutions, to allow you to pay off what you can at an affordable rate. You can find out more at: http://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-advice/what-can-you-do/finance-and-debt-management
You were saying you can't afford to see a psychologist. There are many several options for support with gambling addiction. we offer free, local 1:1 counselling. We also offer online counselling via webcam. You can find out about our counselling options here:
http://www.gamcare.org.uk/support-and-counselling/free-counselling
Gamblers Anonymous offer free local support groups in most areas:
https://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/
If you're in London, there's an NHS clinic specifically for problem gambling:
https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/cnwl-national-problem-gambling-clinic/
Outside London, your GP may be able to refer you for local counselling, though it may not be gambling-specific.
You obviously see the value in getting peer support from fellow problem gamblers, hence your desire to set up an online community. Before you think about that, why not spend some time getting to know those in this online community, the GamCare forum? There's a lot of advice and support available here. We can also offer you 1:1 support from expert advisers at our Freephone Helpline 0808 8020 133, or if you prefer to chat online there's our NetLine.
So you can see there are lots of options for treatment for your gambling, without asking for money from GamCare forum members, many of whom will be facing similar problems to your own.
It sounds like the situation is tough on your Mum too - do pass our details on to her as we can support her too, completely confidentially and separately from any support you might want to get from us.
Best wishes
Deirdre
Forum Admin
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