I didn't expect I was capable of doing this.

Hi Charlotte.  Sorry to hear this.  I lost 27k of my hard earned money put into my home, after selling it to downsize, all in a matter of just a few days! Like you, I just couldn’t believe that I could do such a thing!🤷🏻‍♀️. 

You say gambling for you = tension and nerves and losing. Think that can be said for most of us on here! Do what I am doing and put a stop to it/pull the plug on handing over any more of your money to rich casino establishments. After all, anything people like us win, is only a loan as we always end up giving it all back and much more!

I wish you hope and strength.

Pink Lady. 🩷🍎.

Dear Pink Lady, 

Thank you for your reply! Sorry to hear your story as well. If you have the time to reply: how did you manage to get through the first couple of days?

That huge amount keeps pulling at me, and with the money that is left on my bank account it feels like I want to waste that too. I am trying my best not to gamble, but it pulls so terribly at me. 

I know I have to cut this cycle off by not gambling. I will do my best. 

Best wishes

Hiya i hope your well, even though i havent lost close to that kind of in a short period of time i have lost around 150k since i started gambling if u can make this attempt count and move on you can surely improve, it will take time but can be done i am 291 days g/f thanx to the online team i couldnt have asked for anything more sometimes u have to talk to like minded people to understand we are not alone it life long illness any anything can trigger it it always just for today i will not gamble👍

Hi. 

Read your post and completely sympathised with you here. 

I have lost a large amount like yourself in the space of two days and the shame that comes with it can be unbearable. I feel its almost a trance like state once the slots get hold of you and you start losing thinking one more deposit this time I'll win but it doesn't happen OR if it does you just end up putting more and more in until you end up losing it again... I have realised no matter what I put in it never seems to be enough I am constantly chasing that next bonus and only when I put my phone down and release from the panicky, trance like state I've been in do I realise the consequences. 

I got in touch yesterday for the first time and put all my exclusions in place last night. It's early days but the relief I feel after reaching out and putting the stops in place I have woken up this morning with a sense of freedom. 

Wishing you strength and support. I do believe this forum can help us all to get through this. 

@tazman thank you for your reply and the encouragement! 

Sorry to hear about the losses, I am just so scared that will happen to me as well. Sometimes it seems like I am not taking my illness seriously enough. And that frightens me as well. 

Big congrats on your achievement on being g/f so long!! I hope I can also manage and thank you again for the reply! And best wishes

@qv4j0ef5i1 Dear May, sorry to hear this also just happened to you. 🙁 And thank you for your reply, I can totally relate with your words of being in a trance. The moment I stopped, it was already horror to look at my bank account. I just couldn't stop before I made deposit after deposit, higher and higher in ammount. 

It is hard earned money but when I am in that state, I just throw it away as if it is nothing. Like Monopoly money.

There is a part in my mind that knows very well, but that seems to be out of order. And I don't have a normal sense of money anymore. 

Wish you also best of support and strength!

Towards the end of last week gambling was making me anxious and I put money in thinking if I won it would make me feel better but I lost and then though enough is enough I put exclusions in place and the day after felt such relief the day after all these emotions came out had a breakdown when I realised the reality of what I had done but feeling good and positive for the right decision finally after all this time getting my life back to where I want to be 

Really sorry to hear about your big loss. Hopefully that is a pivotal moment. It’s difficult but you have to write the money off and realise your health is worth more than any amount of money.

GamStop and GamBan are the biggest first steps you can take. Believe in yourself and you can do this. 

Thank you for the reply. I am still in big regret and having a very very hard time not to gamble. 

Does anyone have experience with not having anyone to hand over finances to? It feels like I have to be able to do it alone, but I think I am still way too capable of throwing more thousands away till there will be nothing left on my bank. I am scared of my own actions.

Hey everyone,

I just finished reading this post, and wow, it really resonated with me. It’s both comforting and a bit startling to see how much I relate to the struggles shared here. The journey through problem gambling is tough, and knowing that there are others out there who are battling the same demons is oddly comforting.

First off, I have to commend you for the courage it took to share your story. Opening up about one’s struggles, especially something as challenging as gambling addiction, requires a lot of bravery. Your post sheds light on an issue that many try to keep in the shadows, and it’s discussions like these that can truly spark change.

The part where you mentioned feeling like you weren't capable of overcoming your gambling habits really struck a chord with me. There was a time in my own life when I felt exactly the same. The cycle of winning and losing, the highs and lows, it can all seem so overwhelming, and at times, escaping it feels impossible. But here you are, proving that change is possible, and that’s incredibly inspiring.

Your approach to seeking help and actively participating in recovery programs is something that I believe many of us can learn from. It’s a crucial reminder that reaching out for support is not a sign of weakness but of strength. Whether it’s through professional help, support groups like this one, or even confiding in friends and family, every step toward help is a step away from the hold of gambling.

I also really appreciate your honesty about the setbacks. Recovery is never a straight path. It’s full of bumps and backslides, and that’s perfectly normal. Each setback is not a return to square one but rather an opportunity to learn and grow stronger. It’s important for us in this community to remember that and support each other through the ups and downs.

Lastly, your message of hope is something we all need to hold onto. Knowing that someone out there has pushed through their darkest times and come out stronger gives hope to the rest of us still in the thick of our struggles. It’s a reminder that no matter how deep we are in, there's always a way out.

Hi, sorry your going through this. I'm in the position of looking after my own finances. I use the bankcard gambling blocks, work well until you cancel them. I keep money in an account that has a notice period and I've also locked money away in 1 year bonds. It is actually very difficult, it hasn't stopped me from relapsing but has saved me alot of money that I could have gambled in that moment.

The one thing that will work and take a little bit of work ( I've been complacent myself) is to exclude from all venues . Gamstop, bookmakers, casinos, arcades, bingo halls etc.. 

This won't stop the urges or the reasons you want to gamble.but will keep you safe.

Wish you all the best Marc.

Dear all, yesterday I gambled again and lost another 10k. Unbelievable, it really is. The only good thing is that I now have told my dad about it and he is keeping the finances. I cried so much and felt so terribly ashamed.  

Every thousand I have put in the machines I didn't even feel a thing. I was just again depositing until my bank didn't allow me to do anymore, that was my stop. I once doubled my deposit but still that didn't feel as enough, so I played it all away. Now, half a day later I think: that's an awful lot of money. But when I am in the rush/trance feeling, nothing is enough to withdrawal. 

A lot, a lot to be sorry about and to hate myself for.

And then today: hearing friends, who don't know about my addiction, talking about "expensive" holidays which cost only one of my deposits. I could have 50 times that holiday of the money that I have thrown away. My healthy relation to money is all gone. 

Hope you all are doing, or have been doing better than I. All the best