I started gambling 5years ago . I started with small amounts. I have spent alot of money that I don't the amount now. Iam in debt. I get money from friends, that I have failed to pay back. Because I gamble it too. I just need help. I can't change the past. But I need to make a new start. I have told my husband. He just told me to stop. I stopped for a few days. But resumed again.
Hi there.
im in the same situation ?? it’s been so hard for me also.
Hi,
im probably responding to you quite late but I hope you made it through. A trip down memory lane…I was 19 years old when I took a job as an assistant manager at the local bookies, it was great, I was at uni and making extra cash working in the bookies. One day I decided to put a bet on a horse, I was a novice to horse racing and to my surprise I won £150 on a £20 bet. It was a surreal feeling, it was a completely random bet. What followed was a 10 year gambling addiction that saw me lose tens of thousands of pounds. Friendships, relationships, family all lost to gambling, even made homeless. However, I was tough and made it through until recently about a couple of months ago I had a punt in a Casino when I was on a night out, to my surprise I won some! Splashed it out on the night out but the croupier told me about a local club near where I lived, so I went and got ended up winning £90k in a 2 month gambling spree. It was great, I paid off all of my debts, I bought myself a new car, splashed out on a new wardrobe, treated friends to expensive dinners but I was ADDICTED. I had a winning streak and decided to take time out at my local club, however the addiction took the best of me and I was travelling around the county losing a lot of money . Before you know it I’m £40k down. I understood at that point that I’m so hooked on gambling the money is not the concern but it’s the endorphins, the high that matters! Gambling is evil, it takes hold of you and takes everything from you. I’m fortunate enough to quit whilst still slightly ahead, I’ve always been honest to the people close to me because I know if things get really tough they’ll hopefully understand and support me (another gamble). My fellow human beings, stop, think, slow things down, look around you, there are millions of people who’ve given up to everything they love to gambling, yes it’s an addiction but is it more than your loved ones going hungry tonight? Listen to your heartbeat, that’s a real human being living and breathing in this world, strip down the glamour and you are living, you are loved, screw social media or whatever the f makes you think you’re not worth it because you are worth more than this fiat currency. Your loved ones love you, you are special, you are blessed with a brain that is the top of the food chain. We are human beings, we are in control, we love life, we breathe, we exhale, we love, we fight but we are connected to this a universe. Don’t let this shambles of an addiction bring you down. Chin up solider. This war is with yourself and we never lose!
You have a few good responses for yourself to look on to. I want to reiterate the part where you have done the first big step of coming clean to your partner. It is a addiction and not as easy to say stop and it stops. You mentioned you wanted or you have resumed to your old habits of betting money you dont have. When you dont value friendships as friendships it does become a problem. When you gamble, you forget about your friends and the money they have lent you because in the back of your head, you are telling yourself that they will get the money back. That is the whole idea of gambling, the lucid thought of you taking on the house. You have come clean to your partner, and i can suggest one more step - come clean to the people you have borrowed money from. Let them know you feel you have an addiction and not to lend you any more money and set up a plan with them on how you will pay them back. Enough of the fake promises and lies, you can tackle this and we are with you.
@nyaba thanks ? I’m sure we strong enough, and together more strong we will be .
Thank you for your advice. I will.do that. So far. Am feeling good about my decision to join Gamcar
The biggest change I made, is showing with actions I wanted to stop. I say stop, I’ve not bet for 3.5 weeks, having bet daily for 3 years and I’ve been gambling since 1998.
For years I said to my partner “you set the weekly budget” only horses /‘only football but once you lose, you chase.!it starts out as fun but win or lose, more bets go on, until it’s gone!
my advice is, If you really want to stop you have to remove and block. Only way I’ve managed to stop…
@nyaba hi how are you getting trough? I got days I’m good and other I feel worse. Hope you getting on well.
@kelly007 . Thank you for checking in. Its not been easy. I have had a few relapses. But I don't want to dwell on the negative. Am moving forward.
One day at the time
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.
