Hi all, I am a 21 year old student who is an addictive gambler. I ended up using my first term student loan for accommodation on gambling which was over 2k and I lost it all trying to chase my losses. I needed to pay my rent next week and I tried to take out loans and overdrafts but they wouldn’t approve me because my recent spending was just for sky bet. I figured I had been caught and now I needed to tell my parents. I told my mum first while my dad was at work and she couldn’t believe I would do such a thing. She was really disappointed and upset but then she rang my dad and he was incredibly angry and disappointed. I know I have to man up and take it cause I put myself in this position but I feel at the lowest I’ve ever been in my life. My parents and I have always had an amazingly strong relationship and I feel like this has dented all the trust they’ve ever had in me and it makes me feel even worse. I just don’t know what to do anymore. Does anyone have any advice?
Hi, well done on telling your parents! When this happened to me at your age unfortunately for me they gave me the loan! This only fuelled my gambling. My advice to you would be stop now. Put everything in place you can. Your relationship with your parents will grow. You are still very young and they will forgive you. Yes the money is a lot but I am 12 years in front of you and now staring at a 60k loss. So chin up my lovely you have done the right thing. Xx
You have the early symptoms of a long and painful illness. Gambling addiction will ruin your life, damage your relationships and make you regret not giving up earlier. From what you've written it sounds like you cannot gamble without it getting out of control.
The guilt you feel at upsetting your parents is a good thing because it should act as a deterent to not do it again. As harsh as that sounds, if you carry on you'll need to gamble even more to block out the guilt and pain that will ensue.
I only say this from experience. At 18 I gambled my student loan in one go and lost. My experience of uni was ruined by gambling. I'm 31 now and although i still struggle with this addiction i have realised the only way to win is to stop.
It is so hard to stop gambling because it gives us excitement and a nice feeling. But trust me, by telling your parents you could have made the best decision possible.
Heed our words or don't, it's your life. But you have a lot of happy and fulfilling times ahead, plenty of time to repair this damage if you want it. Good luck.
I'm another whose experience of university was marred by gambling - but being honest, I couldn't stay away from gambling even at school. Arcades at weekends, pitch & toss in school, first visits to bookies.
I'd recommend gamblers anonymous meetings (I went in my 3rd year but sadly lapsed).
You have to stop but almost everyone has to work at their recovery as well.
Stopping now and you will look back as it being a cheap lesson compared to spending another 10, 20 whatever years gambling.
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