Rock Bottom

Hello Barryd0c,

Well done for joining the forum. ‘Rock bottom’ can be made a turning point when you decide to obtain effective help to overcome problem gambling, and to deal with the difficulties created in your life by problem gambling.

You’ve mentioned self-harming, violent anger, and damaging property, as well as difficulty sleeping and concentrating. Please see your GP about how you are feeling and acting, so you can have more support with managing your mood and behaviour. Increasing your safety and reducing risk of harm or damage must be a priority for your recovery.

You’ve posted about your debt. For free professional debt advice you might like to contact services like the National Debtline 0808 808 4000 or StepChange 0800 138 1111. There are other free debt advice services detailed on our links page.

https://www.nationaldebtline.org/EW/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.stepchange.org/

http://www.gamcare.org.uk/pages/links.html

Here is a webpage about reporting loan sharks:

https://www.gov.uk/report-loan-shark

GamCare is partnered with many counselling agencies around Britain so that people can apply for free counselling appointments, to support their recovery from problem gambling. If you’d like more information on this or other types of support, please call us on 0808 8020 133 or on our Netline.

Take care,

Adam.

The hardest thing for me to is accept is that I can't gamble my way out of this hole, in my the back of my head that's all I think.

I said It wasn't a problem when I was 15-21 and that was because I was winning, I kept records of every bet I have done since 18, I was staking more then from what I Have been now but I wasn't losing everyday so it wasn't a problem.

I'm really struggling to see what options I have other than gambling, how can I repay what I owe. I have ******** on case ringing 3 times a day getting letters twice a week, I'll have men on my doorstep come Xmas if I don't repay a 2200 loan by December 1st, I know this is all my own fault for gambling what I don't have.

I have no food in the cupboards and I don't get paid for 13 days. I have 14 to my name In 10p and 20p change. I'm bought a loaf off cheap bread and had butter in the fridge so I'll just have to live off bread and butter and water for the next 13 days

Gambling has ruined my life, I just wish I was a normal person like my friends who can do a tenner accumulator on a Saturday for the football.

Thanks for that Adam. I'll take a read off that later tonight when I get home from work. Just feeling so down at the moment.

The good news is it can get better

but i've not yet found a quick solution

Lots of support on here with counselling offered, places like gamblers anonymous and other help

read some of the forum posts especially the ones by duncs which helped me a lot

tri

Struggling today, Red light is on in the car, I just about got home from work. I didn't want to lend anymore money, my friends would lend me money but then it's just more money on top of the 12000 debt. I have 8 to my name but I need that to survive on food. I may walk to work which is a 6 mile trip as punishment for the next 6 or 7 workdays or should I lend 50 for diesel.

I canceled SKytv along with the sports package, I'll save 60 a month but it goes be boring at nights with little money to do anything other than sit in.

I feel good that I haven't did a bet in 2 days but at the end of the day, the real challenge is when I get paid.

I think you need to borrow a little money until payday as trying to live on bread and butter and walking to work lclearly isnt gonna be good for you!

Im in 8 grand debt and also struggle every month. You will need to arrange for repayment plans with youre payday loans. Offer what you can reasonably afford. Im on repayment plans with 6 creditors, if you cant pay what they want you cant pay. Simple as...

not sure how you owe money to your bookies? Maybe you can explain. And also loan sharks?? That sounds bad!?

You know you cant win the lost money back. Its better you try turn things around the most sensible way.. dont throw your money away, you're just gonna make your situation worse

It's a local bookie no big franchise. I was allowed to bet on the slate up to a 2000 as I was a big time gambler with him, which I owe. He has agreed to 200 a month for next 10 months.

I may have to see if I can talk to the loan shark and see if I can setup a repayment plan and advise I'll pay that little extra.

The rest I owe to friends and payday companies.

Depressing hi

Hi mate hope all is ok, how have you been coping? only just seen your post and can relate to alot, same age, im 13k in debt, and i also see my only way of getting out of this nightmare by hitting a big acca....i know i wont win, i know i need to stop, but i feel the only thing that gets me through the day on a tuesday is when there is footy fixtures on, same on a saturday, my lifes a ticking time bomb, my longterm gf knows nothing and wants to move out and for me to put 350 a month away from this october...i have no idea how im going to break it to her, so at the moment im still smashing football hoping for that 10k win...i hope your still gamble free and managed to talk to your creditors, one thing to always consider is your health is always more important than paper...if it means another 50 of debt to eat and get to work then so be it, afterall....if things got bad with your job where would you be then? i wish you all the best, you are not alone.

Coping ok but tomorrow and so forth is where it matters. payday is here.

I haven't gambled any money but was given a free 50 quid bet on ***, to be honest I didn't know what to do, in end up I threw it on 5 draws not expecting anything but it to lose and if a miracle did occur I would be dept free. Off course It didn't land.

Maybe I may the wrong decision by placing the free bet.

Hi Barry

Well done for signing up to GamCare. You will find loads of advice and help as I am sure you've already experienced.

Regarding the local bookies have you asked him to stop allowing you to bet? Obviously he wont bar you, but he should stop you from betting and building up more debt.

Is there anyway that you can ask family or friends to be a guarantor on a loan for you? It would obviously be a big risk for them, but they could have control of the money and possibly yours. I would suggest that you borrow enough to get rid of the loan shark debt and then the bookies bet.

If you bet online then use blocking software and self exclude from those sites.

Giving you a free bet is how betting sites get you hooked back in. It's really not worth taking the chance. I know it's tough giving up free money, but remember they are not doing this because they care about you. They do it in the hope you'll bet more and more.

Good luck with everything and keep us updated. And if you feel like gambling get your b**t on here and talk to us. It really does help.

Regards

Craig

Feeling so down. Its my own fault I know, just wish I could be out of debt so I could move on with my life.

Every night Im bored out of my head, suppose this is the punishment. Have no Sky, Sold the Ipad, No computer access, No money to go out and do stuff with my friends. Not fair on my girlfriend either, she wants to go for dinner and have a night away and I just end up making excuses.

I paid off 350 quid debt there with my monthly pay and after the bills and rent, its left me with enough just to eat, have diesel money and survive basically,

I have MOT and Tax scheduled for next month, and I don't want to even think about the first half off 2015. have so much on, Weddings and Stag do's.

Most nights I sit and stare at the walls thinking about about plans to get out off this debt, insurance scams, to hurt and injury myself somewhere that I could then sue anything that would get me money.

I didnt want this to be a sob story as its my own fault but I dunno if I can live giving 350 away every month for what next 4 years, I would be ok if I had a good job but Im basically getting minimum wage.

Life is a mess. To be honest Im not missing the gambling, Im missing the sports but gambling hasn't got a hold off me, I hate it, I hate how its left me.

Anyway Ill report back next Monday, boring week ahead.

Hi Barry I can't help you but can tell you u r not alone living this miserable life I have let everyone down in which I have lost everything through gambling . Now I view that my only way I can get back on my feet to replace all that I have lost is to get a big win so each week I work me nuts off every hour I can then throw the earnings away to achieve that goal I can't see any other way out of my mess I got debts I can't afford to pay so I gamble now just for that dream to get out of trouble . It's a no win situation for people like us 🙁

Unfortunately there are no quick ways of getting out of the hole you are in debt wise. Don’t spend your time trying to think of ways to make money quickly, I did that and it lead to me making a lot of bad decisions.

You need to be honest with yourself about one thing, if someone magically cleared your debt, could you honestly say you wouldn’t gamble again?

If it takes years to pay off so be it, but it will also remind you why you can’t or shouldn’t gamble anymore.

For debt advice your local Citizens Advice Bureau might be helpful, and you should also look at entering into a IVA which might reduce the amounts you have to pay back.

Good luck Barry

I know you have hope being 24and starting at 15 not good but you can change all this around and will acknowledge chasing losses will never work as bookies are not here to change people life's to the better ! They know the odd person who will chase a loss and get a big win will have such a addiction very likely ........will put it all back in the bookies a no lose situation for the bookie .

I know I chased and won the biggest win ever for me on a horse 1500 I am 52 my biggest win and 1000 and 1000 s of losses and with in a hour put all the cash in a roulette machine imagine what you could do with the money ! I did not .

Gambling is Evil it destroys many life's and including families .

Be content with what you have then you wont want more and Gamble .