I've only just joined but have been reading the forums for a couple of months now, I realise this may turn out too be long but hopefully some of you (most likely) will feel where I'm coming from and can offer some words of advice or something.. So thankyou if you're still reading.. So here it goes! I'm 18, I've been gambling for nearly 2 years now, it started out with a little football coupon here or there, putting a maximum of like £10 into my account each time I went on the site (about a week) and then winning about double my money if I was lucky haha, that was until I stuck £5 on a football treble, Liverpool to beat westham, newcastle to beat chelsea and I think Stoke to beat Man Utd.. they all came in and I got a return of £250 which I obviously withdrew straight away, but it got me thinking.. ''If only I put a tenner on it, imagine the returns'' etc.. Then my friend popped up suggesting I put £100 on black as a joke, I figured it wouldn't really be a loss as I would still be £145 up.. Right? So I went ahead and actually won.. BAD mistake! Since then I've gone into the downward spiral which is becoming addicted to gambling... (about a year and half down the line) and I was in £7,500 worth of debt, through payday loans, year length loans, all with ridiculous amounts of interest ontop of course! .. Now we forward a a month more... I'm now clear of debt (thanks to my parents getting me a loan out which they could lose the house if I mess up again), I've handed my finances over to my mum, I'm actually starting to save money and think more about where I can save money than whats the maximum I could afford to gamble, there's not a massive point in this post other than if you are young and addicted to gambling then please stop before it's too late! I was the one who always thought.. I'll get this payday loan out and then when I win I'll pay it off and keep what's left as profit 🙂 .. Then you lose that money and worry more about how you're going to pay it off, it really doesn't work, as my mums told me before I even started gambling.. It's a losers sport, that's why where is so many bookies around! I've had my fair share of wins, my biggest being £3,000 after starting with £200 on roulette.. You tell yourself ''If I get down to £2,700 I will just withdraw.. but that never happens! You keep on gambling until you lose it all and I will happily sit up all night and chat to one of you if it will help you stop gambling, I admit I'm not fully recovered and nowhere close to not being a gambler but me helping one of you will help me massively on my path, a good tip is to also write down a list of things you can do with the money you'd usually gamble such as.. £20 - Cinema with a friend! £40 - cinema with a friend, some fuel for my car and some food. etc etc, they can be your own goals 🙂 If anyone knows if I can leave something on here for people to contact me that would be splendid! I have a tumblr account if that would work or email or anything 🙂 thankyou if you're still reading, sorry it's a little jumbled, just wanted to get this on here! Happy non gambling!
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Thankyou for the reply 🙂 I have since offered my support to the user asking for help! It makes me feel bad seeing older people on here in such a mess, which is why I want to go down the path of helping people before it's too late, it's such a horrible and destroying illness, it's time to change and take back my life and live it to the full! Keep dreaming!
Luke. x
Thanks, Luke
Hi Luke - your alias 'lucky' is very apt as you are indeed lucky to have 'seen the light' at such an early age when you have your whole life before you. Well done too on wanting to help others with the same problem - that can really help you stay on the right path too. Come and have a look at the '2014 Challenge' on the 'Overcoming problem gambling' page; it's a sort of club within a club and I am sure you would find it helpful. All you have to commit to is to introduce yourself and then 'check in' once a week.
Mr Brightside runs the Challenge and keeps track of all our milestones. It's enjoyable too! Best wishes on your journey.
Joanna
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