Came on here I while back and decided enough was enough and to stop gambling. Wrote a few posts and inputted on other peoples post and started to finally feel better about things. I was still debted up to eyeballs but stopped gambling for a couple of months. Then cheltenham came round and the peer pressure of going the pub and putting a few bets on with my mates was too much. What a mistake that was. since then i've lost hundreds and got myself in debt, yet again just has i was getting my head above water. I've now banned myself from absolutely everywhere and off every site you can think of. I've got just about enough money get me through the month, im only young and still currently live at home so i've not got any house bills due. I have however used loans to consolodate debts and now theyve mounted up, just suppose I'll have to be an hermit for a while and not leave the house! Im sick of getting paid and using all my wages to pay of debts caused by gambling. I should of come back to this site sooner, I was just embarrassed to admit i'd fell back into this hole after I had been doing well, now im just back to square one!
You sound like my husband. His life was like this not so long ago. He had to declare himself bankrupt as his loans amounted to too much to pay back. He has been a gambler for 20yrs - this I only found out recently, I thought it was less! Although he has tried to get help only recently, I doubt he will succeed. It has sadly got to the stage where I have no trust, no faith, no belief and little love for him. I wish you well. If you do want to stop do everything in your power to do so, no matter how embarrassing or degrading you feel it is. Claim your life back and make the best of it you can. Good luck x
You're not back to square one fella, square one would be not having blocked yourself on websites and not making an effort to break the cycle. You've experienced a relapse, an expensive one maybe, but it just goes to show what a terrible enemy gambling is to deal with. It'll sneak it's way back in the minute you drop your guard. Things can always be worse, just focus on how good it will feel to clear the debts and take back control, that's surely a feeling worth pursuing twice as hard now. Try not to be too hard on yourself, remember the successes you had giving up and know you'll attain them again once the dust settles
Two questions: what went wrong so that your time money location triangle was intact over Cheltenham and what are you going to do differently now?
If you think about the first question and do what it takes re the second, you will change things for you.
CW
Hi Jake92
You are in the right place with people who can help you here. I hope you will now keep using the site, phone gamcare and even book a little chat with the doctor who can be a great help
I feel you were just at the first stage letting willpower do all the work. I think quite a few of us have been through the two week or two month stopping phase. In my case it was mainly sheer fear and paying my bills. If Im honest there was nothing left to gamble with once I had bought some food.
When I was slightly ahead again I used it as an excuse and I gambled
Dont be too hard on yourself and its time to step up to the mark and treat this addiction with all the seriousness it deserves.
Its an addiction which only added to my bankruptcy amount last year. It left me sitting in some darkened rooms and seriously affected my mental health way beyond the addiction.
I know gambling is a fools game and you will be a better person gamble free.
It takes all your strength and courage. You must tell people away from the forum. You must have blocks and ideally you should be living on a basic allowance
Now comes the time where step by step you get financial andvice and you book counselling. You need to tell people close and that does eventually include your friends. I will go a step further and say they are not your "friends" if they encourage you to gamble.
I will take a guess that they are not about when you are sat in watching a boring telly show with a tin of soup in the cupboard. They are not about when you get bills through the door.
Can I just stress that gambling will leave you in the gutter and it kills people. It will ruin you beyond your wildest imagination. I could say it hasnt even started yet if you dont tackle the addiction now. You will have seen on the forum that its no joke and people are fighting to save their relationships, their pride and their very souls
I hope you will open up and move to the next stage. As you may sense, being gamble free is a wonderful feeling.
My very best wishes
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