Its been around 10 days since I blew my 20k life savings in one day. I still feel sick to the stomach and not much better than the first couple of days after it. The thought of having a bet sickens me now. I rarely bet and that's why it is a strange situation. A small bet turned bigger and bigger because I kept on chasing what I was losing and ended up losing more. I was scared to lose and ended up losing more and more I wish I could go back and just walk away after the first loss. Have I got a problem? I don't feel like i'm addicted but I could'nt walk away with a small loss and now its 1000 times worse 🙁
a toughie to answer steven, maybe i'll leave that to the professionals. My opinion is that you didn't like losing when you started that betting cycle (its a problem i have - i could not leave the roulette wheel until i got my initial stake back or won a lot/little, until the loss began to get really big), so if all your savings have gone - the right answer is , whether you have an addication or not, is QUIT now, otherwise the next step will be debt. Stopping is really hard, i have lost &K100 over in five years - all savings gone but i will not do the debt route for gambling - life becomes really tough with debt. QUIT my friend QUIT. To finish NO is doesn't become any easier when the losses are high and a short while ago.......... TIME MY FRIEND TIME .......
that depends steven
my life got better when i was honest with myself and those around me
it started getting better when i accepted the help on here and from outside agencies
ignoring the problem didn't work
Thanks for the replies. I have been completely honest with everyone around me and told them. It helped me but I just can't stop thinking what I could of done with the money, car, holidays, wedding etc. As I said I hardly ever bet and I got sucked in to chasing my losses because I couldn't walk away. It's on my mind all day, I don't even think about betting again Im just constantly gutted about losing the 20k and going over and over scenarios what I should of done. Is there a name for this one off losing spree? Does anyone think if it didn't happen this time it would of happenned somewhere down the line in the future anyway?
I'd say it has shown you to be a compulsive gambler. The sum of money isn't good but the outcome would've been the same if you had 200 or 200k. You got caught up in it and chased losses like we all do. The key is learn from it and get back to leading a normal life. Thinking over what you should've done only sows the seed to return and try out those scenarios. Initially you may win (but would then think hey I've cracked it, day 1 losses were just a blip, only to then lose in future) or lose - sometimes high sometimes low but you'll keep returning and then yeah you'll be addicted and weighed down with guilt, debt and misery. Any gains you may get from returning to gambling are worth far less than staying away, building up time and gradually save what you earn so that in years to come you will think, yeah 20k could've done stuff at the time but at least now I've got this or that and am not still in same position, penniless but dreaming of that big win.
Thanks for the reply. Its hard not to think how unlucky I was. Bets so close to winning each time. I just wanted my original stake back and it got seriously out of hand. Im on my phone and ipad a lot and not one thought of betting comes into my mind. I just cant get the gutted feeling to go away. 20k in one day. I think it would of felt better if it was 1k a week for 20 weeks instead of blowing it all at once.
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