cant remember the last time i had money!

Hello I just wanted to post some support. I am a person that still trying to learn to control my gambling, but as many on here of told me this may not be a good approach. Probably the best goal would be to stop altogether. But even from the time since I've started trying to really cut down I can tell you it does get better with money as long as you have a steady income. I gamble quite a bit less now I've really limited it and I can see where I am starting to have a bit of $$$.

There is help out there with the payday loan problem if that's part of your problem if the fees are taking up your check. You can start by closing that bank account and getting a different one and then they will be more willing to negotiate with you on paying back just what you owe(principal) or a lesser amount than what they are saying you owe. may act nasty but sooner or later don't believe them they will settle. That will give you hope once they get out of your bank account and give you more money on pay day, if this is a problem. I speak from experience. Also you can Google payday loan debt relief companies and they will negotiate with them for you for a small fee but it still worth it. All I can say, is I now have a bit of money in my pocket. I had lots of payday loans in the fees alone that they would charge on payday were taking up my check that's how many I had at one point when I didn't care and didn't realize I had a problem.

got that problem under control first, then once I had more money in my pocket start paying down other old bills. Then I started a small treats if I didn't gamble like to take myself out for a five dollar takeout meal. Or could meet a friend for to split a dessert or coffee since those don't cost as much as going out to dinner. It motivates you and lift your spirits and then in between use extra money on bills but a little treat here and there is what kept me motivated and now I'm doing better. I am not completely better but I have a little money, and hope again, and able to meet a friend once a week for a small treat, and also am paying down other bills now that the payday loans are months and months behind me. It feels good. I'm slowly catching up other stuff. And getting more of a handle on my gambling. I wish you the best of luck.

Thank you that's great advice I think ill try the treats will motivate me more as there is something for me if I succeed 🙂

Meeting a friend for the treats is even better; more socialization than just gambling.

I don't have any friends even before gambling:(

Gambling can seem like a good friend sometimes Leah when we feel alone & isolated with a lack of true friendships or intimacy with someone we love. Perhaps if you tackle that problem as scary as that may seem you will not need to continue your relationship with addiction to gain comfort. Could you join dating sites, get involved with the community, volunteer work, take up hobbies where you will mix with others?

To add to the prior post do you have any family members you get along with somebody you could meet for coffee or dessert even an outing with a family member a cousin a sibling and aunt a mom I dad is still socialization even if you don't have any friends.

To add to the prior post do you have any family members you get along with somebody you could meet for coffee or dessert even an outing with a family member a cousin a sibling and aunt a mom I dad is still socialization even if you don't have any friends.

If not doing a treat for just yourself works to such as buying a pretty new toenail polish which is very inexpensive and doing a pedicure on yourself at home or buying yourself a take-out meal as I said or a dessert

Hi Leah, so glad you managed to start your own diary & congratulations on 8 days 🙂

I know you have been all over the site & you have no capability to gamble at the moment but you must keep this Time-Money-Location triangle broken long after payday as this will be your biggest test! Hopefully you will have picked up some great ideas from here by then to help you find your way forwards.

It's rubbish to hear you feel so lonely 🙁 Most of us on here have lost contact with people through our dance with the devil but sounds like you started so young that you never gave friendships a chance! This week, my virtual friends have made me laugh out loud & shown me another reason why I cannot gamble again! You are in a place where we are all striving for the same goal, none of us in competition which means we have nothing but support for each other!

I know community work was mentioned above...I dropped something into my local foodbank the other day as I am very fortunate...Only 1 member of staff in there is paid, the rest are all volunteers & they said they can always do with an extra pair of hands! You would find this very rewarding & would meet other volunteers somewhere like this!

You will soon have more time on your hands to build a new, better life for yourself & even though you are definately young enough to be my daughter, I am signing up for one of your free spots for friendship!

Keep strong Leah, you can do this - ODAAT

Thank you guys 🙂 I'm definitely trying to build relationships with other people but with them having there own lives its proving difficult... I won't give up tho, day 9 now and still no urge... Baby steps!

Hi Leah,

Well done on 9 days stay strong and be kind to you,

Suzanne xx

Hey Leah, well done for starting a diary and saying how you feel. I went18 years not having any money. My wages were simply gambling tokens and would be gone every pay day. I also lost touch with the world and left myself in a lonely place without any friends. Make sure you take this chance and gra sp recovery, don't put yourself through 18 years of hell like I did, things just get worse and worse. I'm loving life now, my finances are slowly getting better and I'm meeting new people. I could still do with more friends, but I realise I can't fix 18 years of damage over night. If you feel lonely theres a good site called meetup which has various groups who meet up few times a week for various activities, but maybe you could find a girls night out local to you or trip to the cinema etc..... Keep it up Leah and lets make the 26th the time that you smash it and get through payday and treat yourself.

Phil

Back to day 0 so disappointed in myself I swore id never use my credit card to gamble but I just did I didn't even think about what I was doing it was only when I was ВЈ50 down I realised I was going into the frenzie!! I really hate myself! But I have just self excluded myself from the site so am proud of that but still ВЈ50 in like 10mins now I really am going to struggle for money 2 weeks until payday and all I have in my purse is ВЈ55 what am i going to do! I cant borrow any more money off my family I owe my sister ВЈ700 which she could of had for her holiday in August and I still owe my mum £250, my only option seems to be another payday loan which is killing my credit rating. I could cry I could really really cry 🙁 could do with a cuddle:(

Hi Leah(((((((((((Leah))))))))))))))))

sorry i cant give you a real hug a virtual one will have to do.

If you need to cry then cry hun,get it all out it will do you good.

I'm back here after slipping and like you i have a tenner to my name.

Have you got any blocks in place?k9 is free to download and will block gambling sites on your computer.you need to exclude yourself from any sites you belong to,if you email and explain you have a problem they will block your account so you cant log on.

Everyone makes mistakes and you are no different,this will be my umpteenth time of trying to stop,this is all part of the process,your on the right road but noone said it would be easy.somehow you will get to payday,please try not to take a payday loan,maybe a friend could lend you something.if not work out how much you need to get to payday.If you have no food im afarid it will be beans on toast or supernoodles for a while.If you need travel money maybe you coild pull a sickie for a couple of days.

Give yourself time to calm down and then you can think straight about how you will manage for the next couple of weeks.

Head up stay strong and if you have the urge log on here read some diaries or watch you tube,read a book have a bath anything that will take your mind of gambling.

Stay Strong

L xx