Life With Sports Bets Only

If only we could bottle that feeling of losing all ones money and then take a sniff next time we get tempted. use how you feel now to motivate yourself to stay stopped. Your thoughts have helped me... S.A

So ****** angry wanna smash up all the furniture in my house. Tried to cry but I can't as i'm a hard b*****d.

To everyone on here who hasn't yet fully stopped gambling - stop now. Don't let it ruin your life like it has ruined mine. I am 44 with 200k of debt and have gambled and lost over half a million over 25 years. I realised I had a problem 6 years ago but it has taken until now to fully appreciate what I have been doing. I have totally lost concept of the value of money. I only buy things in a supermarket that are on offer and only buy clothes in sales but place £300 bets on cartoon races on a daily basis. No more.

I urge you to do all you can to stop the beast of gambling from ruining your life. Self exclude, put betfilter on your computer, get someone to look after your cash, limit how much cash you carry, use this forum, use GA, get counselling, there are lots of things you can do.

Stop before it's too late. Very few get a second chance in life.

Sorry to read of your troubles captain...i sincerely hope you can use all them ideas you have suggested..as for your debts..yes huge amounts but they shouldn't have been giving you credit in the 1st place when they saw your finances..so I say stuff them they can wait...call the national debtline (its a freephone number) friend...there WILL be ways to accommodate your position...today is the time to start living again mate...its no walk in the park for sure,and there will be good days and bad but I can honestly say it DOES get easier...good luck friend,believe in yourself and you will start believing again (gambling takes that from us) you CAN do it 😉

Hi captain,

Sorry you're going through this..but in a way glad you've reached that point where you really want to stop doing what has been ruining your life. The only way is up now. As wp says, it's not easy..but the gambling life is not an easy life either with no real rewards.

Keep coming on here please and do whatever it takes to keep yourself on the path of real living.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life..you can do it...make it count, you will never regret stopping this crazy destructive nonsense.

Wishing you all the best.

lots of love,

Lili xx

Evening Captain.

Hang in there mate. There is a lot of support for you on here. Have you told your gf about your gambling? It might help if someone were to look after any cash for you? I think that most people eventually reach their breaking point with gambling and i hope that this is your time.

You can do this if you try hard enough.

wp/Lili/Curly, thanks very much for posts, much appreciated. Apologies for not posting on your diaries or others but just dont feel I can add much at the moment.

My girlfriend of 10 months wants us to move in together, but she doesnt know I gamble and doesnt know I have debts. I see this as a fresh start with her but I can only move in with her when I have reduced my debts a bit to a more manageable level. Also she has never been to my house (she works a different working pattern from me and not close by either so I've managed to avoid this so far ) - saying it was easier for me to go to her - truth is I am embarassed about bits of my house which are not up to scratch because of gambling away my money. She just sees a guy in a suit or smart casual gear and who got a new car last year. She thinks I dont go on holiday because I have no-one to go with, which is partly true, but mainly I dont go on holiday because I have no money. ( As some of you know, I got a new car following a successful period of no random gambling last year.)

Today is another day of not gambling.

Trade the car in while its worth something and get a cheap runaround if necessary !! Some on here dont have luxuries like cars ? It would at least release some equity for you captain..what is the point of a flash car and nae money ? If you've got big plans for a future with your lass then I think you have to find the courage and tell her mate..many on here have became stronger telling their loved ones...if she cares for you then she will (hopefully) help you..like you said before get the barriers in place and that would be one MASSIVE help to have !! you can do it 😉

Appreciate the post wp, and I have been in a position a few years back when I almost sold my (then) car, even though it was almost worthless, and I do appreciate some do not have cars. But at the moment the car and my girlfriend are the 2 parts of my 'new life'. There is no way I will tell my girlfriend about my gambling problems. If she found out I would end things. I need my life with her to be a completely fresh start. I earn enough money each month to be able to pay back debts much faster than I have and still have a decent life, but gambling has got in the way until now. Off work for 4 days after today, can only see girlfriend part of tomorrow and Monday but shouldnt be a problem as all my stupid gambling days have been on work days for a while now.

So next danger day is Tuesday, but my determination and focus is so strong that at this point in time I dont see me ever gambling again. I think I have the right receipe of focus, determination, regret, willpower and put in place barriers I can alongside that. I am not lucky enough to be in a position to put in place all the recommended barriers but will do what I can and rely on the 'new me' to do the rest.

Hi Captain

Hope you had a good break and i hope today has gone well as you described it as a danger day.All the best Jeff.

Thanks for the post Jeff, you continue to set a great example for others to follow.

Got past my danger day yesterday, did feel like going for a gamble on way home from work by remembered I have 'self-excluded' from the bookmakers on the way home so that stopped me!

Well thats over 2 weeks without gambling for me and I'm determined to stick to it as I really dont want to keep throwing money away and end up facing complete financial ruin.

As usual though during my periods of abstinence, I just feel completely flat, no spark, no drive.

I'm not gonna play the party line like a lot of others on here and say life is wonderful without gambling. It simply isnt. Anyone who has been a compulsive gambler doesnt want to lose money but we know that for the rest of our lives we face a daily battle to live without the drug and buzz of gambling which has enabled us to get through life and with the exception of the financial downside has helped make us who we are and we cant change that.

Nothing wrong with admitting we miss it every day even after being able to stop for a long period.

Hi Captain,

Well done on getting to 2 weeks gamble free.

I have read your diary in bits... Sorry but it is far too long to sit here and read it all... It would take all week!

I empathise with your struggle, but am glad you have finally decided that enough is enough.

I completely agree with you about the happy clappy brigade. I really appriciate all the support and advice from EVERYONE on here... but I also feel that at the moment, not gambling has not made me happier, or impoved my life. I am in exactly the same place now as I was the last day I gambled. I still have debt. I still don't have my fiancee back and if anything, i actually feel worse about myself becasue I no longer have the escapism given to me by gamblng. I actually have to deal with my issues as aposed to hiding from them.

But the one thing that I do not have that I didn't have before... and that is extra money to do things with. That is a slight improvement in my life I guess... and i do feel like I am starting to take control again. I hope that in time my debts will be gone, and I will become comfortable in my own skin again... and I hope in time you will do the same.

I guess what I am trying to say is that like many things in life, things have to get worse before they can get better... or at least I hope that is the case otherwise this is all just a waste of time and pain.

Anyway,

Keep going mate... you are doing well. I get to a month gamble free this weekend and I am proud of myself for getting there... even if it hasn't made me any happier.

Take care,

SF

Feeling completely flat is normal captain..its like losing a family pet/loved one..walk before you can run mate,Rome built in day and all that..2 weeks is fantastic and the longer you go the better you will feel.trust me...weekend here,nowt silly mate log on here sat afternoon/chat/netline all there for you....you can do it 😉

Sad Face/wp, thanks for posts. No chance of me falling off the wagon at the weekend. Lunchtimes and after work during the week are my danger times.

One other thing to add is that I am struggling to get used to walking around without any cash in my pocket, my norm for years with exception of when I had lost all my money was to walk around with a grand in my pocket. There have been a few times in the last week when for a split second I thought I had lost the grand ( in a normal fashion as opposed to gambling it ) only to remember I didnt have it on me to start with !