Lost

Hi Rach,

You've taken the right first step, and it is vital now that you start to plan for becoming free of gambling, so that you can start to rebuild. You may want to look at putting blocks in place by self excluding from the online poker places that you use, or installing some form of blocking software that will prevent you from getting in to these sites.

It is tough when you've hit the bottom, but you can beat it and you can pay off that debt and rebuild.

Ryan

Hi rach

I know where you are coming from , compulsive gambler myself but recovering.

You need to make things as hard as possible for your self to gamble , block the sites, self exclude from betting shops etc... Also you need to tell the closest people to you that you gave a problem , this is hard but it works , the support and the chance to get it off your chest is a release and makes you feel better.

Important to realise that when you quit you quit for life , there is no turning back to gambling ... You can't just have a little bet or a quick game of poker as it won't hurt and you no longer have a problem..... This is not the case, your a gambler and you need to stay away.

You say things are bad but today you stopped gambling, tomorrow you will not hand your money over you will keep it and do some good with it... This is a good day , today you quit.

Take control , keep your chin up and keep coming back for support, your not alone.

Kind regards Matt

Day 2

Is it worth going back to gamble anymore? I still have money, but I can win enough to chase back losses? I wonder.

Really disappointed with my life, when will this get better? I wish time to turn back to just before I graduated. And start again from there?

Day 4

Life is just cr**. not getting any better at all. I wish time to turn back once.

So many wrong decisions made. Wasted so much of my parents and my own hard earned money.

If only I was not greedy, I could have easily saved up to 30k over these years. Now all i have is a difficult future.

How do I face my family?

Hi Rach,

Be sure to know that if you stop gambling you will be able to save and have the things you want in life- if you continue to gamble you will not as you will continue to chase loses losing more and more.

Try focusing on the positives, I know that's difficult at first but personally I have found my rehab is built on a far stronger foundation through accepting what has happened and being positive about the steps I am taking. Things to remember:

@ you are still young. Acknowledging you have a problem now is fantastic, you are saving yourself from years and years of further pain.

@ you are now in control. You have made a positive decision to change your life for the better. The debt will get paid off. You will grow your savings. You will have the life you want.

@ the past is the past, you cannot change it but you can learn from it. Think about how you are feeling now, do you want to have those same feelings in 10 years time and still gambling? - nope!

I am 31, I have 26k worth of debt. Like you when I first tried to quit I was beating myself up about what damage I had done, the missed opportunities (buying a house etc etc) but I now have a plan. I will be debt free and I will get the things I want- because I will not gamble.

Stick with your recovery. You can beat this addiction. You will get things you want in life by not gambling.

Take care

Buckeroo

Day 6.

Thanks Buckeroo and all for the support.

When would be the time to be able to stand up proud again? I suppose never now. All dreams I have came crashing down 6 days ago when i gambled all away.

Will I be able to dream again some day?

Day 7

I want to be able to stand up and smile again in front of my family and my parents.

Gambled away >50k, what have I gotta myself in life over last few years? Nothing but debts, tears and painful memories.

Please, please - don't let this cycle repeat itself again, I need to succeed on beating this evil.

I do not think I can stand this anymore.