Hi there, I've been gambling for the last 10 years or so but the last year or so has become a real problem for me, my addiction is online slots, wasting around £5-£10 a spin, I've got myself into a fair bit of debt by gambling losing and then feeding my addiction by finding another way to get cash to waste. The aim of this post is to admit my addiction and attempt to give up gambling and pay my debt off as fast as I can without gambling because that never works. I'm currently self employed but I've had to get another job recently,which I've not started yet, to pay try to clear my debts and bills. Any advice and guidance would be much appreciated. My plan is anything I make from my self employed job half will go towards debt and half will go back into the business.
No gamble/debt repayment start date : 01/06/2018
Days gamble free so far: 0
Current Debts: £10,695
Total Debt Paid Off: £0
Credit card 1: £800
Credit card 2: £1400
Overdraft 1: £4000
Overdraft 2: £750
Overdraft 3: £2000
Payday Loan: £900
Money I owe Family: £645
Other Debts: £200
Hello GavinD,
Your story shares parts with mine. A similar debt (£10,504), length of gambling. For me it was online sports betting and poker that took me away. Like you i very much started fully focused on the debt, and i get it. It took me months to see past it. I've paid a chunk off but i still have a long way to go to be rid of that.
What you will see is that recovery is the goal. That ultimatley will end in my debts being paid but recovery is more than that. Its not just not gambling its a total change of life and attitude. I was broken and crushed as a person before i started on my recovery. I had no self confidence or self worth and you can't buy, borrow or pay that back. Its about using your time to work on yourself. Make yourself that person, living that life you really want. I didn't know i had what i've even done so far within me. My life has turned round yet its still pretty early days even on the whole not gambling side of things.
What blocks have you put into place? Have you told anyone? Handed over finances? Its the same advice but together it works if you want it to.
Theres hope and help for a better tomorrow if you are ready to take the steps you need to to beat your personal battles.
All the best!
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