Hello Everyone - My name is Anon and I am 21 years old and a compulsive gambler.
I managed about 3 weeks away from gambling but have fallen into the trap again. My gambling journey has taken the last 3 years of my life, making me miserable, holding me back and putting me in debt. My debts are equal to about 15 thousand pounds. I hate to think about it... But I am on a debt management plan and the debt is slowly going down. But I've got a lot to think about in the next few years, moving out of my parents house etc. So I cannot continue gambling. All my blocks are in place but I do not like the idea of passing my finances to somebody. So self control still plays a big part. I just really want to stop now. I have some money in the bank, for which I am grateful as in the past I have left myself with nothing.
I feel like even at just 21 years old, I have been around the block now, I have seen it and can see it ruining my life if I carry on.
I am going to post on this thread everyday to say that I have not gambled, and to keep track of my progress. I am going to achieve my goals this time. I will stop gambling, for a better future for myself. In the meantime I am going to work on my personal career path. I attend part time university (4 more years to go!) along side working, but have since been furloughed due to the pandemic going on, so have lots of free time on my hands. So I want to make sure I keep on track of my studies. I want to work on a little side hustle, I have some business ideas so I'm going to work on one of them to keep me busy, and who knows where it could lead. Last but not least, my final goal is to go a whole year without gambling. A whole 365 days.. See you then.
Hi Anon
well done for taking these steps and you seem clear what your aims and goals are.
i notice you are keeping control over your money, and you have some savings. My concern for you is that you haven’t put i some barriers?
if you gambled online - I suggest that you use gamblock, self exclusion from casinos / bookies etc
these actions will be your friend in those times when your head tells you everything will be ok to have a bet!
hope you keep posting and achieve your dreams!
matt692
Hi Anon
well done for taking these steps and you seem clear what your aims and goals are.
i notice you are keeping control over your money, and you have some savings. My concern for you is that you haven’t put i some barriers?
if you gambled online - I suggest that you use gamblock, self exclusion from casinos / bookies etc
these actions will be your friend in those times when your head tells you everything will be ok to have a bet!
hope you keep posting and achieve your dreams!matt692
Hello Matt - Thanks for the comment. Yes I still have control over money but do have blocks in place. as you mentioned I already am signed up to gamblock and I closed down my existing casino account yesterday. The bookies are also closed so that's handy. Hope you're doing well.
Day 1 - Been a pretty boring day. As mentioned in my original post I've been furloughed from work until around May time so I've got another month of doing pretty much nothing. But doing nothing is better than gambling! Hope everyone is keeping well and is on the right path to achieve their goals. I'm going out for a run tomorrow so at least that'll take some time off of my hands. Day 1 complete...
Hey man, high five for the first day under the belt!! Keep them coming pal, your better than gambling and best of luck to you
Day 2 - Boring. Not surprised. But didn't gamble. So that's one positive. Tomorrow I think I will do some studying to take some time off of my hands. Onto the rest of the week...
Day 3 - Another day passed! Mid way through the week now almost. Hoping the weather is nice tomorrow so I can go get some nice exercise. Studying didn't go well today... Oops. Plenty of days to catch up though.
Day 4 - The weather is nice tomorrow so I'm going to get some exercise, within the guidelines that we have been given of course. Did some studying today. Still no gambling.
Day 5 - All going well so far. Not much to say really. Plodding along.
Day 7 - I've missed a day somewhere! But I'm a week gamble free! Happy days, here's to making it 2 weeks. But just going to keep taking it 1 day at a time. I'm getting a bit stressed out around this time with my job, debt and more. But doing my best to keep a level head. Hope everyone is ok.
Well done Anonymous11!
You are doing so well, keep on going. We are glad that you use this forum for support, feel free to contact us on the helpline or netline if you want to talk anything through.
Best Wishes
Forum Admin
Day 8 - The days are slowly moving by. I challenge myself to leave some positive comments on a few people's posts. So I'm going to do that now! A bit of motivation can go a long long way for people.
Day 9 - Almost double figures. A small milestone, but a milestone none the less!
Day 11 - Into double digits now, and getting closer to two weeks gamble free! I used to watch a lot of gambling videos online and I'm starting to think this could be a trigger for me. So I'm beginning to block these types of things.
Well done on your excellent progress Anon. It might just be 11 days but it is a new beginning for you and the start of what will be a life saving adventure. You have shown great courage, wisdom and integrity.
Good that you have a debt management plan in place. I respect your positive approach and also your determination to rebuild your life.
As well as registering with Gamstop I have a Gambling Freeze on my Halifax bank account. That has given me peace of mind and now I feel in control.
I might be stating the obvious but sometimes a compulsive gambler finds it difficult to accept that monies given to the gambling companies is gone and will never come back and some poor souls destroy their hopes and dreams by forever chasing losses. It is ok to glance back but best not to stare and keep your eyes focussed on the here and now and on what lies ahead.
Wishing you every happiness as you continue on your journey.
Stephen
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
