No winners at all...

So end of day two and this is tough. All I've had is thoughts about gambling for the past couple of hours. Maybe I'll go into the bookies on the way home and turn 20 into 50. Few games of roulette and I'll come out a winner. Keep having to remind myself things don't work this way.

I'll only end up a big fat loser if I ho down that route. My debts are going around and around my head. I keep asking myself how do I fix this? Do I put 1,000 down on my last credit card and try and make it back. I don't want to be putting this type of thing down on a recovery diary but I feel it's importany to be honest about how I'm feeling right now. Any advice at all is greatly appreciated! I'm trying so hard to fight this.

Well folks after a measily two days. I've caved in. I managed to avoid the bookies on the way home that was a success but I've sat down at my computer and just joined some stupid online casino and spen 37.18. What a joke. Its unreal. I have now emailed them and asked to self exclude. I genuinely think im the most self excluded person in the country. Every online casino must have my details next to the word self excluded.

I'm not giving up. I'll start agin tomorrow. I have booked an appointment with a counsellor and i'm seeing the doctor Wednesday. I just need help and support. I cannot beat this on my own. The temptation is too great. But the debt im in now is really starting to scare me. I've sold so much on eBay recently. Possesions that have meant a lot to me. I really dont have very much left to get rid of now.

This really is the pits. I dont want to gamble. Its awful I basically just set fire to 40 quid and yet I moan when I have to get presents or buy something for my girlfriend. Its disgusting. Im disgusted with myself. I think debt plays a huge part in the problem of gambling and shouldnt be underestimated. We're in debt because we gamble and yet we see the way out of debt as gambling. What a circle of **** that is.

I'm sorry to everyone thats posted and wished me luck. I've let everyone down including myself. I know as well two days is a pitifull amount of time as well. I will try. I'm doing my self exclusion emails now, Ihave some self exclusions that will expire soon and Im getting them all reinstated. It takes ages to do this but its important to get back on the right track. Can anyone give me any advice in regards to debt? Im not paid brilliantly and I just feel I've got an impossible mountain of debt to climb. I'm 30 now and probably wont pay it off until im about 35.

Anyway srry again folks. Day one starts again NOW!

"IF AT FIRST YOU DONT SUCCEED TRY TRY AGAIN"

Hi Garvonomn,

You did this before for longer so you know you have it in you...You may well have slipped tonight but you still have your appointments booked so start Day 1 again tomorrow with this new determination. I think Gamcare will be able to point you in the right direction for debt advice.

Never give up giving up - ODAAT

Messed up AGAIN!

So disappointed with myself. Managed to resist temptation for a couple of days. Thought I was on the right track. Went to my office xmas part when someone mentioned about going to the casino for drinks as it was open late. It made me really want to gamble all of a sudden. Probably not helped by the amount of beer I had consumed. But anyway the night went on and we didnt end up going to the casino. But before I got the bus home, what happened? I sneaked off and went to the nearest casino. Must have spent about 150. All goes onto my big debt pile. Felt awful when I woke up this morning.

I just can't believe I did that. It was so irresponsible and I was doing so well. Its made me erealise though that I must try and resist temptation and put block in place that stop me acting on my impulse to gamble. Time to try again. I'm not the first person to fall off the wagon and wont be the last. Wish me luck. I've also put two or three block on my computer which is really helpful. Open DNS, via the router settings and self control app. This means that I'd have to do a significant amount of admin to access those sites so hopefully this will help.

Mate, I just see you commented on my diary. Thanks for that I appreciate it.

You say you use me as inspiration I'm flattered so I won't let you down.

When I first joined gamcare I fell off the wagon two or three times so all is not lost. Most of us start this way so this time let's make it be the time you succeed.

Day 1 of many mate you can do it.
Mba

The clown says he doesn't like talking about the big losses and how better off you'd be if you didn't bet. Totally true. I absolutely hate it. October 2012 I won 17k from a ВЈ10 free bet....multiple bets leading to that amount. Booked my wedding at Highcliffe castle, paid off my credit card. Had £11k in my bank. I loved the balance I even logged in Just to enjoy looking at my balance in credit then boom I continued the betting and cancelled the wedding lost it all now 20k in debt.

Luckily we still got married at Portsmouth cathedral and it was amazing but I can't go through these losses and emotions again.
Im lucky i got married and know I won't win as you wont so forget about the past look to the future as my future is in 2 years I can start building towards that 11k again.

Mba

Hi MBA,

Thanks for getting back to me. I have had the usual xmas stuff to keep me occupied. I really appreciate the encouragement, I'm sure you know better than anyone how difficult it is to overcome the addiction, but hearing positive stories always helps.

Onwards and upwards!

So dudes,

Things have gone from bad to worse recently. In terms of my finances this month has been a disaster. Yes I have successfully stopped gambling for a while now but my debts are astronomical. Mainly caused by me completely losing all sense of reality and trying to win back the 1,5k I lost earlier in the month. Truth be told this haslanded me in even more debt. But as people on here keep telling me you just have to let this money go. Its never coming back to me.

But on a more positive note Id like to share with you all a tactic that has really worked for to stop gambling. I said to myself a while ago that everytime I had a thought about gambling I would have to do something positive to negate this and cancel it out. So for example earlier I started to type in roulette into Google and immediately forced myself to go finish all the washing up and tidy the kitchen. It happened yesterday and I foreced myself to fill in some form that have been sitting there for ages.

More than anything else its spurred me onto to complete things that I have just left. I think it also helps to reinforce the notion that gambling isnt positive and nothing comes out of it, other than a shed load of debt.

On another note I was hoping I could get some good advice from you good people regarding my debt. I have totalled it all eup this morning and it comes in at 7.5k. Which admittedly isn't crippiling but for someone with a pretty poorly paid J.O.B its enough to keep me occupied for at least 5 years. Anyway I have been looking into personal loans so that I can just cut up all my credit cards and start afresh. But because of my gambling would this be a problem for most lenders? Do they asked to see your credit card bills?

Any help is much appreciated

It depends on your credit rating mate. There are sites you can register with to check your credit rating or try money saving expert on line for advice on loans.

Mba

Right. Day 16 with no gambling. Feeling absolutely great. Have just been paid and although it's depressing to look at the amount of debt I'm in it's great to know that the money I have is in my control and not at the behest of some stupid plastic spinning wheel or slot machine. Long may my not gambling continue. Have to stay positive to get out this mess

So. I'm back here again. Day 1 of no gambling. I have to quit this time for good. I'm in so much debt its mind boggling. I literally can't see a way out its around 8,500 in credit card debts alone. And that's not including my overdraft or money I owe to my parents. It's awful that I be ended up this way, and yet no one know. Nobody knows the real reason why I'm agitated all the time. Irritable. Angry.

i've done so much to try and stop me gambling. Every website on the Internet I'm self excluded from. Even the national lottery for f***s sake. What else can I do?

I know now that it stops here. I'm still at the point where I can claw myself back from the brink. If I go any further into debt I ll be in bankruptcy territory. I don't want to get there.

So please if anyone on here can offer me support or some words of comfort then I'd be truly grateful. I have to beat this. Not just for me but for my family and wonderful girlfriend. I don't want to end up with everything gone. Yours Garvonmon

Right. I have hit rock bottom. I'm completely ruined financially emotionally. Everything. No matter how hard I tried it's just got worse and worse. Today I lost a lot of money again. I feel terrible and literally don't know what to do. I've recently just had my first son which I was so happy about and was hoping that this would be enough to make me stop. But it's not. Now I just don't know what to do. The industry in this country is completely irresponsible and they simply prey on people that are vulnerable. I am at my wits end.

Hi,

Firstly give Stepchange debt charity a call to see what options are available. Debt management plan is what i am on. Debts dont increase and slowly get paid. Its not a quick fix but gives you some piece of mind.

It may sound savage but if its the online gambling that is causing the issue ditch the laptop or phone which you are accessing.

Get another card sent to you and get someone to scratch off the 3 digit code. Cant use it to deposit then.

You can do it and you will do it. Try counselling. Gamcare organised it for me and it helped me understand a bit more.

Most importantly though do it for your family. They will be so proud of you.

Best wishes