Over 50 and gambling for 35+ years

Welcome to the forum and congrats on 16 days clean that is a massive achievement alone. You have a loving wife like you said, children and a home so a lot to keep hold of there.

All the best in your recovery

Wilsy

thanks Wilsy.

Haven't gambled since 30th Dec 2017

17 days.

21 days clean

Have at least juggled most of my debts onto interest free cards for now.

I know its not ideal having access to credit, but have cut the cards up to stop me using them to withdraw cash, which I used to be a terror for. Frequently took out £400 or £700 in an afternoon to gamble.

A shade under £35k in debt - all down to gambling. Will probably take me 3-4 years to clear, but I'm not stressing too much about it at the moment - just concentrating on staying clean, doing some exercise.

It's been 22 days since my last bet.

Hi KST,
Congratulations on 22 days.
If there's ever a statement to recall which should help you to resist temptation, it's the one where you said . . . 'I feel I have wasted much of my life.'
The future is yours now. It sounds like you have a lovely family - time spent with them is never wasted.
All good wishes x

Kst I was exactly the same to begin with. Don't get bogged down with how much you owe that's irrelevant at the moment. Stay off the gambling and things do get better. I'm almost 3 months in but am saying improvements and feel so much better. Your debts will never go if you continue there is light at the end of the tunnel if you can stick to it. Well done the hardest part I found was the first few weeks

Thank you Crossintheroad.

Just read your diary and so many things resonate.

Betting on sports your not otherwise interested (Rugby, R League) check

Over eating as a result of a bad day check (not takeways, but would wolf down 6 bags of crisps after a bad loss)

Lack of exercise check

Checking credit cards and realising there is more on it than expected check.

I remember going to GA (this was 1988) and thinking, "I'm not as bad as these guys", and my stories didn't compare to them.

Looking back its probably because I have been able to function fairly normally, always worked, almost always carried large gambling debts, despite being utterly compulsive. When I say function normally, I have lost well paid jobs because I've wasted so much time gambling, I neglected work.

Stress was always a big trigger for me. A bad day at work or home can be blanked off by a couple of hours in the bookies, at its worst I would call in to the bookies everyday on the way home.

Will be a while until I trust myself coming to work with a wallet - I just take enough money to get a paper and bits for lunch.

I'm not sure that the first few weeks are the hardest for me. I think its making lasting changes to my life that is the hardest part. There is almost a euphoria in getting past say 10 days. I may use this diary to try and remember all the bad times, as its so easy to put them out of your mind.

24 days clean

33 days clean

First time I have had a calendar month without gambling in 27 years.

Well done, KST, that is quite a statement to be able to make.

Good luck with your recovery.

Hi KST

Really very pleased and proud of you for remaining free of gambling for 33 massive days. Well done and keep up the good work

Wilsy

Hey KST,

Good to hear you're doing well. I literally said the same thing today you put in your post; it's not just about the money.

For me, it's more about the quality of life that goes with it. Not just gambling, but it occupying your mind even when you're not gambling!

Keep on keepin on buddy!

Thanks for all the kind words.

Been a good week. No desire to gamble and debt is a fiver under £34k. That's going to be a long, long road - but that's ok.

The bigger relief is the amount of time freed up not gambling, thinking about gambling and studying form.

44 days clean

The title of your thread caught my eye. It’s identical to my situation, I’ve gambled since my school days, it’s been a living nightmare. I’m in my 50’s now, first went to GA in 1983 when I was 17. I never in a million years would have thought I’d end up like the sorry looking bunch of blokes sitting around telling how they’d wasted their lives through gambling.

I wouldn’t say gambling had become second nature to me. It was me, it was my life.

It’s great you’ve gotten through a month, it requires a big change and steely determination.

I’ve recently passed the one year mark. I’m not celebrating the fact after all it’s only ever one day at a time. But it is possible to live without it and that’s what we’re doing.

I don’t worry to much about my debt either it is what it is, a consequence of a lifetime of gambling. If that were the only consequence I’d be a happy man.

Well done on turning yourself around mate, I’m full of admiration for anybody who does. But I do have s genuine empathy for you I know after such s long time at it, how bloody difficult it is to finally stoop.

All the best.

Geordie.