Sports betting addict and recovering

Hello Merlins,

A fellow sports bettor addict here. I myself had 10.5k debt from gambling. For me the best way to forget about the money wasted is to think about it as any other past spending. Am i hoping to get any of that money back? Nope. Money comes and goes, its doesn't matter to me today how it went. I've earnt and borrowed so much in my life time and my management of that income has lead me here. Now i am not gambling i can look to better manage any future income but i cannot get back what has come and gone so far. Gambling was a waste of money but stopping has taught me a lot of things about myself and the possibilities of my future without it. Yes i am and will still be paying for my past for a long time but as long as down is the only way its going, it will go. Time will move on with or without me gambling and i intend to use whatever time i have left better and enjoy it.

All the best =)

I agree with you too. I am trying to think of it as a past expense. It is an unpleasant expense that taught me an expensive life lesson. Thanks /sjwsjw

Meditation is good. It clears my head. When deluded thoughts are not hanging out in my head, my body gets a lot lighter. I learned here the relationship between mind and body. For the first time in a very long time, the dark cloud from my head was gone.. at least for a short period.. I am happy. Meditation found me. Happiness starts from whithin.

I have been struggling with the thoughts of betting. It is similar feeling as missing my ex. After the breakup, I seemed happy and relieved but after some time, I started missing her again and became desperate. Now it is a bit worse because these two things are happening at the same time.

Hello Merlin, I’ve been having a read of your diary this afternoon.

Likewise, I was a keen sports gambler. I’m currently in the process of trying to find enough things to keep me away from any thoughts of gambling whilst at the same time trying to come to the realisation that gambling can play no further part in my life. It’s difficult. Gambling has strangely been my comfort blanket in times of boredom and when I’ve needed to escape reality.

I now need to find something else to replace it with. Something that will give me the same drive and excitment.

But I am determined to make it count this time. A lifetime of happiness and freedom awaits us.

You’ve got a start in your recovery. The first few days are always tough.

Good luck mate. I’ll be posting and checking up on your progress.

A several months until I get my financial strength back and then I might be able to forget the losses. At the same time, I have to deal with boredom and emptiness inside. Betting seems a really good quick fix to everything.. only that it is not healthy. Thank you, Dan, for checking up on me. I am needing a lot of support lately.

DeterminedDan wrote:

Hello Merlin, I’ve been having a read of your diary this afternoon.

Likewise, I was a keen sports gambler. I’m currently in the process of trying to find enough things to keep me away from any thoughts of gambling whilst at the same time trying to come to the realisation that gambling can play no further part in my life. It’s difficult. Gambling has strangely been my comfort blanket in times of boredom and when I’ve needed to escape reality.

I now need to find something else to replace it with. Something that will give me the same drive and excitment.

But I am determined to make it count this time. A lifetime of happiness and freedom awaits us.

You’ve got a start in your recovery. The first few days are always tough.

Good luck mate. I’ll be posting and checking up on your progress.

Looking at it positively, betting can be a quick fix..... but looking at it more realistically, it is an absolute death trap.

It might take a week, it may take a month. It may even take 6 months. But the end result will always be the same.

Now is the perfect opportunity to write the next chapter in your story. Things are about to get a whole lot better. For as long as you’re not gambling, things can only go one way. But whilst you’re gambling, things may improve slightly on a temporary basis but it’ll all come crashing down.

How messed up is this?.... On Friday night I lost £150 on roulette. I was gutted. On Saturday morning I won £60. I was delighted. I felt so relieved. The reality was I was still £90 down from the weekend (and about £400 down for the month). But my mind was tricked into thinking I was ahead. That’s what this game does to you. It’s time to leave mate.

You joining me? Fancy being a winner in life again?

Hi merlins,
Thanks for your message. I've left a reply on my diary. I hope this is of some help to you.
All good wishes x

DeterminedDan wrote:

Looking at it positively, betting can be a quick fix..... but looking at it more realistically, it is an absolute death trap.

It might take a week, it may take a month. It may even take 6 months. But the end result will always be the same.

Now is the perfect opportunity to write the next chapter in your story. Things are about to get a whole lot better. For as long as you’re not gambling, things can only go one way. But whilst you’re gambling, things may improve slightly on a temporary basis but it’ll all come crashing down.

How messed up is this?.... On Friday night I lost £150 on roulette. I was gutted. On Saturday morning I won £60. I was delighted. I felt so relieved. The reality was I was still £90 down from the weekend (and about £400 down for the month). But my mind was tricked into thinking I was ahead. That’s what this game does to you. It’s time to leave mate.

You joining me? Fancy being a winner in life again?

Thank you for enlightening me, Dan. I lost a lot in the past and if I go back betting, my bettings will be big... meaning I could be losing big too. But at the end, like you said, it may take one day or one year, I will be poor as s**t if I gamble for a long term. (I had to read what you said again since I am having thoughts about putting an large bet and quit betting.)

Had a relapse. I put a few bets on online roulette and some football matches. I didn't lose but I will stay out of betting as much as I can. Day zero again.

​Hey Merlins, You didn't lose but can you walk away and start day 1 again tomorrow? Or are you going to wait for the loss before you do it? Not sure I would be able too but I really hope you can. Good luck, Mate.!

Thank you for your support, JayJam.

Jayjam wrote:

​Hey Merlins, You didn't lose but can you walk away and start day 1 again tomorrow? Or are you going to wait for the loss before you do it? Not sure I would be able too but I really hope you can. Good luck, Mate.!

Hi Merlins,

it sounds like you just needed to get a couple of bets done to get it out of your system, I've felt like that many a time, just a release to get rid of an itch! You did no damage and now hopefully you feel a bit better for it and can move forward.

It's no big deal fella, you will hopefully gamble less days than you will gamble this year, just move forward.

Have a good day pal

Wilsy

Here is my reply to you mate copied from my diary, thanks for your support, Wilsy

'Hi Merlins, relationships and loss of loved ones and loss of pets make me ever so depressed and then it takes over so it is all a lot to deal with and is hard to get out when it is always raining! It will get easier for us both at least we are both on medication, it does take the edge off things especially at the beginning, I just wish there weren't so many a*******s in the world, or I need to avoid a*******s, that is probably the better option. All the best mate.

Wilsy

Okay.. my relapse just ended now. I lost 1k in total during these few days. Let me get back to renewed recorvery now.