ex and would be ex-gamblers support thread

Oh_Dear

Thanks Cantcope. I didn't mean to find the root cause of the gambling. I meant the gambling was root cause of the debt and it would be futile to try and sort the debts without getting support to stop gambling.

Thanks for 'popping over'. Wow just noticed your debt free date and GF date, well done.

Geordie.

cantcope

Sorry, i misread your post then. You are definitely in the right place. Dont put too much pressure on yourself to clear the debt quickly. pay it off at a rate you can afford. If you are always broke then the temptation to "win" could come back x

5 years for me this week

gambledandlost

Oh_Dear wrote: »

a psychotic manic gambler

:rotfl:
Sorry, but the exact word made me laugh for the first time in yonks, yet the meaning hit home hard. I am new to the site and wanted to find moral support I suppose. I am a 40 year old female and started gambling a year ago and got myself into huge dificulties with the lost-so-need-to-make-it-back cycle. I became suicidal, depressed and eneded up nearly having a nerous breakdown, so did what scared me the most - told my family. They are all supporting me and a friend paid off my £20,000 credit card debt which I am paying back to her in monthly instalments. Despite this, I had a set back today and ended up loosing £1000. I have put it on my credit card and asked the bank to reduce my limit to £1000. I have also cancelled all cards and overdrafts and even cancelled online banking as I found it only fuelled my obsession.
When I hit my lowest point, I went to the doctor who sent me to a therapist. I am slowly dealing with the main issue with my problem, which is a massive fear of people, so I stay indoors alone on the PC the whole time instead. Even now I am wondering how I will pay this £1000 off - I work 8 to 6 on a low wage, live a very fruigal lifestyle and cannot afford anything more than the minimum repayments. Guess that is for another board though.
Glad I found you lot. Safety in numbers! :beer:

cantcope

Welcome to the thread.

First thing, put K9 on your PC or gamblock. this will take any immediate temptation to "chase" away.

Therapists are all well and good but i truly believe that unless they have experienced it then they cannot possible know how you feel. You are among friends on this thread.

Come back and tell us how you feel once the block is on xx

cantcope

Oh, and its 5 years today since my last bet

gambledandlost

I had a gamblock on my PC, but I work in IT so when the adiction really got hold, I took it off.
Today I felt really down beacuse of the urge to have a flutter. I owe £1000 on a credit card which is interest free for 6 months. I cannot get a new card because my rating is trashed, so am planning on paying £60 a month for 6 months and hopefully it will go some way to helping get a longer interest free card in 6 months time. The problem is that £60 is all I have spare at the end of the month, so I will have to forego any social activites so today I thought I could get a quick go on the casino and maybe my luck will change. Then I remembered that 2 months ago I won £20000 and felt so happy, put a little bit on and pretty soon lost the lot and more. I actually owe £1300, but am selling 2 mobiles, a PS3 and a gold ring, so should bring it down to £1000. I wastempted to ring the bank and say 'you know I have a terrible credit rating, so why did you give me a free balance transfer offer?'
Anyone got a good way of making £60 a month which does not involve bingo or blackjack?

Oh_Dear

You could install K9, or rather get someone else to install it for you get the licence sent to thier email (needed to install it, its free) then once its installed if you click password reminder the reminder will go to thier email. Wether you are a computer whizz kid or not, trying to uninstall k9 without the password or any alterations in the registery files for k9 will result in your internet being blocked until the correct password has been answered. Without doing the above I dare say I'd still be gambling online. If you are really serious about quitting I would give GA a try, or if meetings would be too much for you, you could try some online help. Gambling therapy is a great site, GA and gamcare are also very helpful.

Take care, (It also made me laugh eventually, but in all honesty he was probably right at the time, I was in court for faking my own kidnap to get gambling money--I got 18mths. But thats another story).

Geordie.


Well done on the 5 years cantcope.

cantcope

Good way of making £60 a month? do bootsales, get a part time job, do some overtime, make something you can sell. In other words.....and these are harsh ones......grow up and earn it rather than trying to win it.
You can't win. you gamble when you lose and you gamble when you win. get it? You are a compulsive gambler who just cant stop.

Take the advice we've given you on here and you WILL get a better life back x
if you REALLY want to stop, you will take these words as they are intended, not to criticise, but to help you.

gambledandlost

cantcope wrote: »

Good way of making £60 a month? do bootsales, get a part time job, do some overtime, make something you can sell. In other words.....and these are harsh ones......grow up and earn it rather than trying to win it.
You can't win. you gamble when you lose and you gamble when you win. get it? You are a compulsive gambler who just cant stop.

Take the advice we've given you on here and you WILL get a better life back x
if you REALLY want to stop, you will take these words as they are intended, not to criticise, but to help you.

No where in my previous post did I say I intend on gambling to make it back, instead I said I tried, failed, STOPPED and now am going to focus on paying my debts the old fashioned way of earning.
The entire reason I came on here asking for ways of making cash to pay back am debt is so I can EARN and NOT gamble between my 6am to 6pm monday to Saturday low-wage job. I just thought that since many of you owe debts, you may have come up with some new ways of making money.
If I thought gambling would solve it all, I would be doing that now instead of coming on a support page for SUPPORT.

cantcope

Apologies, my post was in no way intended to offend. I was just reiterating the point that you are right and gambling wont get you that money as that's what you'd done before.
If you want advice for paying off debt i would post ont he debt free wannabe board too x
If you want to stop gambling then stay here too, and install K9.
The last line of my previous post says it all. NOT to criticise, but to help.

You seem very angry. Are you angry with yourself and using my post as an outlet? I've re-read my post and i dont see where i could have offended you. Perhaps someone else can read it and let me know. I'm not perfect so would be good for someone to show me my flaws as i want to continually progress as a person.

Thanks x