What is Gambling Addiction
Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. A preferred term among many professionals is problem gambling, as f...
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Hi everyone,
Just thought I would say hello. This is my first day of not gambling. I am 23 years old and have gambled since I was 18. I gambled daily on horse racing and sports. The killer was internet betting, because it really is incredibly easy to deposit money instantly and place a bet. With instant returns on horse racing, the temptation was always there. I have lied to all of my loved ones, my friends, I am broke and I am currently unemployed as I was recently made redundant at my job. I am a full time University student studying Journalism at University. I feel my greatest problem is my love for sports, I love watching and playing. I have had strong ambitions for a while to become a sports journalist, and this is my dream. I fear my love of sports will not allow me to get over my gambling addiction. Everytime I watch sports nowadays, I think of the odds, who I could bet on, etc. It also doesn't help with the amount of betting advertising and talk of betting during these broadcasts. This is day one, I have tried to give up gambling twice over the last few years, and I had good spells of non-gambling. I feel I am now worse than ever, but I have booked myself in for my first ever councelling session next Monday so I am hoping that a combination of this and perhaps making some friends on this website will help me. I live in Australia, but it would be great to talk to everyone. Posted on 07/06/09, 12:07 am |
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Hi Crackle and welcome,
I wish I had some wonderful advice for you, but I myself have only been gamble free for just over six weeks. This is a great site and full of excellent people and information. I too live in Australia and gambling is such a way of life here, whether it be keno, pokies, tables, sport and on and on....... but if I can do it, trust me, anyone can..... WELCOME AGAIN 
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Welcome to DS , Crackie. and WTg on first DAy.
'I suggest a GAmblers Anonymous 'meeting in the meantime also.. This site is Wonderful to 'connect with '; but for me 'that is where I got my 'EDUCATION of this illness and the Tools to 'help me DAily.. 'EDUCATION IS POWER and power I lacked fighting this disease 'Alone. Be well Sandra gams5
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Hello Crackle,
Hope your well and lifes going well for you since your last message to this site. I know exactly what its like as am a gambling machines addict ( but have gambled on pretty much anything over the last 30 years. I reckon if every penny that i would have gambled that now i would be a millionaire. And that sucks but i have to some how be positive and be grateful that i am still alive and well even though gambling has made my life a living hell but talking to people on this site definately helps as i been on my own through this whole addiction until about 2 weeks ago when i had a bad day and blew the lot on a roulette machine. When i say the lot i mean the lot. Rent,bills,food,leisure money and now i am paying the consequencies and have nothing except a broken pride and emty cupboards and a landlord getting pissed of with me not having his rent but i been in this boat many times before but not again as this is it for me. Dont get me wrong its not gonna be easy as gambling is all i know but with a little bit of help from people like me with this addiction can help and its good for me to talk about it. Please mail me anytime you want and i truly wish you all the best. There is a life out there believe me instead of those dumb rigged machines ok and together we will beat this ok. God bless. Bowjingles.
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Hi,
I am a female from the USA. The first time that I bought a lottery ticket, I was only 9 (nine) years old... This is my fourth day GF (gambling-free), and I used to gamble daily. Some of the things that has help me is #1 taking it only one day at a time, as it was suggested to me by one of this site members. #2 AVOID, and I mean AVOID all places where I used to gamble. For me this means, supermarkets, convinience stores, gas stations, etc. #3 I have used gift cards in the supermarket, gas station at times when I had no choice but to pay groceries and gas. I don't know in your country, but in the USA you cannot buy lottery w. gift cards and cannot take cash out of them. I understand that creating a secure environment is not recovery. BUT, for me, right now, is what I need since I have been out of control for so long. We'll are in this together.
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Hi guys, thanks for your replies :)
So this is day 3 now of not gambling and so far so good. Today will be a challenge though because I don't have much to do. Sandra, I will look into GA, i'm just not sure where they are here. Bowjingles, I am sorry to hear about your relapse and I hope things are looking up. Thankyou all for your advice.
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I recently attended a GA meeting for the first time, and I was terribly depressed afterwards. Honestly, I find more support from you in this support group, because it seems that we do more than talk about how much our lives suck. There were people in the group who had lost their homes, were facing criminal charges...it did help me to appreciate that I at least am not at that point yet (although a few more paychecks lost to the boat and I will surely lose my home too).
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