Gambling Addiction & Recovery Support Group

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 few people described by the term experience true compulsions in the clinical sense of the word. Problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others rather...

971 Members

6,389 Posts

0 Online

ksgal13 04/21/2016

Have any of you filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy as a result of gambling. I have gotten myself into such a hole I will never be able to get out without it. My husband just lost his job and as a result I will qualify for chapter 7 within a few months. I have started ga and counseling and feel completely overwhelmed and done. I'm ready to quit. I can't keep up the lies and losses. I have always been a responsible person but gambling took my life and turned it upside down. Your thoughts and experiences are much appreciated.

Qwit4Good 04/21/2016

Yes I filed chapter 7. It was final in January. I could not afford an attorney and went through a paralegal to prepare all the paperwork and filed a request to waive the filing fee due to poverty. It was very simple that way, the paralegal cam recommended by someone else in my support group. She was wonderful and the court said the papers were in perfect order. I think I am smart enough to have done it all myself, but just gathering the information of all my debts was emotionally overwhelming. It is a process in which I examined all the financial damage my gambling had done. It is very much like a financial 4th step. While some of my debt was not dis-chargeable, most of it was and was a huge load off my mind.
Good job on getting to GA!
Some states, Oregon for one, has counseling services for compulsive gamblers and their families paid for by state lottery funds.. You can find out what services are available in your area by calling the national gambling hotline at 1 800 522 4700

ksgal13 04/21/2016

Thank you. And yes my state has free counseling.... Definitely paid for by all my losses. I'm ready for this nightmare to end. Im so lost and need to reconnect with my family and myself. The pain is deep and I can't even believe what I have done.... It's all a blur. I'm on the right path and feel like if I don't stop now there will be no end to the madness. I'm almost looking forward to not having any credit because that was one reason I was able to keep feeding the beast.

My last binge was scary. I almost spent more than I could cover and would have ended up bouncing checks.... That's against the law and I can't believe I about did that. I scrambled like a crazy person to come up with the money to cover it and I know I will NEVER take that chance again.

Not to mention the lies I told because no one knew I was gambling.... I feel like a piece of junk for my actions. It's a dangerous path and I have been sick over it for a week.

I get overwhelmed with the thought of what I did. That's not me. I'm sick. Im a pathological gambler and I will always be... It's time to take my life back and get myself together. I just thank god I have my family and my job still. I feel like I have aged ten years in just a short time....

itsjustmeagain 04/22/2016

high limit wrong a whole thing on this, read that and maybe ask for more advice.

Join the Conversation