Have I got a gambling addiction ? Should I get help ?

Here is the story, I came home drunk one night and began playing poker, a cash game. I was up £200 when I was really really drunk then instead of walking away continued playing until I was £600 down. I then put £1000 on Andy Murray at Queens last year to win £250, to then win the rest of my money back I put all this money (£1250) on India to beat the West Indies in a ODI when they had the Windies 100-5 they ended up losing so I was £1600 down, pretty soon after I was down £2500. Now I then took up Roulette using the Martingale system. I was up £600 here when I went against the system one spin to early hoping to win an extra £400 and lost and ended up all together £3000 down. Now recently it came to it that I lost another £1600, I was £1300 into a £1500 overdraft and with the last £200 I thought f**k it and bet a snooker accumulator at the World championship. (Meaning I was £1500 into my overdraft and owed a family member £400) This bet came in, I made a few others and soon I got back into the red) Now I'm back to being down around £3000 but haven't bet since and I have every intention of not betting again. Do you think I should try and receive help considering I almost lost everything and had nowhere to turn ?

Interesting that you remember losing every penny of it. You've only lost 3 grand which is not a whole lot really.


Try speaking to close friends and family about it.

Interesting that you remember losing every penny of it. You've only lost 3 grand which is not a whole lot really.


Try speaking to close friends and family about it.

nothing to be ashamed of , there should be an organisation out there called gamblers anonymous similer to alchoholics anonymous.........could possibley search for that gooogle it etc ........although clearly talking to friends and family about it as previous poster has said might be an option

if its getting you down and you are having any sort if feelings of depression or anxiety please see your gp ...... I did and its the best thing to do if you are feeling very very low

best wishes

I have suffered this terrible addiction for years.

I dont know what to say to you except just take one day at a time. If you can say just for today I will not gamble then repeat. Its a long road and the hardest thing I have ever done

Personally (and I stress this is personal opinion only) the only way to beat a gambling addiction is not through talking about it with others but by having the determination yourself.
As a gambler I dont want to hear other peoples hard luck stories. Ive got enough of my own. Especially when they blame everyone but themselves. Hearing this is more likely to send me spiralling out of control again.
Ihave gambled since I was a teenager, fruit machines, then football coupons, horses and then with the online gambling generation anything from european basketball to two flys on a wall.
I am 36 this year and I would say all through my 30s it has got progressivley worse. I have become so adept at brushing off losses that losing a 1000 in one sitting hardly bother me.
My problem is I have a compulsion to chase. I can take 3 weeks to make 500 doing sensible disciplined bets then lose 1000 within 20 minutes.
My mother baled me out to the tune of 6k 3 years ago which I finish paying this year. It helped calm me down for a while but I was soon back gambling again and but ive racked up another 7k.
My achilles heal is the fotb machines. They are like crack. They should be banned. Ive tried to knock em on the head but then still do footy bets but I soon lapse. I cant walk past them.
I recently come clean to the missus again as I was fed up of all the lies, editing bank statements.etc. and Ive decuded to give up everything. An alcholic cant still drink lager but give up spirits.
As the guy says above take each day. I have a calendar and cross off each day. Im now on day 10 and the crosses are giving me a real boost.

IMO the only way to give up this addiction is if you really want to.


ently after being caught

A good first step would be to ask someone close to you who you trust like your mum or girlfriend, wife etc to take control of your money, explain to them that you have a problem with gambling, and could they take control of your wages, have it payed into there accounts. I know none of us like to be dictated to, but if your going to beat your addiction, then the first step would have to be removing the temptation. Let someone you trust with a strong will like your old dear take over the running of your money. All the best in beating your problem.

Gambling is great when you win ! never gamble to win money back youve lost thats when addiction comes in . Problem is its the "kill" the enjoyment of winning then £10 bet becomes £100 then £1000 . I would contact a gambling anonymous group just to talk things through maybe via citizens advise - Yes you are addicted but addictions can be overcome Try putting some of money you were to gamble away say for a weekend break then once youve been on that look back and see it as an accomplishment

A good first step would be to ask someone close to you who you trust like your mum or girlfriend, wife etc to take control of your money, explain to them that you have a problem with gambling, and could they take control of your wages, have it payed into there accounts. I know none of us like to be dictated to, but if your going to beat your addiction, then the first step would have to be removing the temptation. Let someone you trust with a strong will like your old dear take over the running of your money. All the best in beating your problem.

Thats what ive done. Didnt want to but I am in no position to call the shots. So far so good anyway.

here we go mate

Gambling - Cardiff & The Vale Mental Health Development Projectwww.cvmhdp.org.uk/content/public/online_directory/default.asp?...Cached
You +1'd this publicly. Undo
Tel: 08700 50 88 80. Website: www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk. Gambling Anonymous Telephone helpline

Personally (and I stress this is personal opinion only) the only way to beat a gambling addiction is not through talking about it with others but by having the determination yourself.
As a gambler I dont want to hear other peoples hard luck stories. Ive got enough of my own. Especially when they blame everyone but themselves. Hearing this is more likely to send me spiralling out of control again.
Ihave gambled since I was a teenager, fruit machines, then football coupons, horses and then with the online gambling generation anything from european basketball to two flys on a wall.
I am 36 this year and I would say all through my 30s it has got progressivley worse. I have become so adept at brushing off losses that losing a 1000 in one sitting hardly bother me.
My problem is I have a compulsion to chase. I can take 3 weeks to make 500 doing sensible disciplined bets then lose 1000 within 20 minutes.
My mother baled me out to the tune of 6k 3 years ago which I finish paying this year. It helped calm me down for a while but I was soon back gambling again and but ive racked up another 7k.
My achilles heal is the fotb machines. They are like crack. They should be banned. Ive tried to knock em on the head but then still do footy bets but I soon lapse. I cant walk past them.
I recently come clean to the missus again as I was fed up of all the lies, editing bank statements.etc. and Ive decuded to give up everything. An alcholic cant still drink lager but give up spirits.
As the guy says above take each day. I have a calendar and cross off each day. Im now on day 10 and the crosses are giving me a real boost.

IMO the only way to give up this addiction is if you really want to.


ently after being caught

With you on that mate, i too was a heavy gambler, those new machines brought me to me knees, and you are right they should be banned.
I done my last wager 5 yrs ago and won a handful, and decided then i would never bet again, and i haven't. As the old saying gose "you will never see a bookie riding a bike"

I started getting too used to gambling a year or two ago. online roulette and fruit machines. the first time I played I made £350 from £20, but over time I lost far more.

Best advice I can give is to find yourself an alternative to gambling. Whenever you feel like placing a bet, do whatever your alternative is. It might be going over a mates, going for a walk, a wank, a kickabout, tell someone, or play a computer game instead...

Those machines are the worst and only the other week I lost £150 after being £80 up at one point. However saying that I have no-one else to blame than myself and I'm sure I'll still go on them sometime in the future.

IMO harsh as it may seem, addiction is only an addiction to people who haven't got any self control. Take drugs for example, the only addics you hear about are the ones who haven't got anything after spending their last couple of quid on a bag. Whereas the professionals who in many cases use just as much can still maintain a normal life and the same can be said about every so-called addiction under the sun

Those machines are the worst and only the other week I lost £150 after being £80 up at one point. However saying that I have no-one else to blame than myself and I'm sure I'll still go on them sometime in the future.

IMO harsh as it may seem, addiction is only an addiction to people who haven't got any self control. Take drugs for example, the only addics you hear about are the ones who haven't got anything after spending their last couple of quid on a bag. Whereas the professionals who in many cases use just as much can still maintain a normal life and the same can be said about every so-called addiction under the sun

Not strictly true, I agree its up to the individual but to generalise is wide of the mark plenty of proffesional people end up addicted to drugs as well.

I use drugs recreationally, I drink most days, but with Gambling I literally think about it 24/7. I couldnt stop myself going in a shop even though I knew it would end in tears. Only now I have turned all my money over to my missus and getting pocket money as and when I need it have I finally starting to make some small steps to recovery. Its only been 9 days but I couldnt go 9 seconds without thinking about it.

Many people have opinions on addiction, unless you have suffered from one yourself then you couldnt possibly understand.

Those machines are the worst and only the other week I lost £150 after being £80 up at one point. However saying that I have no-one else to blame than myself and I'm sure I'll still go on them sometime in the future.

IMO harsh as it may seem, addiction is only an addiction to people who haven't got any self control. Take drugs for example, the only addics you hear about are the ones who haven't got anything after spending their last couple of quid on a bag. Whereas the professionals who in many cases use just as much can still maintain a normal life and the same can be said about every so-called addiction under the sun

Will all due respect you havent got a clue what you are talking about

Those machines are the worst and only the other week I lost £150 after being £80 up at one point. However saying that I have no-one else to blame than myself and I'm sure I'll still go on them sometime in the future.

IMO harsh as it may seem, addiction is only an addiction to people who haven't got any self control. Take drugs for example, the only addics you hear about are the ones who haven't got anything after spending their last couple of quid on a bag. Whereas the professionals who in many cases use just as much can still maintain a normal life and the same can be said about every so-called addiction under the sun

What wonderful words of wisdom, do you really think any one with an addiction sees it as a career path? There are a myriad of reasons why people misuse drugs and alcohol. Physical and sexual abuse as a child is the majority of reasons why people misuse drugs,also a lot of young people who have gone through "our wonderful care system" misuse alcohol and drugs. A lot of people leaving the armed forces who have fought in Falklands/Afghanistan and Iraq have mental health issues, and use alcohol to self medicate rather than go to their GP.

Hey up Chops how the fook are you doing Chief ?

I have a gambling addiction

It's a very dangerous game mate, trying to get back money you have lost over any time scale more than a 1 or 2 day period.

you have to draw a line once its lost and start from evens, this is coming from one of the worst gamblers you can meet.
The best advice I would give you is stop and think, be optimistic , evaluate what you have you dont need the extra cash greed and desire for materialistic things and spending wont fulfil any dream,
gambling is a curse the more you crave for it the worse of a wraph it sets on your life and in worst cases destroys everything you
have and every desire to life, your life becomes money oriented and gambling becomes centre focus of who you are,

lets talk materialistic and then think how badly do you need that money? and once you spend it what will you gain, you will only damage your own persona and that of others around you even if you win, you spend and it doesnt feel valued,
their is no gain from winning money, just added temptation to go back and lose,

and lose you will, no ones luck lasts forever, only temporarily