Hi, dear all,
I suppose as we are here, we share more or less the same issues. I will tell my story very briefly. My first gambling actions were online casino poker approximately 2 years ago. In the beginning it was all fun, nothing serious, but I got tempted by the winnings and it was my first catastrophe. And then I stopped and everything was good until a few months ago. I experienced many emotional difficulties and I do not know how it happened but I started again. It gain me that feeling that I control things, that I have power over something as my life hasn't been and is still not in control. And the same thing happened again but this time it was quicker as I got quickly bored of low stakes.
I want to share that I stopped again and it does not make me happy, but at least I am in piece with myself. Because you know the feeling after the loss of money - devastating and piercing. But I survived. However I still experience the negative consequences such as lack of sleep, anxiety, some health issues, etc. But I will handle with it as well.
I want to ask you as well if some of you received grants or any other financial help to recover. I need to be honest - I have money for housing, utilities, foo, etc., but there is a part of the money lost that was planned for something.
Thank you all for your time to read my story. Stay strong and I hope that the best is to come!
Hi,
Thank you for posting on the forum and sharing your story, please do come through to us on the helpline for any further gambling support.
You can live chat: https://www.gamcare.org.uk/
or call us on : tel: 08088020133
We will be able to offer you some support and also talk through some options for support with debts.
Many thanks,
Forum Admin
Lauren
Dear Lauren,
Thank you for your prompt reply and care!
Unfortunately, I do not live in the UK, so live chat is not available for me. I live in Bulgaria.
I would be thankful if you share with me options for support on DM or my email [email protected]
Kind Regards,
Evtim
Hi @Binder9,
Buglaria has it's own National Addiciton Helpline - https://www.drugsinfo-bg.org/en/
I would suggest you do a little research into the orgnaisation and consider contacting them.
Warm regards,
Helen
Forum Admin
Hi Evtim.
I noticed that a lot of posts on here are very old. I wanted to sign up and be up to date. My journey has started and ended many times. This is a fresh start and I need the help of everyone on here. I really feel like only you all can understand and relate. I never gambled a day in my life until I was almost 40 years old. I went to Las Vegas and got hooked on the first machine I played by experiencing the gamblers curse….an almost immediate win. I then got involved in online sports gambling. I was actually proud to have quit the machines (I still am.). An immediate win on a sports bet was the worst thing that could have happened. I was convinced that my knowledge in the sports world would keep me winning. Gambling is losing. That’s all there is to it. I have lost everything I worked so hard to establish in my life. My wife, my children (1/2 of my time with them), my half-million dollar home (that is now worth almost a million, my dog….but most importantly my self-worth and self-respect. The world is passing me by as I sit in the mess created by gambling. Thank you for listening. I live in the United States. I have a ton of social anxiety…so live groups are a terrible option for me. I can barely focus on what is going on around me. Here I know I can be in private and communicate. I cry almost every day thinking about what my life (and more importantly my children’s/family’s life could have looked like. Vacations lost, money for college, my relationship with my former wife. Please, if you are gambling…please, please stop. If I know that even ONE of you never gambles again because of my story it would mean the world to me.
Greg
PS please reach out. I am so ready to support others and hope to receive support in return. I hate Las Vegas.
Dear Greg,
Thank you for your kind words.
Be sure, I stopped. However, it is not easy to live with it. It is still part of me, I can feel it. I still experience the negative effects. My mind is floating and it is difficult to stay focused which is important as I have serious job. I have anxiety, my hands are shaking from time to time, but your story is another sign that this is the right path.
I hope that you somehow managed to start over. I totally understand that you cannot go back in time, but I send you my hope and positive thoughts to find your inner and outer peace.
Regards,
Evtim
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