Hi there I've been gambling on and off for 10 years and always had a decent handle on things but over the space of this year and the tail end of last my grip has completely gone.
Spending hundreds of pounds each time chasing losses from the month before it always seems to be on payday and the next few days after and by that point most times I've lost a considerable chunk of my wages for the month and live on nothing for the month its a cycle like I said that over the past year has completely destroyed me.
I had savings which are all gone due to supporting the losses I had been taking and now I'm potless.
worst part of it is I've recently had a baby girl who is only a few months old and started a new job but both have been neglected due to my need to gamble and its all I think about. I know there is more to this life than gambling and the hurt I feel due to this I dont get why I do it I feel horrible after I've gambled yet I continue to do it like yesterday I had won was a good few hundred up from the slots and then instead of walking away I lost it all plus a few hundred ofy own in the process its getting out of hand qnd I don't know how to stop. My family know I gamble but they dont know the extent of it I should be happy I have a new daughter a new job a new home and a good life yet gambling is sucking all of the joy from me its just been a hell of a year.
I'm just looking for any advice on how to get sorted as it's taking its toll on all aspects of my life and it can't continue like this.
thanks for reading
Well, I think you nailed your story pretty well. You say that your behaviour can't continue like this and you need to be there for your little girl. Think about why you need to gamble for a moment. If you know a bit about where that need to escape comes from then you can start working on the problem. We are so dammed impulse ridden today that we do not have the stamina to resist anything. It is easier to say I just can't do it. Think how many times you have tried to stop. Write it down.
Let me tell you a story about the sinking rats. They did an experiment in the fifties where they put rats in water to see how long they could swim. The average time was 15 mins and then they started to sink. At that point, the scientist plucked them out dried and let them rest. Then they put them back into the water again. Guess how long they manage to swim this time. 60 hours. The point here is that you are capable of much more than you think. If you want to change you can push yourself to that change. You need to make small changes and often so you can change your current direction. That will bring bigger changes down the road and it will not feel so horrible to do. It is about being present. understanding what makes you tick and taking small steps for a bigger future. Chasing losses is like chasing your tail. You won't catch it. Decide to change and you will. One small bit at the time.
Best
C
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