[bige]

Hello everyone
As we all here, I am a serious (and bad) gambler.
I’ve decided to share my story about this terrible idea of starting the betting.I am 20 years old now, made my first sports bet at the age of 18. Firstly, the amounts of money there not very big. 10 to 20 euro bet on sports teams or players. But somehow it got bigger and bigger. Now, I don’t really want to keep writing whole thing, so I’ll try to make it short. Seems like nothing was going wrong. A had good life when I was winning, felt bad when losing. The problem is, that the gambling became progressive, and the amounts got bigger. I have lost all my money, which I made by working hard. So I lost around 1000 euro, which involved my drivers licence studies. (2 times I lost the money I needed to ay for it). Than I finished my studies and went to foreign country to make some money for university. As my "parents" are alcoholics, there was definitely no way of getting money from them,because all they had was money for drinks. Got serious injury there and came back "home" without a penny. After this, the real problems started. I took a loan just to make a crappy sports bet. So at first I lost around 500 euro. Than I’ve decided to take another loan, to gamble back my money I lost. Ofcourse, I lost those money too.Now I am in debt to credit company around 900euro, which I have to return withinn next month.(Well, 600 untill may 17, and 300 untill july 1st). As I read many stories, the amount I lost in comparison with others is not quite big.But this amount of money was really big for me. After losing it, firstly my thoughts were going about suicide.It lasted two-three days since I got a bit calmer. My brother got me a job, so I am hoping to work those money back and return those debts. Well, this might seem not a big problem, but it really is for me. My both parents are alcoholics, my brother is drinking with them since the age of 16. The only person cared about me, was my grandma. But when she died R.I.P, I just broke down. The whole betting thing started after this. I got a depression too, which might got me into whole betting thing. As if that is not enough, I used to be a pro football(soccer) player. After the grandma died, thing started going wrong with this sport too. As I said, I got an injury (spine) so I had to quit my footballers career. So, it seems like life is taking more from me, than it gives. Actually, it gives nothing good for me. Because I played this sport for 12 years, and the coaches told me,that it is my future(I was very good at it). As I got depression, I am really anxious too. Since I have this kind of problem, it is very hard for me to forget about money loss.So now I am sitting every day like a robot and thinking, why did I bet the money, I didn’t had. Ofcourse the fact, that depression is doing itself, doesn’t help me to forget about the terrible decisions I made. Maybe I didn’t wrote whole situation very clearly, but I hope the reader will understand this. As I don’t have a person, which would help me to fight with problems like these, I hope I could find some advises in this forum. Hopefully, I got a lesson in my life very early, that the money should be earned by working hard, and the things ,like gambling, can ruin my life badly.

[janey]

Hi BigE, A Warm Welcome to Gambling Therapy
Having found us you have also found a diverse community who can help and support you on your recovery journey.
Here on the forum you can share your experiences in a safe, supportive and non-judgemental environment and by reading others stories am sure you will see that you are very much not alone in this addiction
Please click here to see our services page, feel free to use all that this site can offer…
To chat with others in real time you may wish to make use of the support groups, the ***** of these groups are advertised under "What’s on and When" or click here to see the weekly group schedule.
For one to one chat you may want to try the live advice helpline. Click "connect" when these options become available.
Also to say when you registered we would have sent you an email with an attachment, this attachment will help you navigate the site and find the support you so rightly deserve, alternatively this guide can be downloaded by clicking here.  
Take Care
The Gambling Therapy Team
 

[paul315]

Originally posted by bigE
…  this might seem not a big problem, but it really is for me … 

Good morning E, my name is Larry and I am a compulsive gambler, my last bet was October 17, 2009, gambling when I found myself unguarded in the right set of circumstances  after over three years of being gambling free — A CG’s perfect storm.
Welcome to GT, a place where you are not alone, there are others here that have experienced the same problems as you and are working at returning to a more normal way of life. No problem is bigger or less than an other’s own problem; our gambling might be measured in degrees or stages, but the problem is relatively the same for each. When people mention the amounts of monies lost it is to remind them of their personal losses the consequences of their gambling, it is not to compare this problem with others that are sharing in loosing their "everything" in the same way.  Compulsive gambling is more that a financial problem, money is not the only looses that we have to deal with when we give into the control of this addiction; as you stated above, when compulsive gambling take over, life is taking more than giving.
Keep using this site for the help that it can provide, read the post of others, post about the actions that you are taking, about your struggles and progress, use the forum as your journal so that you can red back and see what is working and what actions may need to be changed or increased. Look for a live support group in your area to add to the support that you will find here, if Gamblers Anonymous has a meeting in your area they are a good source of this help. Do all your can to combat this disease, "you have to go after recovery, it does not come to you".
God’s speed, use your Higher Power to guide and strengthen you.LarryThanks to my Higher Power, My 3G's – God, GA, and GT,  "Day Two Is Another Day Behind" and with the help from all I hope to continue to remain gambling free.

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