Gambling beatings within the last months, well year, plus

My gambling has gotten real bad over the last few months.

I have literally taken about five plus trips to and from the casino every day I do go to the casino. It's been a nightmare but the wins keep reeling me in. In these past months I've done a lot of damage. I have overdrew and lost a bank account. I have ruined a paypal account. I have lost 1700 of my family's money. I have lost 2700, actually probably closer to 5000 of my sister's money. I have lost about 10 to 15000 of my own and school money. I nearly got evicted. I had to go without utilities I didn't pay multiple times. And the list goes on.

Even after all that, I still choose to go to the casino. Why? What makes me go? Yes I was born poor, yes I could use the money, but even when I win I lose it back. Maybe it's because I know I've lost much more than that win in my lifetime and want it all back. Maybe it's because I'm stressed. Maybe it's the highs. Maybe it's because I'm broke. Maybe it's everything, but for whatever reason, I continue to go.

The beatings I've taken in this last year have been horrid. I now have about 100k in debt. How I managed to get that deep in debt when I've never even have a good job? I have no idea. One thing is for sure though, I'm addicted to gambling.

I'm 25 years old and the future is unclear to me. This is one of the hardest things I've faced in my life and not many people even know about it. It's tearing me up. I've been to GA meetings, been to a few counseling sessions, and have posted on these forums. It obviously hasn't worked for me. All I can do is pray I beat this and pray that one day things get better financially, with this gambling addiction, and in life period.

You joined this forum in 2011, what would your life be like if you had stopped gambling then?

It seems to me that while you've tried to quit, you haven't taken your recovery seriously yet. If you can still go to a casino every day it means you haven't self-excluded. In my experience (with myself and others) people who don't self-exclude are people who still have the dream of the big win that will solve all of their problems. It's not until we let go of that dream and resign ourselves to the fact that gambling is always a problem-maker and never a problem-solver that we can be successful in quitting. I absolutely, 100% know it's hard but I also know it can be done.

You need to ask yourself one question:

What will your life be like in 2023 if you keep gambling?

As Buster mentioned, Self-exclusion is often key to our recovery. We need that door to close and to think there is no other possibility of entering it again unless we want to get arrested. I know it can be frustrating after trying GA, forums, counselling and many other methods to try to stop this addiction, but you just need to find ONE that speaks to you. If you stop trying to recover, you'll never find a solution because your mindset will be always trying to get that one impossible payoff.

buster1969 wrote:What will your life be like in 2023 if you keep gambling?

Beautiful way to see it. 2023 seems like a long time, but if you continue to gamble that, 100K will seem very small (since this is progressive and we be larger and larger amounts) to the new amount you'll owe.

I think it's time for a cold shower my friend...time to wake up and smell the coffee.

There is no great mystery here - it's cause and effect. You keep gambling, you will keep losing and the further down you go. Hate to say it but seems you've taken a few leg's down the last few months. The content and frequency of your posts also tell me that you don't seem to care what anyone says to you on here.

That can mean only one thing - you are not serious about beating this addiction. If you keep wallowing in self pity, keep looking for reasons to bet and then keep complaining about how you keep losing, then I'm sorry but you just are not ready to quit and further losses will be inevitable.

As Buster pointed out - the only real way to beat this is to let it go. Let go of the foolish thinking that you can win it back. You have to accept that now because you have lost so much, even if you won $5,000 (which in itself is extremely unlikely) what difference would it make? It's 5% of your lifetime losses! And then think about the risk just to get the $5,000 - This is how you need to think about things now.

That is the absolute first step in my opinion. You need to accept your situation, understand that it is YOUR BEHAVIOUR that led you down this path.

There is a way out, but you need to look at the situation differently. Again take advice from the other posters. Look at your username and registration date - 2011. What if it's 2020 and your still posting here? How much worse will you feel?

I'm sorry that you are still struggling . It's is a brutally hard addiction to overcome , but I think you need to ask yourself some hard questions .

BadluckLeavesMeBroke wrote:I've been to GA meetings, been to a few counseling sessions, and have posted on these forums. It obviously hasn't worked for me.

How long do you think it will take to beat this thing ? A month , 6 months , a year ? How much time and effort do you think you have to put into recovery before it becomes your new normal ?

If you are expecting anything less than a long hard fight , then the results will continue to disappoint you . In truth , it is easier to give in to the compulsion . but doing so is only a temporary relief from the madness and in fact , it just feeds the addiction and makes it stronger .

I hope someday you find the resolve to fight back until you regain control . You deserve to be free of this demon . But that freedom will not come through hope and prayer alone .

movingon2014 wrote:That can mean only one thing - you are not serious about beating this addiction. If you keep wallowing in self pity, keep looking for reasons to bet and then keep complaining about how you keep losing, then I'm sorry but you just are not ready to quit and further losses will be inevitable.

+1

The OP sounds like a troll, using this forum as a "bad beats" casino blog, and never responding to any of the excellent advice offered here by others IMHO.

Please do not label people here as trolls . If you believe someone is trolling the forum , feel free to PM me . Some of our members take years before they can summon the strength to stop gambling . Some of them come back after months or years of silence to say that they still can't beat the addiction .

If you find a thread or a poster frustrates or annoys you , you need not respond to or read their threads . Everyone here deserves to be heard .

NewSunRising wrote:Please do not label people here as trolls . If you believe someone is trolling the forum, feel free to PM me .

My remark was not helpful and unnecessary. Point taken.

NewSunRising wrote:If you find a thread or a poster frustrates or annoys you , you need not respond to or read their threads.

Again, good advice.