Hi all,
Such a short thread and already three (+ one, my one) stories of people who have everything to be successful and live a happy life, and here we are... battling against this brutal addiction.
Enough66, Lostgirl and Onemore. You must take a stand! Fight for yourselves, this is our battle and together I'm sure that we all will succeed.
I'm getting close to the 30 day GF, and it is not an easy path I can tell you. Self exclusion is a must! My addiction (in recovery) is online gambling either slots,blackjack, poker, betting. And self exclusion is real hard. The reason it is so hard is because, you need to be very strong, not to self-exclude, but to avoid the temptation of registering in more site. I speak for my self. I've self excluded in all the ones i was registered (around

. I started just with one, maxed out, than registered in another... and you can see where this is going.
I believe if, you, just like me, if you joined this forum, is because you want to gain control of your life. You will find many forum users that are incredible! Very supportive, without being condescendent. You will hear the difficult truth, even if you don't want to. I know I have heard it.
Like you, I tought i have a good job, but mine is something that is not going to last for ever, and one day I started wondered: "what would happen to me if i get unemployed tomorrow?" this thought scared me so much. Today i have a good job with a nice paycheck (above average in my country), and yet I have nothing. My friends... worse, my coworkers, my coworkers of lower categories in the commpany, have managed to get so much more, than I that am working for a few years more than them.
In the past, I tried to chase all the money I have lost and gamble it away in just a few hours/days, and than I would fell miserable inside, that always had to smile for the others.
Now i decided to stop counting all the money I lost. I made a plan to pay my debt (which was small, fortunately unlike in the US, where I've seen credit limits incredibly high), and a plan for savings.
I suggest you to do the same. Stop checking your rearview mirror. Move forward.
I visit this forum almost everyday, more than once most of the days. You are not alone. I'm not alone.
Redeem yourself, and then redeem with your close ones. (I'm only now redeeming myself, and gathering the strength to open myself to my girlfriend, and hope for the best).