Hi i have been a conpulsive gambler for the last few years, i have earned good money but wasted gambling and chasing losses always wanting more than i have earnd. i have now finally admitted that i have a problem with gambling and want to get help. i will be viviting my first GA meeting in darlington tomorow. i have never been to one before so am unsure what it will be like. i do know i want to stop gambling and would like to live a happy life without the thought of gambling taking over me. i have just today told my fiance that i have a problem and want to get help. she has been very understanding with this. i feel a huge wait has been lifted off my shoulders after admitting my gambling problem. i know its going to be a hard long road but i feel i have the strength to come out fighting.

I need some help ,I am 35 i started gambling at 16 ,i dont need to bore you with my loses as you well know it destroys you and family ,i gave up a year and 2 months ago and was going to ga meeting 2 weeks ago i broke out i went back to ga came out the meeting gambled again i have gambled 3 time since and still going ga my betting is not on betting shops online casinos slots ,how can i stop all this im due a baby with my gf in 5 weeks i have not hidden the fact im gambling but its ruining me finacially and i do not want to lose the trust i have if i give my bank card to gf i ask for it back i dont want to gamble i just do it till i lose every penny untill i have more money in the bank any advise would be great im going again to ga monday but its like i have just got a bloke or something going on .

anyone on here going along tomorrow night.
ive quit betting for 5 days , i am attending tomorrow nights for the first time.
ive been betting for 35 years.
roulette machines in bookies have finally got me .
I WAS REALLY DOWN SATURDAY NIGHT BUT IM OK NOW but nreeed to get sorted

chilling out now

Hello

Unfortunately your story is very common. If you are serious about giving up then get yourself back to a GA meeting immediately. This time go with an open mind and keep it open. Do what is suggested to you....more than one meeting a week, phone other members, practice the 12 Steps program, get a sponsor, etc, etc...

Also, one thing that helped me was to stop lying to myself and others. You can never have a fresh start if there are 'skeletons in the closet' and people are kept in the dark about this damaging illness. Lying just leaves the door open to have another sneaky bet. And, don't ever think that you have reached 'rock bottom' because take it from me, however deep you dig a hole, I guarantee you can dig a deeper one if you don't stop gambling. It is a PROGRESSIVE illness. So, if you don't want to feel greater pain than you are feeling right now take heed of the suggestions that are freely mentioned in any GA meeting and written in GA literature.

Big Dave

Hi Firmino

Have you tried the suggestions on pages 30-31 of the GA orange book? Contact other members between meetings, sponsorship, practice the 12 Steps, etc, etc....

GA is all about self help. If you are not getting to enough meetings and, as you say, it is not working then you need to put more effort in yourself. Recovery does not come from just going to meetings.

I don't know what job you do but surely everyone has time to pick up the phone once or twice a week. Have you considered going to a different meeting on a different day? Or maybe even log into the online meeting in the chatroom which is held every Thursday evening at 9pm.

Big Dave

Hello.

I have just tried the link myself and it seems to be working just fine.

The only reason why I think it might not work is if you are using a mobile device.

Big Dave

Hi Alan

For me it never got easier until I started going to GA meetings. I too gambled for 25 years and tried to stop many times, nothing else worked, the addiction only ever got worse. Even after attending GA meetings for some time things didn't get 'easier' until I took on board all the guidance that was being given to me.

I have known and heard of many people who try to do it without going to meetings but they are not successful. The nature of the illness that we have tells us we can do it on our own, but it's not true. If people could detatch their egos just for a short while then it would be much easier. When I attend a meeting I have learnt to leave my ego at the door which allows me to have a change of recovery from this over-powering addiction.

Big Dave

Hi Andy.

Keep going mate, who knows where it will lead.

Don't forget there is an online GA meeting in the chatroom every Thursday at 9pm. I know it's notm quite the same is a regular meeting but it is better than nothing.

Big Dave

Markito

This forum is for compulsive gamblers, people with an addiction to gambling. If this was the only time you gambled I wouldn't worry too much, just don't be irresponsible with it again.

It is natural to feel slightly depressed after a loss, especially of a considerable amount of money.

Big Dave

Please feel free to write your story.