Hello mate.

Thanks for sharing that, I enjoyed reading it. I can certainly relate to the relationship with gambling, in fact when I 'got found out' my missus (now ex) said that she thought I was having an affair. Not sure which would have been worse. Maybe if I had had an affair with someone I may have had a few quid left in my pocket after it all.

I'm glad things are working out for you in GA and I hear you are giving a lot back to the Fellowship. Keep up the enthusiasm mate, see you soon.

Big Dave (Eastcote/Uxbridge)

Hello.

I am not sure who told you that you had to turn to God for help in a GA meeting, or whether you made that assumption yourself, but you are completely mistaken. It is, however, an easy excuse to make not to go to a meeting and often a common one.

I am not religious and thankfully nor is GA, otherwise I would not have stuck around. I am also thankful that I didn't allow similar cloudy judgement get in my way otherwise there would have been no hope for me.

The only time God is regularly spoken of in a meeting is at the end (just like most Fellowships) when the Serenity prayer is read out. Those who don't believe merely omit the word God or just don't speak at all. Simple.

Big Dave (Eastcote/Uxbridge)

Last night went to my first meeting and would like to say a big thank you to everyone there. I pleased to say i am feeling positive today the meeting opened my eyes that you dont have to deal with this alone. I had the best night sleep i had in a long time. I will been attending the meetings each week as many times so i can beat this.

DAY BY DAY ONE STEP AT A TIME

Thank u again

And for anyone thinking about going do so as quickly as u can HELP is there

After many years of knowing I have a problem I am finally looking to get help to try and rebuild my life.
I, like many others I'm sure, have always believed that I could cope with my compulsive gambling and hide it from the people I care about most and even overcome it on my own.

On Monday I finally came clean to my girlfriend. I fear I may have lost her due to this and this would be the second serious relationship I have ruined due to gambling and the dishonesty that comes with it. I told my mother who was distraught. She helped me out of a situation a few years ago and had always believed, as I had led her to, that I had my gambling under control.

I have a young son from a previous relationship (ruined in part by my gambling) and I fear he will grow up to become a compulsive gambler as my father was and I followed in his footsteps. I need to ensure this does not happen by seeking help and making a change in my life. I need to get my girlfriend back and show her the person I know I can be.

This post is a step to taking back control of my life and making the necessary changes.

im 34 years old and have been gambling roughly about 18 years now and have lost thousands over the years, ive tried giving up several times over the years but never lasted more than a few weeks. I desparately want to stop but have got myself so much in debt that I cant see anyway out, can anybody give me some advice please

Hi, i've finally got to the point where I have to seek help. I live alone and have a job but my income is small. My husband left me with debts to clear (they are in my name also) and I had to move to a small place with an affordable rent. That was last year and when all this started. I panicked over repaying the large debt and decided to try and win a large amount of money online gambling...
It just spiralled from there. Chasing losses, gambling higher and higher amounts even not paying rent and bills because I'd spent so much. My family helped me out at first but I continued. Why I continued was because it had become a compulsion and the need for a win to cover losses and more grew. I tried to stop but as soon as I got back onto the website I'd be hooked.
I moved thinking it would be a new start but I continued to gamble. Now I've just gambled away my entire month's wages. Nothing for food or bills or rent. I am frightened - I can't seem to control anything anymore. The debts just pile up. This is the point where I realise how stupid it is to believe you can ever win anything from this - and I feel sick to know what I've done and how I've lied to my family throughout.
I can't get to my local meeting because of bus time restrictions. Would the online meeting be enough?

Hi all I am a 29 year old male from Lancashire, I have been trying to stop gambling but it seems to be getting worse, I have ran up an overdraft and a credit card trying to 'get back money lost', I am now at the end of my patience, and don't know what to do, does anybody have any advice on such matters

hi this is all new to me so you will have to bear with me ..im a 40 yr old woman with 3 grown up children and i live with my partner .at the moment i am really struggling with gambling and have done for quite a few yrs .it all started off when my partner took me to the casino ..i had never been to one before so it was exciting i won a little bit on the slots but over the years ive found this has gone steadily worse and worse ..its now taken me to going to machine shops and allso online gambling ...today i find myself feeling very low and depressed and agitated as i had a play on christmas day ..won on an online slot ..and this morning i have lost the lot plus more out of our bank ...i am physically pushing my family and partner to the edge and i dont know what to do ....there is only so many times and chances they are going to give me before i lose everything ..i was just wondering if there was anyone out there in the same boat as me ..if so please get in touch as i would like to know im not alone on this im looking at going to a ga meeting but not sure of where there is one in my area i live in bolton north west please anyone out there with simalar stories please get in touch maz x

Hi to anyone reading,

Im Gareth and I am a complusive gambler. Today again I have let down a loved one who has helped me enormously over the last 18 months, as much as I have stressed out over needing to have the converstaion its been replaced with saddness and all the other negative emotions im feeling right now at how hurt she is.

Today im sharing because I have realised that all these thoughts being locked up in my head will eat away at me and maybe telling my story (everything) will help me move on. This will be the most honest I have been for a long time. I have read the forum rules so please if I put something on here I shouldnt I apologise in advance.

My gambling started when I was 15, I have always been fascinated by amusement arcades and i remember being given money to by trousers so that id look good going to my first ever interview for a part time job. I still to this day remembering how it felt when I realised I had spent all most all of it in a fruit machine and then went home an lied about what happened.

The feeling that day kept me away from amusements for a few years but when I started my first YTS job earning a pittance each week I did the same again, spent everything I had in a fruit machine and had to hitch hike home. Looking back I can see ive always had a problem, but even though i knew in my heart that what I had done was wrong I just lied, moved on and buried it in my mind.

Again I stayed away from the machines for a couple of years then was able to go into pubs and things got worse and when I started to play again and although I am ashamed to admit it I feel i should stole money to feed my craving for chasing jackpots. In the end I got caught and because of the person I stole off didnt press charges, again I was able to lie about the gambling and no one ever found out that was the route cause of the problem.

The above episode scared me off gambling for over 10 years and even though I did have one or two lapses after that I didnt cause myself or anyone else trouble. I was doing well in my career got my own flat and car was enjoying life again after the loss of my brother and my dad. I had my troubles with money but at that time gambling was not a part of my life in any way.

This was until approximately August 2011 when I entered an amusement arcade to find out that the jackpots were much higher and the machines still as fascinating. Then it led me to find out about FOBTs and the problem has just increased along with the lies getting bigger and more frequent. Even though I have had to admit the problem to my mum last year I have still not stopped even though I have tried on countless occasions.
I don’t understand myself anymore and this time if I am to move on it has to be through understanding, not fear or through someone else telling me what I should be doing.

My main failing is not dealing with negative emotions correctly which ends up with me consumed with self-pity, selfishness and the want to escape it all. This leads me to gambling then not until I’ve lost it all do I return to the real world at the bottom of the pit trying to lie my way out of it all.

Im clinging on to the thoughts that as much as I’ve done wrong due to gambling that I am not all bad just certainly not as wonderful as I like to think I am.

I want to make the right choices and deal with my illness head on. It just seems all too familiar to make these promises when im rock bottom then do nothing about it.

I have to make sure that the 20th of December truly was the end of it for me and that I do change. I want to be the person that lives there life free from gambling, lies and deceit. Most of all I want to trust myself again as I can’t ask anyone else to do so when I cant.

Sorry for the long post but I had to get it out my head.

Hi I would be grateful of any advice u could pass on to me cheers