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Counselling can be individual, couple, family or group based. Goals are worked out with you. You decide whether to stop or control your gambling and which other issues to address.
Gambler's Help counselling is available at different locations and you don't have to see a counsellor where you live - if you would prefer to talk to someone in an area away from your home and work, you can choose to do so. Call now to talk to someone about your issues with gambling.
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We believe the counsellor's role is to assist you to resolve your own problems and explore options to make life choices clearer.
All it takes is a call to someone who is ready to help you work out your issues.
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I too have had a bad pokie addiction on and off for over 5 years now.
It's overwhelming to think about how much I've lost.
I'm going to now accept the fact all my moneys gone. What else can u do?
The more we play we are absolutely guaranteed to lose.
As hard as it is, as much as you've lost, accept the current situation, nothing
will change the past , and move on living in the moment, gamble free. Think how good ull feel at the end of it all , debts cleared, anxiety gone..
U CAN BEAT GAMBLING BY COMPLETELY STOPPING NOW
I admitted to myself over a year ago I had a problem with gambling, I started to get help told my family and friends. I knew it wasnt going to be easy, I knew everytime I went out with friends that I would have trouble spending the money because I felt guilty for all the times I spent it on my habit that I didnt deserve it. I slipped up last week, not a small slip up. I stole from my family, roomate and my dad, I lied about it and I feel like I had no hope. I tried to run away with no money, no clothes, no food.
My roomate called me and got me to come home, I faced up to what I did with her help and that of my family. My family are my becon of hope. I am now set with the resolve to do what must be done to kick this habit, I WILL NOT let it conrol me and ruin my hopes and dreams for my future. I WILL NOT let it tear my family and friends apart. I am now three days into my plan and am already seeing benefits, I still feel like really horrible but I feel that will change as I stay to the plan.
I wish everyone who has a problem encouragment to come forward and find the strength in yourself to see that your addiction IS affecting your dreams and your future, and to be strong enough to change it.
Hello all, Have just read some of the postings on here and to let everyone know that there is an alternative to gambling and that is Gamblers Anonymous. You have to be ready and to be honest and be willing to admit that gambling has you 'BEAT'. After a lifetime of gambling (45 years) I finally went to a GA meeting and from there have not looked back! It's definately not an easy or quick fix but something that you have to work at. For me this has been probably one of the best year of my life. Give it a go, it cost nothing and everyone only uses their first name. I no longer have to be worried about checking the post or phone calls about overdue accounts.
Best reards for everyone's future.
Helen
I am 42 and have been gambling for nearly 30 years . This has cost me many relationships and friendships . I have a young son and I see him 4 times a week .He is the focus and love of my life . Since he has been born I have been trying to stop gambling - the longest I have gone is 151 days ! A record !!! Why did I go back to the TAB ? I wish I knew , it was 1.5 years ago and I have sunk back into debt . I was so happy not gambling - healthy , fit , sleeping well , cash in the bank for the first time since I was a teenager - now I am stressed , struggle to sleep , live week to week , have $25 000 of debt and no means to borrow money as my credit rating died many years ago .
Stupid , uneducated , bad job ??? Negative . I had a great education , have a university degree and earn good money . WHY WHY WHY ? I know it is stupid and I can never walk away a winner .
My reason for seeking help again is my son . I don't want him to think of me as a loser and not respect me and I want to be able to provide for his needs as he grows .I have sought help in the past and feel this is my last chance . I should have had a house fully paid off by now , instead of renting a flat . I HAVE TO STOP GAMBLING
....
I have to STOP FOR MY SON
Twenty years of marriage - finally one lie too many - the love and passion of his life is gambling - I am shattered and shredded - will his love and passion keep him warm at night, care for him, pay his bills - I don't think I can anymore.
Just like alot of people here, I started off with a small bet, winning a little at some time, and to be honest, this year, the problem has come back. I was working overseas, and didn't have easy access to pokies or any casino, but coming back to Melbourne this year has changed all that.
Being demotivated because I am a professional executive, but am so finding it difficult to find a decent job here in Australia, and suffering by staying in a smelly shed of a back-packers due to the cheap rent, I started visiting the pokies on a relatively frequent basis. One thing leading to another, occasionally winning, with my last being about 1.5 weeks ago, winning a 2.9K jackpot, being the biggest prize I've won so far. But guess what ? I've not only put it back into the machines, but also topped up the amount with my own paycheck for the month. That's brought it close to about 4.5K in...
I'm in the same situation as everyone else here, and I've continuously scolded myself, tried to mentally persuade/change and stay away. I vowed so many times to keep this problem from arising, but it never did stop. It literally HAUNTS like your own shadow.
This being said, I'm really thankful that I have the opportunity to read & share with everyone here, and I'm definitely going to VOW & this time not break it, for the sake of everyone including myself, to STOP GAMBLING!
God bless you all, and may you find happiness and joy without suffering from the DESIRE & GREED which arises from GAMBLING!
Ive read many of your notices and realised that it may be the start of a change so desperately needed in my life. I too am addicted to pokies need to stop but cant. The past 10 years has seen me gamble away most of my income. Im sick of the fear it brings rather than the high. I need immediate counselling to restore what ever is wrong with my thinking. These facts must force me to acknowlegde my true fears.
Peace and light.
Im a 33yr old father of 5. I was making good money approx $1,600 pw and after a stop off at the local pub on the way home you could say that I earnt $300pw after being seduced by the tunes of the pokies. No matter how much I try not to play them I seem to end up on them. I beleive that I have spent over $30,000 in the last 12 months. It has had a massive effect on my relationship/family. Going back 10yrs ago I was injured and was payed out by insurance, a lump sum that I blew in the pokies. I then had to go to centrelink for support. I was rejected because of a pluclution period. I then appealed against their decision. I went to a tribunal and was rejected because the judge told me that it was just a one of event and told me he does't beleive that I have a pokie addiction. Even though I had spent more then half of my pay,sometimes more than half, from the day I first played them around 5yrs before this tribunal. After the judge told me I had no problem I used this against my partner and kept feeding my addiction. Its now 7-8yrs later and enough is enough. Im to a point that every hour of the day im wanting to find a way to get money to play them. Im hearing pokies everywhere I go, even when I go to bed and thats so not normal. I have trouble sleeping and now it looks like im going to loose everything I have. I feel that I have no control over my life, the pokies have control of me and I feel there is no way out!!!
Im scared my gambling is going to ruin everything i have worked so hard for. I want to confess and admit i cannot control the urge to gamble. i do not want to lose my house. i want to spend my life with my beautiful girlfriend. not spend my life trying to win an impossible dream. i hope everyone above gets the help they need. Peace
As sad as it is, it is great to read all the above problems. I am a closet problem gambler but it is destroying my mind and my life. As much as I want to give up it is not so easy. It is a disease. Reading the above comments does make me need to take action and stop this life threatning disease. I sarted gambling when I was 16 and like many others i won my 1st bet. By the end of that day I had lost that + the $30 I had on me. Minimal you may say but the pattern was set in stone. I am now 41 and have probably lost approx $250,000 since.Including $50,000 in the past 18 months. Yes I have had a few wins along the way but these are short lived and always end in pain. I gave up gambling cold turkey for 2 years when I was 27 so I know it can be done again. I found it easy but I was forced to take action because my now ex wife found out. After approx 2 years I slowly started again. Not sure why. Since seperating 2 1/2 years ago I now have no one to answer to and my self control fails me time and time again. I am kidding myself thinking that if I harness my gambling I can still enjoy it. That is total bulls**t !!!!!!!!!!!!. Gambling has caused me to directly or indirectly lose my ex wife, my home, a business and my self integrity. I plan as of today to go cold turkey again and not gamble including internet betting, TAB, Lotto or even purchase a raffle ticket or enter a footy tipping comp. This may seem over kill but I know that being involved in something where I anticipate the reult of an event that I have no direct influence over triggers something in my mind that I cant control. I would also like to try join some sort of gambling addict reform group to help me through. Whether or not I can achieve this only time will tell, but I do know that if i continue my life is worthless. I will continue periodically to write to this forum as a form of honesty to myself. I also wish everyone else who suffers from this disease the very best in thier fight in giving up.GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT !!!!!!!
It all started at the end of last year, going down to the tab, betting on horses/dogs etc, had a massive win, and then couldnt stop going. Its starting taking over my life, thinking about it at work, having that winning feeling, thinking that im a luck charm! At this moment now, im shattered, borrowing money for bills, but not making it to the post office or bank to pay them, instead i go down to the tab, and blow all of the money that i had! Im behind in bills, and making excuses to my partner and friends that i cant socialise with them. I need to stop immediatley, and get the dirty thought out of my mind of gambling! soon im gonna get found out! but dont have the guts to tell anyone!Ive really had enough, and need to focus on a bright future!
I am 24.I lost $20k+ in four months last year. Then I promised to my husband that i would not be back. I had to sold my new car to cover the money i lost. A month ago, i past the venue and went in to try some luck,won $800. The next day I went back, lost $2000 in 2 hours. Yesterday i lost another $2000 in a few hours. My husband has not ideas about where I spent all my money. He is always very supportive and taking care all our bills. I feel so guilty about what i have done to him. Everytime when he called me, I had to run to the car park to answer the phone and lied that i was in supermaket. Our two dogs have to be locked home all day until my husband comes home and takes them to the park. Before pokies, we always had organic food and all the good brands. Now i am only purchasing home-brands and all the discounted grocries. Then the money i saved would feed back to pokies. We used to take our dogs to stay in a resort once a month, but not anymore... Last xmas, i lost $4000+ our holiday money in 1 night...My husband works very hard and gets good paid, but he cant really enjoy the life anymore because he has to keep paying all the bills and filling my gambling lost....I really need help......
I have been addicted to drugs for many years and found it hard to get away from it all. Of course, with that came a gambling addiction to try and pay for the drugs. neither worked and hello to a big black hole i fell into. One thing i do know now, from being 1 year free of everything is there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how far you dig yourself in.
First part of any addiction is owning up to what you are doing or have done. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF. If you cant be honest with yourself then how can you expect anyone to trust you? It took me years to be honest and say i have a problem, then to say ok... the euphoria you feel when you win on the pokies, the thrill of the big win, it is no different to the euphoric feeling of being in a mindless state of bliss when intoxicated, but the comedown is always harder. THE END RESULT AND COMEDOWN WILL ALWAYS, ALWAYS BE HARDER. seperate the facts from the exciting fantasy. GAMBLING IS ALL ABOUT GETTING YOUR MONEY, and never about you actually winning. its the thrill of the chase nothing more.
One thing you need to constantly remind yourself is that once you have lost that money, YOU DONT WIN IT BACK, so stop fooling yourself. getting money is hard, you have to work for it. but it is also more satisfying to go and buy something and know you have earnt it, rather than "win" it. if you have a problem, do what i did and get in touch with yourself and the world the real way... its not easy to let it go and definitly not easy to work for the money and to be honest, but the way you feel afterwards is the best feeling in the world second to none. cut your losses now and start living, you will be alot happier. take it from an 1 year EX gambling and drug addict who will never go back... life is hard and you work hard for it, but ITS WORTH EVERYTHING!
Last night my boyfriend finally admitted that I have been right about where his pay goes. Pokies.
I feel so confused. He lied to me for so long even when I begged him to stop lying to me and admit he had a problem. I love him, but will he ever change? I feel so hurt and I don't know what to do.
They say the first step is admitting you have a problem. This is the only reason I am staying with him. I just hope that I can forgive him one day, but I am truley worried the damage has been done. If he hadnt lied to me for so long I would feel better about sticking with him. If only he had been honest with me, things wouldn't be such a mess.
Does anybody have any success stories about overcoming their problem with gambling?
Im a mum of 3 beautiful boys and a loving partner. I have a pokie problem. Im 33yrs and have been playing for around 18yrs and before i was old enough to play them i would sit in a pub all day with my mum or nana watching them play plokies which i hated them at that stage. I spent all my money nearly a week at the local pub and came home and rang GA straight away and have an appointment on the 8th of april with a counsellor and the day couldnt come quick enough. I need help because if i dont get it soon, i will lose everything. And not in the way of my house or car but in the way of my life. This addiction is running my life and i need to beat it. I cant keep putting partner or my kids through this. I need my life back, i need it to be ME running my life and not a bloody pokie machine. 2 days a week my kids go to creche and i was working those 2 days but lately i have had no work so ive had the days free and instead of doing what i should be doing, like housework, going to visit people, i go and play the pokies, feel like crap when i walk out with no money and feel even more crap when my parnter asks what i did for the day and i again have to lie to him. Hes not stupid though! I know this meeting on the 8th will be a life changing moment because im going to make it a life changing moment.
wow this is all very depressing yet very familiar to me.yep im a gambler also.I feel compelled to write something down here.ive been to counselling sessions before and im seriously thinking of going again.im married have my own business a gorgous 2yr old son who totaly rocks my world.
lets see ive done horses, dogs, trots, pokies,plastic animal betting (trackside),fly on the wall, poker you name it ive bet on it .
although i consider myself a resonable poker player and usually it doesnt cost me much. Everything else has two very important factors in everyones be it single or attatched lives.
time and money.!!!!
It takes very little time to spend a whole heap of money.Time and time again i say to myself,(once the spending is over) your an idiot a donkey $#$#$ head why have you done it again.yes ive had good wins good moments but the pain that gambling i have done over the years and continue to do weighs so heavily on my shoulders, the stress is so intense you feel you have no where to go nor hide,obviously the bills mount debt collectors call the stresses with the wife ect ect.
man i hope i can get out of this $%%$65
good luck to you all
I have gambled for about 18 years and cannot stop. My mortgage was nearly paid off and is now 10 times what it was and credit cards are out of control.
My husband has a good job but we are in so much debt we could lose everything. I try to stop by cutting up cards but then as soon as i have money in my purse i drive straight to them and spend every cent even if it stops me from buying food or petrol. What can i do???? I chase big losses all the time spending a grand a day then not sleeping and feeling so worthless over it! WHY DO I DO IT i will never understand. I want to stop! POKIES HAVE RUINED MY LIFE AND I HATE MYSELF FOR GOING!
I am a 43 yr old man with a gambling problem who needs help. For too long now Ive never seen my gambling as a problem but recent events have proven me wrong. For over 25 years I have had the need to bet whatever money I had in my pocket chasing that elusive windfall, and when that big pay out came I was too caught up with my addiction and end up putting that money back from where it came. If I didn't have any money left, I would resort to borrowing money at first to eventually stealing money from my family to feed my need. If I ever won a large amount I would keep it a secret only to bet it all away. I have a kind and wonderful wife and 4 beautiful children,who mean more than the world to me, who have left me because I have not been able to realize what I have been doing to not only myself but to them as well. I seriously want to stop but need help overcoming my addiction before I lose them as well.
I am a 33 yr old single mum on a centrelink benefit because i am unable to work at the moment. I have been going to the pokies for about 15 years on and off. Lately iv been going as often as i can. Iv started to bet maximum credits maximum lines between $5-10 a spin, when you win its a great amount and it keeps you going back for more, but i can lose $50 in a couple of minutes, then before you know it your whole pays gone and your broke, and you feel gutted!!. My bills are at dissconnection stages and we run out of food n stuff often, and i feel so degraded when i have to go to a charity. machines should take 5 cent peices instead of $1 coins and you should have a limit. Its not all our fault the government must take some responsibility aswell. Im gunna get some help, i owe it to my family...
I am a compulsive gambler have been for 12 years pretty much the whole time. I have lost more money than i will probably ever see again in 20 years and I have lost the trust and respect of those that matter to me. I have been so depressed about my inability to stop. **** I have just written down the times and locations for the GA meetings who knows if i will even have the guts to show up.
****
People who think they don't care because they're not affected by gambling think again each problem gambler effects 10 other people around them directly or indirectly.
I have just started pokies in the last few months but I'm sick of this. I loose everything, every single pay I get each week. I wanna quit and I'm trying it. Whenever I get my pay I think like to play with limited money but I couldn't control and loose all.
ok, i am in the throws of a gambling addiction myself and i know what its like to lose and then try and win back your money
what i would say is that you have to take time to heal. **** money is not the be all and end all of life, ok its sh*t when you lose and you do feel a bit morose, BUT, you still have your life
have thrown about $20,000 through the pokies in 12months. am stopping now! i have a good job, life...this time last year i was debt free with money in the bank, now, i owe just over $10,000 and will spend the year paying it back, never catching up. can't believe i got myself into this situation. ***
Hi l have been gambling for years, l dont sell things nor steal to feed the habit but it is hurting my husband endlessly. He is saving so hard all the time and works hard to get the extra money. Our only arguments are over me gambling. I don't earn alot but whatever l have spare l am gambling online but l am spending his too. He has changed bank account and credit card numbers often but l always find a way to deceive him. He can't take anymore and has been more than tolerant. I want it to stop because it is going to kill our relationship of 27 years. I was playing the pokies but l stopped then l logged into online sites and it started all over again. There is no justification for this behaviour but l find l get bored or lonely as our kids have all left home and live 8 hours away so l do spend alot of time on my own which l think well it will fill in time and MAYBE have a win- who am l kidding. l need a fulltime job but where we live is very isolated and not alot of work. Still no excuse I NEED TO STOP NOW. ***
Hi, we have just moved into a really nice house with a pool just about 7 months ago. My wife and I both have good jobs and even though mortgage is high we can afford repayments. I wanted to earn some part time money to supplement my income and saw this article for playing roulette on an online casino. So i thought I would give it a go, seems pretty easy, and it was. I won $7300 in 3 weeks. Not bad hey! Then I thought i could do it again. Well, $36,000 lost later my wife found out. Didn't have the guts to tell her, just trying to make back the money that I had lost. I lied and put up a pretty good front as she had no idea as I controlled the finances. The lure of the qiuck and easy dollar was too great. God I feel gutted what i have done to my family. I am hoping my wife does not tell any of our friends and family, I couldn't face them. I do not want to gamble but I feel I have to get the money back somehow. I am feeling lost and alone at the moment, even though my wife said she is going to support me. Even if she does support me life will never be the same. there is no trust left at all. This is not a good way to live. She may be sleeping next to me but the bed is empty. I am trying to get it together but it is harder than anyone thinks who is not in this position. Got to get my head around it soon before its too late. Thanks for reading.
My mum just received her divorse settlement after 6 years. Already she's put 15k first month then 35k the 2nd month she's not answering her phone even If she did I wouldn't know what to say.at this rate she will have blown the lot and be homeless in a matter of 3 months. If I can t help her I will blame my self
hi, i have been gambling for 5 years and within this time i have had 2 children. in these 5 years i have managed to double our mortgage and get an additional 20000 in debt. it has wrecked my life. i cannot seem to bring myself to talk to my family anymore as i am constantly feel shaky and sick. my husband has to look after our children when he comes in from work while i disappear upstairs for hours as i cant even look at my children without feeling sick. also i have cut myself from all my "friends" as i feel beneath them and i know if the ever found out what i had done they would all hate me for it. yesterday it all came to a head for me. i emailed a site who had taken my money off me in a non to legal way( not excluding me when i had asked them) i was so desperate for my 2000 back that i said i was going to kill myself. the company then phoned the police and they arrived non to pleased with me. as i have never been in trouble with the police you can only imagine how i absolutely panicked. unfortunately it has now made me feell even worse and is affecting my sleep and i am now not getting my kids to school on time.
Im a mother of 3 young children, with a partner who has been a compulsive gambler for around 20years now! We have been together for 3years and I have to say the last year his gambling has got out of control. I have tried to except his gambling as long as its controled and priorities are met first, But now its like he just dont care anymore. He works very hard for his money as a carpenter and we also live with my parents cause we cant afford to get our own place, Not sure if I want yet anyway. Im hurting so bad he does not realise what stress he puts on me, How he makes me feel? The week of xmas he left us with $50 to buy nappies, formula, a weeks worth of shopping etc I was beside myself. He is always borrowing money off his family after basically taking whats left of my money. He comes home from work to sit on the computer on TAB sport and starts looking for things to bet on such as Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, Ice Hockey, Dogs, Horses and anything he can. Does he give us much time NO! Its like the world is going on around him and it dont worry him. I dont know what else to do, I understand things wont change over night and im not asking him to give it up, But I want him to think of himself, Us, Our children. I dont know what else to do????
I want to stop gambling when I start but I can't stop .
I have just started pokies in the last few months but I'm sick of this. I loose everything, every single pay I get each week. I wanna quit and I'm trying it. Whenever I get my pay I think like to play with limited money but I couldn't control and loose all. I haven't got a penny today. Please help me, my wife lives in abroad and I need to go and meet her but I can't as I have no money to see my wife.
I am a 26 year old professional and have been gambling on the pokies for around 7 years. I dont want to know how much money I have lost. I feel like I cant tell anyone because I dont have anyone who I know will not judge. I have run up so much debt that I do not know how to manage it any more. After paying the minimums on each of my loans and credit cards I am left with not enough money to get by... though strangely I still manage to use what little I have on the pokies. To make matters worse for me I work in a field where I should know better as I am surrounded each and every day by addiction of various sorts. This has made it difficult for me to ask for professional help. I just dont know what to do any more. I need help but do not know where to start. Please god, help me to be strong and stop the madness.
I have been playing pokies for three years after my dad pass away.
Now owe credit card 20k and need to sell car and flat.
Struggling with debts and fearful of beng a bankrupt each day.
The stress keep making me want to go to gamble again.
the machines are very accesible.
Do not start...or quit.
Good luck..
Man i wanna stop the dam pokies.. since i turned 18 now 24 just been a constant pay packet chewer. ive won 6 grand about 3 times and with in the next day ive blown the lot. Its so crazy how when you have no money you hate the things but as soon as you get cash the little voice starts telling you then you get the feeling for features and all these tactics on how ur gonna win this time. It sucks coz you know if they wernt in your life how good your life would actually be. Really wanna beat the pokie habit as i know we all do. Once again its christmas and now ive gotta come up with a solution on how im gonna pay for presents this year. Cant believe what these machines put people through. Sad but thats what it does to you...
I had help onetime from gamblers help, and it did help and financially, but now I have gone backwards again, I have just lost all my holiday pay in the matter of hours over 5g at the same time thinking I need money I got a payday loan, promising myself I would use this till i get back to work, that's now gone, I really starting to hate my life, I have hit a brick wall, I want to try so hard not to go and at times I don't but then I fail in myself thinking ok 1 drink which ends up turning out to be my biggest mistake.
I have lost around 20,000 dollars this year... all on poker, internet and casino. I have had to sell my car, and now my master card have are demanding full payment of 12000. I donn't have a cent left. I can't pay them. I settled the claim for 5g they accepted and before I could pay, I ended up loosing it all... Now I'm just waiting for the phone calls... I don't know what to do, this has ruined my life.
I have had an addition for about three years now, although i have been socially gambling for over 6 years. Im 25, and I work a very professional job which earns me decent money. However, after two years I dont have a cent to my name. I have a 15K personal loan which was pretty much ranked up from cash advances on credit cards. please if you the slightest gambling inclination, never get a credit card. I know I can did myself out of this and slowly eat away at the debt, but its a vicious circle. the more anxious and stressed I am, the more I want to release it by gambling. I have hidden this from my partner the last 3-4 months. She thinks Im clean and over it, she think i have been saving money the last few months, but instead Im deeper in debt. This is one of the most detrimental addictions in society and it is ridiculous how accessable these machines
My elder brother spends a lot of time playing poker and blackjack. At times he loses really big and he is really hard to make ends meet, and has to borrow money from us. My mother is tired from attempts to talk to him seriously as he wouldn't listen, and shows no wish to change his life. I feel I have no right to interfere in my brother's life but as times goes by I become very concerned about this problem..
We dont realise -WE NEVER WIN!!! those that think they win and walk away dont realise the next time you go back you may not win.I have just lost a whole heap of money today.should have left when I won but of course I thought i could win more so kept playing and my winnings kept decreasing.did not leave until all the money had gone. told myself yesterday that i would not go today but of course I lied.told myself I would leave when i won but of course I lied.told myself I would leave my bankcard at home tomorrow so i would not be tempted. Of course I lie. who can help us, who can make us stop,who can understand and care about us so we will feel full and not empty?
Is this worse than drinking, is this worse than smoking or drugs- I dont know. The money will never come back.It is GONE!!How do normal, healthy people suddenly become consumed by this terrible addiction?GOD HELP US!!
i am a gambler for 3 weeks in a row ive spent my rent ,i love my wife and kids i have 5 of them im 38 years old ,i lost 700 last night i only went to the bank to get my paycheck 5hrs later bang empty pockets the stress the guilt i love my wife family so much and I need to get help soon to stop putting them thru this i just want to give them a future witch they deserve i cant put them thru this anymore
im 25 years old and have a raging habit spending nothing under $500 each time i play the pokies its always superbucks @ $6 a spin!
my habit began when i first started playing when every time i played i would win good amounts then as i went on i then began to think i would never loose.
due to my habit i have had to shut my business down cause i would use money from the business to gamble leaving me with huge amounts of overdue accounts but this has not stopped my habit.
just last night i went to a pokie venue thinking that i could make a quick buck spending all my rent money and at one stage being 3grand up i then left with out a cent to my name!
The stories on here are sad and only remind me of my own gambling addiction. The last time I posted here over 2 months ago I had lost $1,750 playing online poker and I never vowed to play again. Well after 2 months and playing online poker almost continuously for 4 days I have lost all of my savings totalling $2,800. I guess I always think that I can win and/or at least win back some of the money I have lost. My gambling habit is driving me crazy, I always seem to be able to stop for a 2-3 month period and then I go on another gambling bingem, which is bigger and worse than the previous binges. I really want to stop as I owe alot of money to people and everytime I reach a point where I can start paying them back I go and gamble the money. To be honest I hate everything that I have become through gambling.
I am a mother of three beautiful girls, married to a gambler. I need help to help my husband. I have lost everything due to his problem, my credit is bad and my life is falling apart and i dont know where to turn.
Im 21 years old, i started gambling when i was 18. I started off winning small amounts from placing small bets on roulette and blackjack. And everytime i won i thought it was easy to win and i felt as if i can always beat the system. I started off winning a few hundred then i started making larger bets because i thought it was easy. So what happens next was very obvious, i lost all my money which i had won around 2k-3k. I made money so quick i couldnt believe it. So then came the day where i lost it all back, and i was very angry and upset about losing the money because it felt like it was mine, i was greedy and selfish so i wanted to win the money back. This was my mistake, i ended up losing 10k in 1day, all this was money that i had saved up since i was working at the age of 16. I decided to stop gambling from that big lost, but it was only a few months until i got back into it again, so i won small amounts of money again and then ended up losing more money that i had worked my tears and sweat for. I just wished i can take it all back and start with what was mine, but i know that this will never be the case. My life feels so stressed and miserable, i just don't know what to do with it anymore. Every day and night i can't stop thinking about how i have ruined my life because of gambling. My total lost in gambling would be close to 25k. This is a mistake that will burden me for the rest of my life.
i was A POKIE GAMBLER 2 YEARS AGO.NOW I AM BACK AT IT,MY HUSBAND SAID TO ME BACK THEN ONCE A GAMBLER ALWAYS A GAMBLER!.WHEN I STARTED PLAYING AGAIN ,WELL THIS HAS STUCK IN MY HEAD,I FEEL HE DOESANT TRUST ME ANYMORE.I PUT $50 IN AT A TIME ,NOT THAT WE HAVE ANY CASH TO SPARE.
,NOW IM BEHIND WITH HOUSE MORTAGE,CAR LOAN,IVE STUFFED UP BIG TIME.HUBBY DOESANT KNOW OF THE ARRERS YET!
Im only 19 and started gambling with online poker and started of with small amounts and was winning a little bit but then i began to lose. Then i started to play with larger amounts until i ended up losing about 2 grand. I couldnt believe i did it and was in complete shock and vowed i would never play again but about a week later i lost 1 grand which was the remainder in my bank. I was able to stop playing for awhile but recently have been playing again however i seem to be able to stop myself from playing with large amounts but i still do end up losing. Ive recently only just started going to the casino as well and i lost 150 in my first outing but then i returned the next day to win it back and won 350 but then i gambled and lost 200 so i broke even. Im not currently in any financial trouble but i just wish to solve this issue before i do end up in trouble and because i think it is going to effect my life because all i seem to think about is trying to win money. I want to stop this at a young age as well. I still enjoy gambling and wish to do so however i want to do it resposibly but i dont know if i will be able to continue and be responsible at the same time
I am only 24 years old and i have been gambling for around 5 years now. I think its getting the better of me. At first i won alot of money, now all i seem to do is lose and to make things worse i keep up-ing the bets to win back what i lost. At first i don't think i acknowledged it as a problem, but lately i think im seeing it for what it is... an uncontrollable desire. I find myself going back to the tab even when im low on money. I am sure i have a problem and i want to fix it before its to late.
i'm a 31 year old professional with a good job and supportive partner today i gambled away my rent and utility money then tried to get it back by dipping into my partners bank account.
before moving to australia i used to have a major drug habbit which i managed to succesfully kick and have been clean for the last 18 months i used to have a few drinks and a bit of a punt on the pokies when i quit my other addiction.
i guess this is where my new one started it only used to take a 20 dollar punt on the pokies and a 10 dollar win to feel like i was a winner and the high that goes with it could best be described at times as euphoric.
this week being the anniversary of the end of my other addiction i decided to have a few drinks and dinner with a few close friends to celerbrate i never had any intention to go and play the pokies but found myself at a club after i'd left my friends and had dropped about a grand before i realised the sun was coming up.
this week i lost 4500 dollars trying to win back the money i lost that night always with the hope or expectation that this spin might be the one. i am now at a loss as what to tell my girl friend as to where 5800 dollars of our hard earned money has gone i have spent more money this week on gambling then i ever did in the same period as a drug addict i havn't told my girl friend yet nor does she know about my prior addiction as we've been together for the last 12 months and i feared what she might think of me had she known the truth.
i guess i'm writing this because i never had any formal help with my drug problem and hope the call to the hotline can help me with what would seem to be a hopeless addiction to anything that would make me feel anything other then the person i know i can be or to be truthfull to the people that really matter in life
Reading the stories above has really made me realise what could be if I keep going the way that I am going.
I love the pokies. I have 4 Children so, I mainly use the online pokies which I have to use our credit card for. I have lost a lot of money. Not heaps. Not thousands of dollars or anything like that but, the amount that I have lost is enough for me to feel guilty about the fact that there are other things that need to be paid that I am not paying because of my addiction.
My Husband is fantastic - he is very supportive and I can be honest with him about how I am feeling and when I want to go.
We went out for tea tonight and I went to the Pokies and now I really want to go back there now that we are home. I enjoy the Pokies although I know that I lose money there, I enjoy being there with a nice cup of Coffee in front of a Machine. I wish I didn't because I am sick of thinking about them all day. I spend hours thinking about them. I have had enough.
I started going to the TAB to play this computer generated, animated horse race called Trackside. It was for fun at first, that winning feeling is so great. I kept losing and losing. I lost lots and lots. Everyone knows that you can't beat a COMPUTER. So why do we keep throwing our money away? EVERYONE who doesn't gamble KNOWS YOU CAN'T BEAT A COMPUTER. AM I that stupid?
But I am seeking help now and that is going to help me. I know that money don't come easy. You have to work and earn it. Have you ever heard of a happy gambler? Someone who keeps winning and is always smiling? I don't think so because at night, they will be thinking of that next hit, that next big bet
and the next sports games schedule. And that's not healthy to the body and mind.
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