So, this is the introduction to my journey. I started gambling on sports when I was 18 (I am now 27). It started off casual, betting relatively low stakes with moderate success. As time passed and I moved away to study at university my gambling habits began to change. I was gambling more money, more often and this continued to escalate gradually over the space of 2-3 years. At this moment in time, I didn’t believe that I had a gambling problem.
I finished university and was struggling to find work. I ended up getting a job in a local bookmakers as a cashier (which in hindsight was a recipe for disaster). I planned on working there for 6 months or so until I found other work but ended up spending almost 3 years there. During this time, my gambling habits continued to get worse, as I was constantly surrounded by a gambling environment. I began to realize my gambling was becoming a problem towards the end of my employment there which made me realize that I needed to get away from that environment if I was to get my life back on track and my gambling back under control.
I am now in a much better job, with good career prospects and moved into to my first home around 9 months ago. However I have still struggled at times to control my gambling. I have decided enough is enough now, it’s time to quit for good! I am a ‘binge gambler’if there is such a thing. I can go days or weeks without gambling no problem but when I do gamble, things can get pretty messy very quickly.
I have tried to quit twice in the past but in all honesty they were half-hearted attempts which I didn’t fully commit to. I am determined to make it different this time! I have already started putting boundaries in place and have made several changes to help with my recovery which I will keep updating on here every now and then. I will try to post at least once a week to provide updates on my recovery. Apologies for the essay style opening post, I will try to keep it short and sweet from now on. Thank you all in advance for any feedback and support. Let’s do this!