Hi dotty – well done on seeking help for this horrible addiction.
Try to get to the groups later on – just go up to the tab on top of this page and check out support groups .

Hi Dotti,

The only answer is to quit gambling. It seems to be you are a sensitive person and the emotions of life have overwhelmed you. What you truly needed was most likely counseling. You found that gambling helped suppress these feelings better than anything else. And isn’t it great that you can just keep gambling and feel a little better until…. the next spiral of pain sets in… like you said you loose quality time with loved ones, you chase loses, you get depressed thinking about the losses.
You need to give all control of finances over to someone that you can trust and that you can confide in. If you have access to no money guess what? You can’t gamble…. It’s really that simple. No money = no gambling. Have 20 bucks available at all times or set up a joint savings ac***** that your friend can then add $20 to when you spend the first 20. This makes you ac*****able for every cent. It’s this point where you can start the healing process. Start your day gamble free ***** on here so we can track your progress. I would also suggest seeking some help. Life coach, counselor, psychologist, etc. If your not in debt then you can afford it. You lost 4k last month. If you went an saw an awesome doctor twice a week you wouldn’t;t have spend 4k on it. So what Im saying is invest that some money in your personal growth. make sense?

Hi Dottie,
welcome to the forum. I feel your pain. I’ve been there before. All of us have. And yet somehow, if we don’t act to make changes, the pain of losing that money and what it could have represented will fade. And with forgetting we do it over and over again. As I’m sure you have probably had some bad experiences before. They say gambling addiction is a progressive disease or problem. It will only get worse with time if left unchecked. Trusting someone with your secret can be a big step. It is understandable to be cautious. It takes a big person or maybe the right person to see that gambling is a serious problem and that we can’t just STOP. Or we would have stopped long ago. Coming here is a good step. You receive support and good advice. Johnny is right. No money = no gambling. Maybe tying up savings into an account you can’t touch without two signatures or in an investment you can’t cash out. Addiction counselling was a big help to me. There is usually so much more under the surface that needs to be addressed. Try some of the support groups here, particularly the daytime sessions that are hosted. And although they sound scary, face to face GA meetings are extremely beneficial for so many. Keep journalling, that helps too!
take care,
Laura

How many days you got Dotty?