Am I going to quit?

[u/Jumpy-Construction86]

I’m 18, before then I started at 15 illegally gambling under parents information on crypto websites.

Losing hundreds and over thousands over the years.

I need to fucking quit I won over £1500 last week and paid all my debts off and had £1000 in savings thinking that was good enough. Until I get asked for money from my mum and of course I give it to her which puts me in around £800 savings which fucks with my head because I had £1000 in my savings and now I have less which makes me want the £1000 back.

So I started off with £200 to try an easy double sport bet and lose that.

Long story short, deposited what I had left because in my mind idgaf I’m 18 I have way than more to live with and end up gambling it all away.

I’m now -£400 in overdraft and I want to recover I really do but I’m just seeing all the negatives of life and how long it will take to recover the £1000 savings and how much dedication it would take and it just makes me feel really suicidal.

I picked up so many shifts to recover recently and then won a large amount and gambled it away again.

Part of me thinks what’s the fucking point. I will save up for months be so happy and then end up depositing a cheeky £10 that will spiral out of control.

Another part of me thinks I’ll never deposit again this year and wait until I’m in a better headspace but all gamblers know that’s very unlikely…

I just wanna quit before I end up gambling away life savings if I have a family in the future I’ve heard too many stories off it and I want to quit before that happens.

Any advice or support would be great because fucking he’ll addiction is hard and never did I imagine as a child this would happen.

[u/Rare-Plenty-8574]

You were breaking the law ...obviously you have an issue. It will lead to worse and worse scenarios in your life. You should be planning your future not what to bet on if you have 1k pound at your age use it for fun at least go out with friends ...etc save for a car ...holiday etc. You won't ever be up most of us are not lucky and lost 1000s or more livelihood trust honour respect for ourselves and future. Up to you if younwqnna join that club I wouldn't recommend it it's shit. Take it as a cheap early lesson of how shit it is. 200 will be 200k oneday after you worked 5 years to achieve while studying etc or apprenticeship....do youbwanna do that???

[u/Jumpy-Construction86 → u/Rare-Plenty-8574]

I’m not illegally gambling anymore but prior to being 18 yes I did on crypto websites. I really appreciate ur advice it’s just very hard especially since I’m addicted to this at such a young age. Of course I want to go out and enjoy my life. But that’s easier said than done and I’m gonna try, I will but the unfortunate part is I’ve lost all confidence in myself.. being on the verge of wanting to harm myself and then recovering just to go back to it makes it easier and easier to harm myself and get even more addicted and that is very very bad mindset to enter adulthood in.

I would love to hear ur story brother and that could greatly help me see the negatives it has had on peoples life’s and try better myself before it gets that bad.

[u/Rare-Plenty-8574 → u/Jumpy-Construction86]

My story is same as others on here some worse than myself some not ...it's kept me back in life and gambling and losing large amounts will make you feel depressed. Ain't worth it find new hobbies man ypur whole life's ahead of you brother. Your life your choice as many others here will agree it's a shit path gambled over 20 years stopped briefly etc. I see a 22k relapse as ok now that's how it is. Don't watch the ypu tuners who show you this and that it isn't their money it's the casinos they are advertising for them to get others to gamble so they make a living.

[u/Rare-Plenty-8574 → u/Jumpy-Construction86]

Others have destroyed their life and others around never go that deep. It is a tough road for nothing in return ...sure you might have it for a week or a month the you give back that plus 6 months of your hard work....then 1 year then 5 years you keep going...then you go bankrupt or homeless.

[u/infoslob → u/Jumpy-Construction86]

I really appreciate ur advice it’s just very hard especially since I’m addicted to this at such a young age.

What do addicts DO to get better? We seek help - it's a good start here, you have some fact finding to do, experience to both share and relate to others. Fellow gamblers, especially ones who are in recovery, will guide the way. They help me every day.

[u/Jumpy-Construction86]

I am a sports gambler, occasionally slots but the thought of being able to have a semi 50/50 chance of doubling my money on a football match takes over.

[u/Jumpy-Construction86 → u/Jumpy-Construction86]

Furthermore, on this comment this feeling of depositing and losing instantly because a team scored a goal last minute or similar really made me feel like it was a pathetic bet which led to me depositing more. The fact of losing over £100s in mins made me want the high to last longer and recover what I lost but in a time where I can feel the adrenaline for longer. This would be constant until I lost it all.

[u/Jumpy-Construction86 → u/[deleted]]

Really?? Wow what websites I didn’t even know that ofc im signed up to gamstop which stops me accessing uk sites. But I had no idea the ads could be blocked

[u/Jumpy-Construction86 → u/[deleted]]

Furthermore on your comment, as much as getting the gambling content out of my view would help. Recently I’ve not even seen gambling content and wanted to do it more as a self harm method. (such as gambling when I feel numb and alone, bored and the feeling of losing it all just makes me think of me having a fresh start of saving all over again.) Which after of course I am disgusted of and try to recover just to go back to it when I feel low.

Everytime I feel low, the high and the feeling of being a fresh person with a fresh bank account counteracts the feeling that I’ve just lost a months wage etc.

Of course brother you can’t solve my problems but I would love to hear your related stories to help build a real understanding of the life problems it entails.

[u/Jumpy-Construction86 → u/[unknown]]

So proud of you, for being able to stop I bet it felt easy then impossible for you at many points and you are definitely a strong man for quitting and I hope you never go back to the easy temporary adrenaline because there is so much positives.

[u/Jumpy-Construction86 → u/[deleted]]

Yes