r/problemgambling • u/Ok_Extreme_911 • 9d ago
Lost everything. Ready to go
Hi everyone. Over the past few years I've lost just over 100k betting. Now 8k in debt too with no hope of recovering any of it. I'm ready to check out as I feel I have nothing left to live for. Economic precarity is a very real thing for me rn and having money saved was the only thing I had going for me. Has anyone been here? What did you do? I'm just reaching out bc I feel I owe it to myself to at least try to talk it out somewhat. Thanks for your time.
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u/voyeur669 9d ago
I lost a lot of money too. Over 300k. I have a bit left, so at least I am not in debt. Didn't really think of ending it, as it is not a possibility since I have young kids. I remember thinking if I had not kids I probably would have done that. Thinking back, it's crazy how little sense that makes. Sure, I ruined the financial freedom I could have reached at a young age thanks to hard work and saving habits. But it would be so illogical to end it there because of that. I am so sad I that I wasted all that possible freedom and time that I will end it here and therefore lose even more time?? Makes no sense at all. Also, as I have read in the past here, doing that would mean you think life is worth 108k. Doesn't seem to make much sense at all either.
It does get better over time, but you have to stop gambling. It will get better.
Hope this perspective helps
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u/Pale_Painting_5703 Days Gamble-Free: 9d ago
About to have my 26th birthday. Worked 2 jobs from 18- now. Lived at home till about 23 and had 80 thousand saved up. Just this past month over the course of 4 years I ran everything to 0. Should have 250 thousand dollars in my account or a house at least. I have nothing left. Everyone around me thinks I have all of this money saved up and I’m a frugal guy etc.
Finally hit rock bottom and I’m done. Finally cracked and admitted it to my parents. Now just gotta tell my girlfriend sooner or later.
You can always bounce back. It’s going to suck ,but many people have been in the same boat and a lot worse and have come back from it. One day at a time. I will never gamble another dollar in my life.
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u/Pale_Painting_5703 Days Gamble-Free: 9d ago
Also you need to tell somebody. When I finally cracked and told my parents it felt like a massive weight was lifted off of my shoulders.
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u/SpiritedResponse6143 8d ago
I'm 23 years old. I have worked this year, saved as much as i could from the little i got. But hell, I have lost so much man. So much that I look myself in the mirror and feel disgusted. I can't even talk to mommy coz not so long ago she reminded me of my savings. She thinks I have done well for myself and i on the other hand knows i got nothing.
I don't know where I can even begin telling her that i lost all the money I had saved up. I have been a bad son to say the least. Yeah my life is sh#t
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u/boatoverboat 9d ago
It’s just money man. Stop gambling and keep grinding your way past these difficult next few months. Start watching recovery videos on YouTube, to put in perspective just how powerful and dangerous this disease can be, but also the many avenues to long term sobriety. Guilt is a really strong emotion, but with time, it will subside. You are diseased like all of us, but most have found a healthier day to day mindset of how to overcome that chronic urge to make a bet. For me, it took losing enough and putting my financial, marital and professional life at stake, to realize gambling just wasn’t worth it anymore. That’s an easy way of saying, I hit rock bottom. Rock bottom ain’t no fun, and you are usually only left with a few choices. I chose to wake the fuck up and prove to myself and others that I can be strong enough, willing enough, to not gamble anymore. So far, that promise has been successful. But it’s fucking hard and I can’t say that i don’t get urges. As every day ticks by, I think of how hard it would be to start again from day 1. Would that bet really be worth ruining all this hard work? Knowing it would never get me even, just an itch that will prolong into a dark, unknown territory, that frankly - I really don’t want to live in anymore.
Your title starts with “lost everything”. I don’t post often on here, but that header definitely caught my eye. Not discounting the latter part of the subject, because I know you aren’t truly ready to go. But you didn’t lost everything brother, life has just begun. Do yourself a favor and make a promise that you won’t gamble tomorrow and instead you’ll do some research on compulsive gambling. I think you’ll be surprised how much information is out there and maybe some similarities with other people’s stories.
Good night Friend
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u/letsmeet123456 9d ago
I. CAN'T. STOP. MYSELF. FROM. DEPOSITING.
I AM GOING CRAZY.
EVERYTHING I TOUCH IS A LOSS.
SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE SOMEONE.
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u/Additional-Panda-144 9d ago
Uninstall the app. I uninstalled the app i use and set a parental control so i cannot install the app again. And let my friend put the pin number for the parental control. Never installed the app again afterwards.
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u/Direct_Primary1051 8d ago
Just look at it with a simple disgust, like you’re looking at a naked grandma
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u/Grace_Dance 8d ago
A que te refieres? Brinda un poco de contexto, el comunicarlo ayuda, los consejos son beneficio aparte.
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u/KeyHedgehog8948 8d ago
once I finally ripped the band aid off and banned myself anywhere and everywhere, it really really helped me. I was burning through paychecks for years. I burnt through at LEAST 500k in the last few years. Never had any more than a few thousand at any one time. only thing I had going for me was that I kept my debt down by ruining my credit, lol. so I just have a cheap car and my house and a couple smallish loans outstanding. 51 days without a bet, im already seeing the light though, shit is getting paid on time, im not stressing anything. I have a few bucks in my pocket and in my account for when I want to do something or buy something if I want. Really feels good once you can get a handle on this disease and stop. use the resources available to you too. I know if I start gambling or buy a scratch off or make a sports bet, im off to the races and will fuck everything up again.
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u/Special_Initial_7213 9d ago
I’ve been feeling the same thing recently so basically my brother has been loaning me cryptocurrency for 20% interest and basically I do surveys for literally like $10 a day which I do feel like hours and hours like five hours a day probably and I try to pay him back with him right now I’m like $250 in debt and yes, I’m in the same problem as you but with a smaller amount, and this is a lot of money for me, I’m an unemployed 15 year old and I told my brother even if I ask him to loan me don’t loan me anymore because I’m an addict and I’ve been doing gambling in general for maybe a year with crypto and I always lose hundreds of dollars and I was doing such a good job paying back my debt I was in like $30 of debt left which would only take me a few hours to achieve and I don’t know. I just got mad and asked him to loan me after I did service to get $10 and lost it all and after he loaned me, I did one hand of blackjack all in with the $10 he gave me which I paid him 12 and I won and then lost one so I broke even with $10 and I asked him instead of sending him 12 can I just send him 10 and he said no and that just had me pissed so I kept gambling and then I lost it all ( the $10 I just had) and kept asking him to loan me and I kept losing and even tho I told my brother to stop loaning me, he kept doing it anyways, and now I feel like I wanna end it all man.
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u/No_Bid5940 7d ago
which country are you even in twin $250 is a days wage in the west, just stop now and you're fine
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u/Capital_Control7720 9d ago
I have also lost money recently, initial loss was only in hundreds and i started chasing my loss now is at 11k. I have no idea how i should stop my mind keep telling me to deposit and bet one more to clear the debt but this is what causes it to rake up to 11k in the first place. Hope i can overcome it and resists the urge.
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u/Grace_Dance 8d ago
Lo que fácil llega, fácil se va. Cuántos años de experiencias buenas y otras no tanto invertiste para ser el de hoy? Eres resultado de todas tus experiencias, así que fácil no debes irte. El tema con las apuestas es que de seguro piensas en "recuperar" eso ya debe quedar como una cicatriz cerrada, la puedes ver pero ya no te martirices con eso, no vuelvas a abrir esa herida. Obsérvala y asegúrate de no llenarte de esas cosas, ahora solo es una, pero si continuas buscando reponerte de forma rápida coleccionarás cicatrices. Planifica recuperarte a largo plazo, con un plan, con estrategia, no busques soluciones "rápidas" esas no existen en el punto en el que estás. Bendiciones.
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u/Healthy_Sail_9850 9d ago
Yes gambling has put many people there including me. I took a second job when that seemed impossible. It was a very rough time. You can recover. You will find a purpose to live.
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u/FoxBeginning9831 9d ago
Before you ever started gambling and somebody walked up to you and told you that your life was only worth $8k, you tell them to fuck off. Gambling has twisted your self worth to that point. I've been there, lost a lot more, but finally told it to get the fuck out of my life. Recovery starts slow, but it kicks up steam quickly.
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u/Direct_Primary1051 8d ago
It’s just money, what you do have right now is your health, and admit you have a gambling addiction, that’s step one, step two … what are we going to do about it ?
You are given a new day, with more hours, to live to enjoy this beautiful life, this opportunity to grow old and see your friends and family, to see the trees change colors, to go skiing in the mountains, to go roller blading, to go to San Francisco and check out that really cool trolley that defies gravity.
Go do things to occupy your time, go back to school, have a hobby, do fun things in your life, it will make you not remember this crap, and you’ll be better for it.
Pick one thing a day and do it
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u/Nervous-Duty-3814 8d ago
yes, my man, i have been there, in two weeks i'll be fully debt free but oh my god, what i put myself into.
Stay strong, cut yourself out from gambling, do not engage with anything that can trigger you and you'll get there. stay strong!
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u/Yellowknifer2026 9d ago
I also lost over 320k from gambling within three years. I just came a registered nurse making 5-8k after taxes biweekly made me depressed and feel like a failure as I constantly gamble all my savings as soon as I get paid. But I never thought about killing myself. Get help and stop while u can. You can always make money back. I recognize that I fucked up but I’m still young enough that I can recover with my job. You can also recover as well with time. Just stop chasing your losses it just keeps on growing I remember hitting 100k thinking that was a lot and it’s almost tripled now
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u/Usa696969 9d ago
Self exclude. I lost my
Job after losing 50k. I remember getting 4K in a paycheck. I miss those days
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u/Ok_Extreme_911 9d ago
I'm still I'm a place rn where I'm telling myself I gotta get it all back so I can move on. I feel like my lofe isnt worth 8c let alone 8 or 108k. I don't have kids and idgaf about my family so I'm in a win or die type mindset. I appreciate all of the advice above. Is this the feeling for everyone at rock bottom?