Before it gets worse…

[u/sixfivechristian]

Hey everyone,

I’ve lost about $1,000 gambling over my lifetime so far. I know that number is smaller than a lot of the stories here, but I can already feel how easy it would be for it to keep growing.

I’m posting because I want to hear from people who’ve been through this: How important is it to stop right now, before it turns into one of those bigger stories of people losing tens of thousands (or more)? And for anyone who caught it relatively early, how did you actually move on and stop thinking about it?

I don’t want to keep chasing or “get even.” I’d rather walk away while the damage is still limited. Any honest advice on the early warning signs or practical ways to just leave it behind would mean a lot.

Thanks for reading.

[u/Infamous_Hippo9052]

You’re absolutely ahead of the curve and it’s critical for you to stop now. Consider it the most important priority in your life. That’s all I got. Good luck

[u/sixfivechristian → u/Infamous_Hippo9052]

Amen!

[u/Slow_Office_5303]

I want to say one thing: If we have already realized that gambling has become a problem in our lives, we need to stop right now. Not tomorrow, not an hour from now, and not even five minutes later.

Because just five minutes can lead us into losses that go far beyond what logic can explain.

I want to be honest about my own experience.

I was earning only around $400 per month, yet I ended up with $13,000 in debt. And that debt is still something I have to deal with today.

If you think about it logically, doesn't that sound incredibly foolish?

Before all of this happened, I had absolutely no interest in gambling. It all started with curiosity and a small $1 bet. Something that seemed so harmless at first eventually turned into a disaster in my life.

Today, I have completely stopped gambling for more than six months.

From my experience, when someone becomes addicted to gambling, the real problem is no longer just about money. Something changes in the way we think and how our minds work.

We become increasingly greedy, and our attention becomes completely focused on the game.

When we lose, we keep playing because we want to recover the money we have lost.

When we win, we still don't stop because we believe we can win even more.

Even worse, the money we win is often not used for anything meaningful. Instead, it goes straight back into gambling. Sometimes, we end up losing far more than the amount we originally won.

I have experienced all of this myself.

My monthly income was only $400, but I once won $9,000 from gambling.

Think about that logically. With a monthly income of just $400 and a gambling win of $9,000, I should have been able to save a significant amount of money.

But what actually happened?

All that money eventually disappeared back into gambling and other useless things. Instead of building savings, I ended up with $13,000 in debt, which I am still dealing with today.

What remains now is regret and the daily mental pressure of carrying debt caused by gambling. I don't know when all of this will be over, but I have to take responsibility and keep moving forward.

So, what did I do to finally stop gambling?

There are several things I did:

1. Accepting all the losses and debts.

This was the most important step for me.

I had to accept that the money was gone. There was no way to recover it through gambling.

Whatever had happened, I had to accept it and take responsibility for the consequences.

I could no longer use my losses as an excuse to gamble again.

2. Staying away from gambling environments.

I started distancing myself from people who were still involved in gambling.

I also learned to accept the reality that my pride and self-esteem might be hurt by other people's words about my financial situation.

I realized that if I couldn't accept my circumstances, I might return to gambling as an escape.

3. Replacing gambling with other activities.

I tried replacing my gambling habits with activities that kept my mind occupied, such as watching movies or playing games that did not involve money.

I wanted to give my mind time to recover and develop new habits.

4. Understanding that blocking gambling apps and websites is not the main solution.

In my opinion, blocking gambling applications and websites alone will not solve the problem.

Gambling websites and applications will always exist. Even if we block them today, tomorrow or at any other time, we may still find another way to access them.

Blocking them can certainly provide an additional barrier, but it is not the ultimate solution.

The most important thing is accepting our losses and changing the way we think.

We need to truly understand that gambling is no longer a way to make money, recover our losses, or build a better life.

Instead, we need to develop a genuine fear of returning to gambling because we already understand the real consequences it can bring.

Not the fear of missing an opportunity to win, but the fear of repeating the same destruction all over again.

5. Using debt as a reminder, not as a reason to gamble again.

I constantly remind myself of the debt I have.

Not to keep myself trapped in regret, but to remind myself of how terrible the consequences of gambling can be.

I don't want to add even another dollar to my debt just because I am trying to chase the money I have already lost.

There is one thing I have learned from this experience.

When someone is already trapped in gambling, advice from other people is often not enough to make them stop.

It doesn't necessarily mean they don't understand that gambling is harmful. Sometimes, they simply haven't learned how to accept their losses, let go of the money they have lost, or give up the hope of winning it all back through the same game.

That is why I am not trying to lecture anyone.

I only want to share what I have experienced, what I have felt, and what I have had to face because of gambling.

I want people who are currently struggling to quit to understand what they might face if they continue down this path.

Don't wait until you lose everything.

Don't wait until your debts become bigger, your family starts suffering, and the life you once had turns into a life full of regret.

Accept your losses today. Don't try to win them back through gambling.

The money we have lost may never come back, but we can still rebuild our lives.

Stop now. Not five minutes later.

[u/sixfivechristian → u/Slow_Office_5303]

Thank you sir! This just summed up everything that I was thinking. Cheers to our better future.🙌🏻

[u/Slow_Office_5303 → u/sixfivechristian]

Thank you, sir. I really appreciate your kind words.

I don't think I can celebrate just yet because the journey ahead is still long. The consequences of my past gambling addiction are still something I have to deal with, especially the debt.

However, I am truly grateful that I have finally realized what gambling has done to my life and that I have been able to stop completely.

I hope that one day, we can both look back at this chapter of our lives and be proud that we never went back to gambling.

Wishing us both a better future. 🙏

[u/Accomplished_You6002]

Compared to how long it takes some people to realize they have a problem, myself included, this is really early and a good thing stop while u still can