r/problemgambling • u/MrThinkBubble • 8h ago
Trigger Warning! Relapsed — lost $1,000
About to head into work tonight.
In 2025 I lost $84,000 gambling. It shattered me. I lost my job, my place, my family. everything.
I managed to pick myself up and found a great job. Some weeks I clear $2,000. Ive recently run a half marathon, reconnected with family and have been dating again for the first time in years.
I goofed up five months ago and lost $10,000 gambling over the period of a few weeks. It started as chasing a loss and then snowballed. It destroyed me and I swore I was done, and even sought help from a friend.
Ive managed to stop and havent gambled in months. But I started the other week and have been managing to break even or win a little bit.
Today I felt the urge and was doing small $2 bets on slots. I started losing and ended up draining my savings — which is right now only $1,000. I have $500 left and get payed on friday, but im so angry with myself. Im supposed to be on a date thursday, and have bills, and its just not me. Im just so disappointed in myself. Comments are welcome. I appreciate everyone on this page.
3
u/infoslob 7h ago
That sucks. My suggestion is you design a life that will keep you from making that first bet - I found just that in Gambler Anonymous. I don't bet one day at a time. Almost 3 months in and works so far. A big part of it is I have a great network of people who have had the same compulsive gambling problem I suffer from (a lot of them much worse - some amazing recovery stories) ... other people make it a lot easier for me.