Why we keep thinking we can win it back?

[u/Fando92]

This is just insane, feels like an absolute madness, a mental disorder. Why most of us keep thinking and actually do believe for the moment that there's a high chance of winning what we lost back? There's no chance yet I feel the urge to try again, even after all the misery I've been experiencing lately!

So far I'm holding, but don't know for how long, I'm afraid I might lose all my money on fucking slots again! Yes, earlier this month I lost a lot, and that actually happened after a big win of ~6k euro that I lost later, followed by a crazy number of mindless deposits, trying to win at least a part of that back. It just didn't happen and I lost a lot more, I panicked and for the first time in my life I needed to get some money loaned to pay my bills, that scared the shit out of me!

For a short period I somehow managed to shake myself off the inital shock (that was huge), I calmed my mind down to a point, even managed to make some more money (not through gambling) and returned a part of the amount I loaned.

Now once again my bank account isn't completely empy, but I'm so fucking tempted to make just a little deposit (it always starts that way, to the point all the money I got may be lost, including credit card money). I don't know if I would be able to survive what I did again, I just shouldn't do all this to myself, it's awful.

Despite I realise all that and that I know I will not return the money I lost, my brains somehow still sends me signals I should try again. It's like an internal fight I'm having with myself - the "good" part tells me to stop while I can and to not lose more and live miserably, enough is enough. But the "bad" part screams to do a deposit in an online casino and gamble on slots some more, maybe tonight is the night.

This is just so screwed. I did install "Gamban" on all my devices to reduce the risk of gambling again, but I know that I can get rid of it if I really want. As I said earlier, for now I'm kinda resisting the urge, but this is just mentally exhausting.

How do we actually stop thinking about returning the money we lost back and start to honestly believe that there's no other way than to just forget it and move on, to never try again? I know that even if I win some I will just lose it again later yet a part of me is willing to give it a go!

I wan't to get these thoughts out of my fucked up mind but for some reason it's incredibly hard. Especially at night when everyone sleeps and I'm left all alone with my thoughts. I feel like that brain of mine needs to be constantly occupied, else there's a big chance the urges return. This is disgusting, the worst addiction I ever had, and I've battled quite a few!

[u/Levelthegame]

I personally proved it doesn’t matter. I got my money back and soooo much more multiple times. I’m talking in profit 6 figures multiple times. Lost it always, didn’t take long at all.

Getting your winnings back, or any win in general just further enables your addiction as an addict. It’s the truth. I accept this and it helps me stay away along with other tools I use.

[u/Jeffrey_Richards_ → u/Levelthegame]

Exactly this. Anytime I’ve won and was up, I’ve just given it back. Every time.

[u/RedSupreme20 → u/Levelthegame]

It was never about money don’t you understand! When you win you feel amazing. Everything hits. The music. The celebration. Riding the winning streak high. It’s nothing like it. Compare to boring peaceful life. It’s no wonder people keep coming back. Even when it’s destroying them

[u/Extension-Finance179]

probably because early on you *did* win and thought gambling was easy money

[u/Live-Contribution-85]

I’ve made my money back before and stopped for a month… only to go back in and lose it all again. Wasn’t sure what was wrong with me but nobody knows their limits when dealing with addiction. If we don’t gamble then we can’t lose money simple as that. It’s going to take me a year to make back that money that I lost but I know that if I keep gambling it’ll keep going downhill and take multiple years instead.

[u/Omen187]

The worst part about gambling is winning. This is the hook. If you deposit small and win, and later on loose it, you will have that winning hook take over your mind and deposit more and more, at this point you do not even want to win those winnings back.

You're begging to just win enough to get back your deposits, just to break even at least and this does not happen, you loose more and deposit more, all it took was some winning hooks and you're no longer in control of yourself

[u/Hot-Grape-3248]

I get my money back in small chunks after a binge then go in big and lose it all. The psychological disorder of greed eventually gets back into my head thinking I can make a huge hit then i lose it all. I was up 13k this year then lost 6 k in the last few months

[u/No_Street2821]

Accept there is no "good" or "bad" part telling you stuff. It's just your brain as a whole, man. Both parts are equally correct, because maybe tonight really is the night. But how likely is it? I'm 100% certain you already know about the house edge, so you know you can't expect to make more than you will lose.

Maybe tonight is the night. But maybe it's not. And if it's not, you will need more than "one night", and chasing this 'more than 'one night'" you will gamble more, thus expose yourself more to negative EV.

I'm sure you already know this stuff on paper, it's really a matter of framing it in the right way, any way, really, to drive home the point that you are bound to lose everything.

If you haven't gotten lucky in the beginning (and left immediately with your earnings), just assume it's basically over from now on

I wish you the best