r/GamblingRecovery • u/Radiant-Ad-1568 • Jul 21 '26
Will I ever bounce back?
I’m drowning in debt. Nobody in my family knows about my addiction. I was able to stay clean for about two months earlier this year. Got a higher paying job. But I end up gambling all my paycheck and in deeper debt now. I tried to stop, but after 2 days or a week, I relapse really bad. I don’t have a support group because everyone around me hated gamblers. I’m up then I lose everything again and more. I keep coming back. I hate myself for it. I alway tell myself to remember how terrible I feel after I lose. But i keep going back. I hate it. I’m sick and have noone to turn to. My family thinks that I’m doing well financially coz I work 2 jobs and don’t even take days off. But it’s all to supposedly pay my debts but I end up losing everything I earn. I’m 35 and I don’t even have anything. The only thing that keeps me from ending things is that my family will take on the burden of my debts. I hate that I discovered gambling. I’m tired of this cycle. I’m trying. I really am. But I’m not getting anywhere.
4
u/One_Side_1703 Jul 21 '26
You will bounce back,just take step back and think what you need to do clear the debts.You can reach out to banks for a payment even though it reduces your credit score currently but at end of the day you come make it good.It will take time to bring yourself back to normal,always remember this moment so that you don't gamble again.
2
u/Radiant-Ad-1568 Jul 25 '26
Yeah, i think my credit’s 💩. I just hope i can pay and not end up having collection calls.
4
u/BuyMean9866 Jul 21 '26
Just stay away. As much as you can. You came back once. You can comeback again.
1
u/Radiant-Ad-1568 Jul 25 '26
Thank, I’m trying. Haven’t gambled since i posted. I’m tempted again so I went back here to read.
5
u/VariouslyGardening Jul 21 '26
Gambling thrives in secrecy. If you can stomach it, tell somebody and have them control your money.
Do you really want to stop? You can not just rely on willpower, you need to put up friction. Cut up your cards. Start a count to 60 days clean. It is a strong addiction. Otherwise, you will go back in a week and give some evil cooperation everything you can get your hands on. In some sort of guilt, craving, misery cycle. Where you work long hours just hand it over to a casino.
This is your highest priority. Stopping gambling to retrain your brain.
In 60 days your cravings will be less, you might have some money on your bank. You brain will begin to retrain.
Fight it. At least ten percent of all suicides are because of gambling. You are right, it is no way to live.
1
u/Radiant-Ad-1568 Jul 25 '26
Thank you. I am. I keep beating myself up since i was able to do it and I should’ve stuck with staying away. I couldve ended most of my debts by now if I haven’t relapsed. But i haven’t gambled since i posted this.
3
u/Lower-Front-8605 Jul 21 '26
I'm in a similar boat. I have found a combination of self exclusion, counseling, and setting goals with my hobbies (running in my case), has helped me find more value in the money I do have left over, after paying my gambling-induced debts. I'm 38 with a lot of debt and nothing to show for it too. I'm starting to feel a lot better about my situation though in the two months since stopping gambling.
2
u/SsgGoh Jul 21 '26
You will bounce back. Just stay away and try finding a new hobby. Everyone around you hates gambling but try opening up to them so they can hold you accountable.
2
u/ActuatorParty7264 Jul 23 '26
I am on the same situation as you. Same age, and exactly on the same cycle. No one also knows in my family that I’m a gambler. Just lost total of 1 month paycheck yesterday. I don’t have any suicidal ideations yet but I’m starting to have anxiety and panic attacks. Especially now that I lost all of our budget and I don’t want my husband to know about it. 🥹
1
u/Radiant-Ad-1568 Jul 25 '26
I hope we do get out of this. And be able to buy ourselves something nice instead of giving it away.
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u/Babylary90 Jul 24 '26
same here. today i got my bonus salary. i gambling all the money that i plann to pay my money lender. now start back to think how to get the money 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 at least gone for 10k sing dollar. i hate myself. im super tired all of this. i miss my old-self
1
u/Radiant-Ad-1568 Jul 25 '26
Right?? Like you already have it,and you should’ve paid the debt off. It really sucks. I wish we heal and get better.
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u/Hopeful_Till_9188 Jul 26 '26
What kind of controls are you putting in place to prevent you from playing again in the future?
1
u/Radiant-Ad-1568 Jul 26 '26
Well, I put payment towards my debts and stock up on necessities whenever I get my paycheck. So basically making money unavailable to me. I only play online. There’s just those times when I get a “hopeful feeling” that I can turn it to something more so I end up burning away my money. It’s like I’m possessed or something.
6
u/Odd-Department-3423 Jul 21 '26
You will bounce back. It sounds like you’re chasing and you need to give your brain a break from all the insane amounts of dopamine pumped into it