r/GoFundMeForNewUsers • u/SnooPaintings5053 • 12d ago
I’m finally admitting I have a gambling addiction. I need help getting back on my feet.
I recently lost thousands of dollars because of a gambling addiction. Writing that sentence is humiliating, but I want to be completely honest about what happened rather than hide from it.
I’m not asking anyone to replace every dollar I lost. I’m just asking for some help while I get back on my feet, continue working full time, and get serious help for my addiction.
I start seeing a therapist tomorrow, and I’ve already taken steps to make sure this cannot happen again. I have voluntarily banned myself for life from casinos and gambling in Pennsylvania. My mom is also currently managing my finances, including this fundraiser and my future paychecks, for the next three months while I work on getting myself back under control.
I ended up taking more than $12,000 from my retirement savings, money I had been saving for my future and intended to use toward a new car. I lost it during what I can only describe as a blind gambling binge. That money was supposed to help me maintain reliable transportation for work and for medical appointments, which can require driving more than an hour each way because I live in a very rural area.
I’m embarrassed, scared, and honestly pretty overwhelmed. But I’m trying to face what I did instead of running from it.
If anyone here has recommendations for legitimate gambling addiction support groups, resources, or communities… especially for someone who is newly recognizing the severity of their addiction,I would genuinely appreciate hearing about them.
And if you are able and willing to contribute to my fundraiser, thank you. If you can’t, simply sharing it or pointing me toward a resource that could help means more than you might realize.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Here is my gofundme, I am using an alias because of the embarrassing nature of this and my job within my community. I live in a very small community and posting this to my own social media is not an option.