gambling

H

henx

New member
Hi,

Im sorry if this is ruining the "fun" of this community, but i would like to ask help from you guys regarding my gambling addiction. I assume that some of you have sometime had an addiction and therefore could might help me.

So Im from Finland and here we have these simple slots in practically every supermarket or store. So you can access them very easily. Then we also have small land based casino-lounges which have the exact same slots, but with higher bets.

I got seriously addicted after my first time winning big, 200€. My mindset changed from casually having fun playing slots to think that I was able to "make money". I gambled away all the money in a course of 5 weeks. The week after that I managed to win again around 200€. The addiction became worse and worse. Started losing alot of money and slowly my depression worsened also.

Ever since i have pretty much gambled money that I needed/didn't afford to lose. It's really getting bad, Im depressed alot. Any advice would help, but I guess It's alot riding on myself to get in control of this thing.

Sorry for the long post☺

 
henx said:
Hi,

Im sorry if this is ruining the "fun" of this community, but i would like to ask help from you guys regarding my gambling addiction. I assume that some of you have sometime had an addiction and therefore could might help me.

So Im from Finland and here we have these simple slots in practically every supermarket or store. So you can access them very easily. Then we also have small land based casino-lounges which have the exact same slots, but with higher bets.

I got seriously addicted after my first time winning big, 200€. My mindset changed from casually having fun playing slots to think that I was able to "make money". I gambled away all the money in a course of 5 weeks. The week after that I managed to win again around 200€. The addiction became worse and worse. Started losing alot of money and slowly my depression worsened also.

Ever since i have pretty much gambled money that I needed/didn't afford to lose. It's really getting bad, Im depressed alot. Any advice would help, but I guess It's alot riding on myself to get in control of this thing.

Sorry for the long post☺
Click to expand...
Hey buddy, welcome to the community. You came to the right place, as many people struggle with how to control gambling addiction.

From what you described, it seems that you don't have any control (unless your bank account reaches zero or negative balance).

Unfortunately, you are in control of all your actions and at the end you'll have to learn how to manage your addiction.

Good news for you is however, you can take this suggested steps to take control over gambling:

1. Tell your family / friends about your problem (this is crucial, because they will be the ones supporting you on your way to recovery)

2. Work out a plan, how you will not play those machines in supermarkets. Maybe give control of your money to someone in your family or your friends, and they will give you weekly allotments. If you bust that allotment, you'll have nothing to eat and nothing to gamble - so it will be ultimate choice, you get hungry or gamble.

3. Find a hobby or something that will help you keep your mind off the gambling. Maybe watch TV series, maybe play some computer games, go out with friends, ...

4. Don't give up. Well, if you do the steps above I'm sure you won't give up as you'll have support available.

Gambling is a nasty habit and if it's not properly addressed it can destroy relationships, families, friendships, your job, and most of all, your health.

This is all that I can advise you, if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to come here and ask :)

Wishing you nice recovery!

 
If you're a real addict then pretty much the only way you will stop gambling is by simply not having the funds . If there is someone you can 100% trust then get them to look after all your money / cards etc and feed you money as and when you need it . 

Also this might sound perverse but have you considered playing poker ? It's gambling but with skill . So once you get good at the game it's gambling where you expect to win longterm , as opposed to slots where you will lose longterm . I don't get the same gambling buzz from poker as I do from slots but you can win big money at poker and you use your brain as well rather than mindlessly clicking the spin button (even though I still love slots :p)

 
Only gamble with what you can afford to lose, if you don't have much money then you really shouldn't be gambling.

I keep a spreadsheet of all my gambling activity from deposits to withdrawals, and i always pay my bills ie mortgage a month in advance incase i have a bad run on the slots.

I also put additional money every month into premium bonds for myself and my daughter, this ensures that i always have backup money for bills etc if something were to happen with work and/or too much gambling.

I hope you can get the help you need, i'm here if you need to talk.

 
I'm sorry to hear that things have taken a turn for the worse...I to had a problem with slots and it took other people to show me what I was doing to myself and others.what Nick and skyline have said is good advice also if you have online accounts I would self exclude some you can for 6-12 months and get a family member to change the passwords to something they only know.i hope you get things sorted in the future all the best

 
Drill it into your head that you can't make money from slots if u play alot longterm.

Play a session once a week with spare money don't play everyday,if u can't do that and have fun then it's a problem.

When you win don't put it back into slots keep win i'm sure think of something nice to do with it :)

At the end of the day it's up to you and u already learned a lesson the hard way.

This is a NASTY business for sure you really have to be fully aware what you are getting into.

 
Hello,

Sorry to hear about your depression. I'll share part of my story below and I hope it helps you in recovering and regaining joy.

I started gambling when I was 17 and it took over my life. I started with poker and was a successful player until I started hitting the blackjack tables and  seeing my profits disappear along with my savings. It started with small losses here and there, but the threshold kept getting pushed higher and higher until it got really out of hand. Not too long ago, I was still burning paychecks at the local casino. I've only recently (27 now) managed to get a hold of it, thanks to this community which I've been a lurker of for quite some time now and a great deal of emotional damage repair. I now play slots once per week with a predetermined amount that I don't care about if I lose.

The hardest thing for me was to find the root of my addiction. As It turns out, as much as our brain is biased into seeing patterns in slots and in other random games or events it actually sucks when it comes to unbiased introspection. The best way to get over it is to set an amount that will not affect you if you lose it and STICK TO IT and keep a track record of all your play. Do not lie to yourself or you will downward spiral into depression and self-loathing and this may amplify your addiction problem. 

If you win, great! Book it and enjoy the spoils for yourself and loved ones. Just remember that it may take months or even years before you win a similar amount and don't plan on winning anytime soon either. Slots and other casino games are -EV so you WILL lose in the long run.

Sorry for the drawn out post, but if you have gambling problems, just reach out to me or this community and you will find the help and counsel you need.

 
Problem gambling is unfortunately something casinos depend upon to survive.

Don't get me wrong, i love playing slots but you have to remember that playing long-term on a winning streak WILL END EVENTUALLY. The casino always needs to make a profit like any business, so in the end whatever you win they will get back from you over long term play.

For example - i once was 4k in profit over I’d say a 3 solid weeks, then one day - BOOM - casino pretty much stripped me of 2.5k in a matter of 9 hours. You see it's the 'tipping point' you have to resist, looking back I know I should of stopped but i was angry and frustrated that what was going so well had suddenly dried up out of existence in the space of 24 hours.

Warning signs to look out for and to stop:

- Lack of bonuses

- Increased deposits versus withdrawals

- Lack of fun

- That anxious losing feeling

- Feeling depressed

Ultimately you have control over your actions, but do not be hard on yourself if you slip up. we have all done it. It's part of the addiction. Just try and remember this is what casinos do and it's the nature of the beast.

Winning feels amazing, losing feels like daylight robbery.

Good luck bud.
 
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