Compulsive gamblers speak out about their gambling addiction and how their lives were affected.
Posted: Monday, January 03, 2005
by Howard Keith
I Stopped Gambling, LLC
Gamblers who are addicted to gambling now realize theirs not alone and theres hope for a future with happiness..
I interviewed a number of compulsive gamblers and this is what they had to say. Please note that no names are given to protect their anonymity..
Looking back over the past five years, I realized I lost a good portion of my life. I remember the pain and the continuous deception as I awoke each and every morning. I lied to my wife and I lied to my friends. I can not believe how my personality changed as I became more and more manipulative over time. I knew I had a problem. I did not know how do I face it when I lost all of my money, maxed out my credit cards and kept this secret from my wife and kids. I was a good husband and I was a good person but life all changes as I became more and more involved with gambling. My wife now found out since bills were mounting. I sat down and told her what I had done. She was in shock and disbelief. She told me either to get help or get out. I found your website and I am glad I did. I grabbed on and have not let go. .
I was raising two kids by myself. A friend took me to play bingo. I won $350.00. I was so excited I was able to buy things that my children needed. What I didn't realize was that I was hooked. Before I knew it all of my money was going to the bingo hall. One day I needed milk for my kids and I didn't want to spend the money because I needed it for gambling. I couldn't believe what I was thinking. I finally woke up and realized I had a problem. I felt so alone and distant from everyone. I stopped going to lunch with the girls at work. Didn't want to spend the money. I called the local gamblers hotline and they referred me to a group that meets weekly Gamblers Anonymous. I couldn't go I had no money for a baby sitter, that was my excuse. I decided to go online and learn about what I had and was there a pill that stops you from gambling. There's no pill. I found this site and read as much information and I continue to strive to meet my new goals. .
Gambler 3.
My mother was dying of cancer and she needed my help. The first two months I made excuses why I couldn't be there. I was slowly dying inside from the guilt of losing so much money and from the fact I wasn't there for my mother. I knew there was something wrong with me, but I didn't know how to stop. I told a friend about my problem and she told me I was gambling because my mom was dying. This made no sense to me. I went to my doctor and he explained what was happening. I found help through your website and I learned about taking care of myself and how to move forward. Each day that goes by I hear of friends of friends who lost everything due to gambling. I do not want this to happen to me. I take it one day at a time and I was there for the last few months of my moms life. We had a good talk and understanding about my life and my addiction. I am a compulsive gambler but I choose not to gamble today. .
If you realize you have a problem, maybe it's time to seek help. It's a know fact that compulsive gamblers wait until they lose everything before they are willing to get help.
For those who are still searching for a way to stop compulsive gambling addiction, there are new innovative websites available to help.
This Article has been viewed 2,570 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)I am so lucky to find this website. I just lost $8000. I was about to bet big to win back the money. I even developed a method to win video poker. Now I know I am so pathetic. I am hitting the jackpot by deciding not to gamble again. I saved those money. I will never go to a casino again with my will and determination. I realized it was a very close call. From now on, I will focus on my work and my family. Money is the root of all evils !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.