Gambling Addiction: 5 things I wish I knew when recovering

Tw :// This post contains talks of gambling addiction, mental health, suicide and addiction. Please do not read if you will find this a trigger.

Where it all begun, my personal story overcoming gambling addiction

Overcoming gambling addiction like any other kind is an intense journey. If it wasn’t nipped in the bud I dread to think what would have happened. Maybe I wouldn’t even be here. I never thought I’d ever find myself going through any form of addiction.

You never think it can happen to you until you find yourself fixated and dependent on a habit that feels too difficult to break. The feeling of dopamine rushing around your brain makes you feel a buzz that life perhaps couldn’t.

In fact addiction was something I had never dealt with personally until 2019. My whole life I was grateful that I had never been interested in smoking, recreational drugs or alcohol. I remember so clearly the first time I ever signed up to a gambling site. The one impulsive action that would cost me years of my happiness.

The ads are everywhere

I was at a friend’s house when I just randomly decided to register to a well known site after seeing the ad on television a few times. That’s how they get you, with the promise of a great deal and a fun experience. It felt exciting at the time even though I had nothing to show for it other than a lighter bank account balance.

I went from one site to another just collecting the welcome offers, all promising something that seemed too good to be true. Deposit &10 get £20 or Deposit £5 and get 20 free spins. You are led to believe that this is an amazing deal which will surely be worthwhile right? Oh if only it worked like that hey!

Addiction affects everyone, not just yourself.

I spent five years or so in and out of this soul destroying habit that cost me so much. I’m not just talking a financial loss, money is replaceable in a sense but the hurt I caused my loved ones is something I so wish I could change. I lost respect from people, my loved ones were hurting just as much as myself when all they could do was watch me go downhill feeling helpless. Gambling tore through relationship and friendships like a wrecking ball of self destruct. The impact it had on my mental health is something that scares me just thinking about. A mental health crisis was a weekly if not daily occurrence seeing me in need of urgent care regularly.

An insight to gambling addiction

The gambling industry in the United Kingdom is pretty significant, everywhere you turn there is a bookies or a fruit machine. Pretty much every pub has at least one fruit machine, people bet on various sports especially socially when hanging out with friends.

Demographic Insights

• Gender:
  • Around 50% of men participate in gambling activities.
  • 43% of women participate in gambling activities also.
• Age:
  • The most active age group is 25-34 years, with a participation rate of 52%.
  • Older age groups (55-64 years) have a participation rate of around 45%.

The things I wish I knew before overcoming gambling addiction

1. Time makes everything easier, to begin with recovering felt so far in the distance. As the days free became week and then months things started to feel so much easier to cope with. The urge to do it became less and less.
2. The amount of money you begin to save soon makes you realize just how much you was wasting. The feeling of being able to eat nice food and buy nice things felt so amazing, it was something I hadn’t been able to do for a long time because I had literally spent it all on gambling sites.
3. The feeling you get when you start to recover is amazing, you begin to feel a sense of self accomplishment which is more determination to never look back.
4. Rebuilding your life is hard but worthwhile, as each day of recovery went by the more I realized I was becoming happier, healthier and begun to heal on a much deeper level.
5. Recovering any addiction is not going to be easy, it takes a lot of self control, determination and sometimes professional rehabilitation to start your journey. Trust me when I say it is worth every tear and every ounce of self doubt. For me, being able to say ‘I did finally it’ is something I take the upmost pride in every single day.

Support for problem gambling addiction

Here in the UK there’s various support available for anyone overcoming gambling addiction. Gordon moody offers rehab to individuals without the private fee’s that most people would struggle to afford. Gamblers anonymous runs in many towns across the United Kingdom, they offer a safe place to talk without fear of judgement. In fact it was not until the support that I realized I’m not the only person to become addicted. Gambling’s an addiction which comes in various forms from online, to scratch cards, bingo halls, fruit machines and betting shops. No wonder the rate of harmful gambling is on the rise. From television and radio ads to the colorful lights of a fruity in the pub, it can feel hard to escape.

You’re not alone, addiction is a horrible thing but there can always be light at the end of the tunnel if you reach for it. Don’t suffer alone and don’t set your goals too high. I was told to look at it day by day. So just for today I will gamble.

Sincerely Abbey x