How do I stop

[u/39nate]

I’m a 20-year-old male, and I’ve been struggling with gambling for about two years now. and I genuinely want to stop, but I’m finding it extremely difficult.

I think the root of my gambling addiction is my financial situation. I live with my parents and work two jobs, contributing to household bills every two weeks while also paying for my car insurance and other necessities. Despite working and trying to be responsible with my money, I constantly feel like I don’t have enough to get ahead financially or enjoy the things I work for.

Whenever I get paid, I feel like I should finally be able to catch up on everything. But I end up gambling to earn extra, lose money I can’t afford to lose, fall behind on bills, and struggle to make ends meet until my next payday. Then the cycle repeats. My debt keeps piling up, and I find myself gambling again because I’m desperate to recover what I’ve lost and get back on track financially.

The hardest part is that I keep seeing gambling as a way out of my financial problems. When I’m struggling to afford things, the temptation to gamble becomes much stronger because I want a quick solution instead of having to keep living paycheck to paycheck. I know this mindset is making everything worse, but when you’re constantly worried about money, it’s hard to stop looking for a way to get ahead.

I feel terrible because I want to do more for my family and especially my girlfriend with our sixth anniversary last Monday. Instead, I keep putting myself in a worse position, losing it all a day after my paycheck and it’s exhausting.

For those who have overcome gambling addiction, how did you break the cycle, especially when financial stress was one of the main reasons you kept relapsing? How did you manage the urges when you were struggling financially and felt desperate to get ahead?

I’m not looking for a way to gamble more responsibly. I genuinely want to stop, get my finances under control, and build a better future for myself. I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences

[u/Ballertilldeath]

I stopped by hitting a rock bottom point. I was on a phone call with my parents and I started crying when I realized how much I lost on Draftkings.

From that day on I decided to start investing my money instead because I didn’t want these negative feelings anymore. Before this I had invested with a gambling mindset and lost a ton of money. I decided to pick some safe blue chip stocks and just keep putting all my money is there.

Currently up 124% on google stock that I bought and kept buying from that day. The best part is I still get the satisfaction from winning

It hasn’t been easy. Ive had relapses where I gamble but I try to limit or exclude myself and overall just bet lower amounts because I dont like the big negative feeling of losing a lot.

[u/nullvector00]

Join a support group and talk about your gambling journey. Be honest with yourself and the ones you open up to. First step is to self exculed and block any ads that triggers your relapse. Then find a support group or someone you can talk to whenever you have the urge to relapse.