Hello,
Well done for reaching out on this forum
I am not sure if you are acknowledging that you have a gambling problem or actually summing up ‘wins’ and losses and considering whether you actually have a gambling problem and have lost a lot (compared to other people)
You wrote:
“All in all, I know this doesn’t sound terrible compared to some of the stories I have read on here, but long term debt is still causing me a degree of worry.“
I think the first step is to admit to ourselves that we have a problem and make a decision to stop
The fact that you are on this forum tells me that you do feel you have a gambling problem. You lost more money to gambling than you can afford. That is why you wrote
“I recently took a personal loan that was primarily needed to replace our combined savings for the bathroom – which I lost gambling.”
I find making statements about the damage gambling has done and my actions to remedy my situation , like “I will never gamble again as it is destructive” or “I cannot afford to gamble and lose money” helps me admit that my actions were wrong for me and Reinforce the idea that gambling damaged my life in many ways .
I think comparing how much i have lost to others doesn’t help me. I lost more than I could afford and that is what has ultimately made me say “no more” and “ I am a problem gambler and so I will never gamble again!”
You wrmore:
“As it stands, i am not in a terrible position, but I fear that I am on a self-destructive path which I won’t leave until I hit rock bottom. I still have a feeling that I will gamble at some point soon to make back those recent losses.”
In a way you are in a bad position as you are contemplating gambling again to recoup losses. Believe me if you do, you will end up losing so much more in short space of time. Please accept the losses. if you say to yourself “ I think i will gamble again…” then you will End up gambling. Allowing those thoughts into our minds, keeping the door open will most probably lead to more gambling and more damage.
I lost thousands in minutes and I am not in debt and still have a healthy bank balance. But I was in big trouble and in danger of losing every penny I had As well as my own health and sanity. I am still in recovery and do not take my GF days for granted. I still come on here as much as I can and know that I am always vulnerable to this destructive activity.
please say to yourself, I hVe lost more than I could afford to lose and I will never let gambling take A penny more. You and I deserve to be free of its toxic consequences