I am a compulsive gambler.

[DON15673]

The best way to quit gambling is convince your self that it is fixed and you cant win and you will stop real quick.see it for what it is.take that money in use it on your family.gambling is a sickness no different then a drug addict or drunk you have to replace it with a different need and see that it is destroying your life .

[No2BHO]

@gamblinggus hey man plz let me know if u can talk w me. I just officially quit gambling. I am devestated. How do I mend relationships from the illusion that took me down. I am 28 do I have time

[ChuckyTheGoat]

No offense, but I don't get it. There's more here than gambling. It's inner-strength. Gotta have it.

[gamblinggus]

@ChuckyTheGoat No offense taken. The Twelve Steps introduce the Higher Power. However one wants to phrase it, I receive inner-strength from outside by "praying only for the knowledge of His will... and the power to carry that out (Step 11)."

[paula18uk]

i lost about £6000 and it took a long time to save as i am unemployed and got my self into £2500 debt because of my habbit but i have been clean for a while now i stopped because i love my child and my husband they mean more than a slot machine it is easy for me to say it now but at thhusband did not hide my stuff time it was hard and a buzz for me. i resented the ones i love most and if my husband did not hide my stuff i would of selled it all and i am only 21 it is worth stopping :)

[manisco1]

@paula18uk you see why women should stay in the kitchen

[Phil212B]

Gambling ruined my life and my realationships! Don't start, if you can do it once and while then fine but if you find yourself doing it reguraly, stop now, seriously don't ever stop! I'm in recovery now and life is so much better, easier and more fullfilling without this shit! Your better than this...

[forwardrebel]

i need help....I know God and I feel so ashamed...I am better than this

[gamblinggus]

@forwardrebel Recovery happens 24 hours at a time. With patience, you WILL find peace in your life. Forgive yourself. It's hard to stop gambling with that monkey on your back. Email me, if you want.

[dubaiisback]

my sponsor made me a promise, "if you stop gambling, your life will be better than you ever could have imagined, and if you continue to gamble, your life will get worse."

ego stopped me from seeking help for months, please, if you think you have a problem, go to your nearest GA meeting, you have nothing to lose and a whole life to gain.

[flyorra]

awesome video.... ive started gambling recently i go there everyday because i am i dont work fulltime or anything, i get bored... but this video is face to face and i wanna go back and gamble but i know i wont stop at my limit, so i mentally banned myself...hope it works, coz i dont pray or believe in god anymore either

[gamblinggus]

@flyorra i hope it works, too. we can stop gambling. the hard part is not starting again. we can't stop the urges. they will come, and we must face them if we want to stay away from making a bet. i was reminded this week that we like to tell ourselves that the thought we are having is not an urge, but that doesn't make the urge go away. if we accept that we cannot stop the urges, then we can find the courage to face them.

[aprilrosemusic]

Money is the main reason. However, money is the root of all evil.

Work, serve and invent. Make the world better, and don't look what other have,

be independent and have faith in god. Logic win, emotion lose. I have big proof. It happened to me. I Just want to share. I did gamble because i was introduced into it. I lost my job because of it. However, I found new job and I every one is nice to me. I am very happy just working. Fuck gambling and money. Get the money in honest way.

[Patriot2572]

gamblinggus...what did you gamble on?

[gamblinggus]

@Patriot2572 I gambled online, even before I was 18. I first got started when I learned Texas hold'em after watching the WPT. I also bet on roulette, which was basically a quicker way to "gamble until [my] last dollar was gone."

@McBain86 Thanks.

[McBain86]

Nice video.

[ThePandora79]

Hey gamblinggus, I hope you're still doing well. It's hard for anyone to understand that hasn't been there. Your video's candor and honesty I'm sure helps others that don't have the same courage as you do to post their experiences online.

[gamblinggus]

@ThePandora79 The program works. I may have been pushing the envelope of anonymity when I posted this video, but it is overwhelming to see the number of views increase. Some find the courage to contact me privately. I wish more people would do so. If anybody needs help, just ask. "The only requirement... is a desire to stop gambling."

This video serves as a reminder to me that I was there. These comments serve as a reminder that this video is here. Thank you, everyone.

[daroowins]

The thing i dont like - depositing small and making a profit, but for the life in me cant quit while ahead.. cant see "hey look u won this money without doing anything! isnt that the whole point of this thing?" its fucking pointless if im just gonna lose all winnings ive invested time and energy in.. waste of money waste of time, no fucking point at all. but i do it every fucking time. once i start.. cant stop, cannot help myself. then feel like garbage scum once bust.. its bullshit. i am scum

[gamblinggus]

@daroowins you're not scum for gambling. some (or most) compulsive gamblers become scum by doing things for money, which we never thought we could have done before falling into gambling. i lied. i stole.

compulsive gambling isn't something that goes away by itself. the whole point for us is that there is no point. it's generally an escape. at that point, the money we "win" or lose (mostly lose) has no value at the table (or PC, slot machine, etc.).

[gats969]

@gamblinggus the GATS Program

[flyorra]

@gamblinggus thats right the money has no value at all, its a power struggle

[manisco1]

@flyorra if money has no value,how did you buy your computer

[flyorra]

@gamblinggus its an escape

[daroowins]

i dont have the desire to gamble all the time, i can go for weeks without touching it or thinking about it. But every now and then i go through bursts of intense gambling.. what normally happens i decide to deposit a relatively small amount, something i can afford to lose, end up winning 2-3 bets.. but i cant stop. keep trying to win little more, lose a bet gotta win it back, sooner or later i lose it all despite being up. but dont immediately redeposit.. just cool off, leave it for a while.

[1975doddy]

I just got paid of work and I get monthly pay and I stuck all my Money in rainbowriches I just couldn't stop msn it's a 500 pound jackpot I stuck in 980 pound and didn't even get pots what should I do man

[Kilowarning2]

Just don''t get in deep. Look at your bankroll and say, ok this is how much I can afford to spend.

[RomanWildernesOfPain]

I watched this video when I first began abstained from gambling. I haven't placed a bet in nearly two years. I hope you are still going strong man. Yes, you are absolutely right man, only another compulsive gambler can understand. Gambling is the hardest thing to walk away from. Less than 8% of Compulsive Gamblers in recovery abstain for a year.

[gamblinggus]

@RomanWildernesOfPain That's awesome! Yes. A lot has happened since I posted that video. I relapsed on October 21, 2008 and have abstained from gambling since then. That is the kind of response that I love to hear yet never get. Thanks a lot!

[mongeonkevin]

i will make alot of monye from gamblers wehn i set up my casino i will never gambel myslf tho

[smartypants01108]

this video is touching.

but you just gotta know when to stop, when you lose small stop, when you win stop. you cant try to be greedy, it will backfire on you, and remember your playing against the house the odds are AGAINST you.

[gamblinggus]

The only human that understands a compulsive gambler is a compulsive gambler. For some people, there's a difference between knowing when to stop and actually stopping. My choice is not to start again - ever. I hope the compulsive gamblers watching find what they're looking for.

[gamblinggus]

Is that why you watched the video?

[bankitdrew]

I watched the video because I like to gauge as many perspectives on something as I can.

[RomanWildernesOfPain]

@bankitdrew . Look at yourself in the mirror. Are you proud of your insensitive words? Resorting to mocking people over the internet. Tough guy.

[bankitdrew]

@RomanWildernesOfPain LOLOLOL

When you look at yourself in the mirror and reflect on your comments on youtube, do you feel good about yourself?

[clankyclause]

You cannot quit gambling because you are weak. If you cant stop loosing your money at the casino and it's a problem for you, self-ban yourself for life at that casino.

[gamblinggus]

Who's weak?

[roeKY]

we cant all be winners

[jani4fun]

u hit the nail in the head -

- but i guess gamblers think/hope/believe they CAN be the winners (optimistic) rather then the loosers (pesimistic).

[SuperKarend]

I was a hard core gambler. Blew my kids education money, mortgage payments, etc. Last year , had to see the doctor. I was suffering from RLS, restless leg syndrome. He prescribed medication that is usually given to people suffering from Parkinsons. My legs stopped kicking, and I noticed that after a couple of weeks, that so called itch to gamble went away. I have not set foot in a casino in 7 months. Dont know if its the drug, but, what else could it be. ................

[LuisManNa]

Nice video.

I am a compulsive gambler, however I am not a G.A. member.

I want to stop.

I have just arrived from the casino, lost to much money, I am broke.

Tomorrow I will look for meeting, otherwise I will be dead.

Is there any website?

[RUDEIDAWG]

gambling is such a bad addiction it destroys a person they have no life it breaks marriges to. Av been gambling since the age of 18 am nearly 29 now. I have lost so much money evrytime i lose i cry to myself and say am never gona gamble again but i always do. I spend whole days playing slot machines i lost 3500 once in a week on the machines wen i got home i cudnt sleep thinking about it

[clarkemetalstrust]

Your not a compulsive gambler ,your a normal person whos now has an impulse control disorder (I.C.D)which just means you havent developed yet the ability to discern between a strong emotional impulse and an evaluation based on future outcome.If you make the statement "I am a Gambler" your life will either be guess what? one big gamble or just troubled.A healthy ego is thought to regulate I.C.D so focus on the positive about who you are and want to be in life as it is different from what you did.

[katchkittie]

Well said !!

[arin1368]

online gambling is the worst cause is sounds like u have casino in ur home

[Ronnie6824]

there's a bar about 1 mile from where I live. they got only 8 stupid slot machines which r so un legal. n Im trying so hard 2 quit gambling, last time I did. I play my last 5.bucks! but 4 some reason, I was so scare to death that Im getting sick of it. n I mean sick,sick sick,sicK!!!!!! that I really hope I quit this bad enter.

[charliemctruth]

Your hearts in the right place.

But.....G.A meetings are full of people who love to talk about themselves i.e windbags. I am a compulsive gambler...but I will NEVER sit amongst those whipped and beaten men.

Today I gambled...I lost.

Tomorrow I MAY gamble..I MAY not..  I choose.

Its all in each of us to decide when its time to leave.

I hope and..(not pray) that you get thru this ,its up to you ,not some higher power.....

All the best friend.

[katchkittie]

You are so right..I started a G.A group in my town 5 years ago & the whole time people would sit there and lick their wounds.I do not believe any addiction is a disease (that's a label) people use instead of accepting responsibility for their own behavior.I am speaking from excperience..I made a life style change 6 years ago,stopped blaming everyone else for my problems,stopped the meetings,took care of myself !

[tony232cool]

i play scratch everyday play keno everyday, go to casino twice a month. am I a compulsive ambler?

[amazingdany]

If you are letting yourself go, play all your paycheck, you think of "your" machine, you neglect your friends and family... Better check yourself in.

Like all vices, it's all a matter of will and self-control. Something that they sadly lack.

But then that's only my opinion.

[KellyGiftShop]

tony232cool

Maybe not yet. It is a progressive disease .Good luck to you !

[Lilly2005japan]

you need to bleive in god he can help and guide you he bleives in you

[pcspiers]

i'd love nothing more than to believe that notion..but god for me is as far fetched as barney the dinosaur..i dont mean to offend..but if the bible was more believeable i'd on that boat!...i need guidence

[gamblinggus]

If you choose the route of G.A. for your recovery, remember that it is a spiritual fellowship, not a religious fellowship. You don't have to believe in God.

[katchkittie]

Why is God mentioned though out the "big book" of G.A so much? What about the 12 steps ? Serenity prayer?

Organized Religion!!!

[LuisManNa]

Has G.A. a website?

[Golfermillion]

Excellent video.

You are very brave, to be so honest with your stuff.

I wish you all the best, from one human being to another, may you forget about gambling, it is nothing, you are much more important.

Thank you from me and others who have been helped and encouraged by your courage and effort in making this video.

[itsallgood20002]

I'm a recovering compulsive gambler as well. Gambling is to us like crack is to drug addicts. I started when I was only 13. Ive gambled and lost my life savings over 30 years. I lost my job, my family, as well as my money. It's an everyday struggle, as before I'd have to make hundreds of mile trips to Vegas. Now there's Casino's on every street coner in my town. That's hard for me

[Pooby43]

It doesn't make any difference how often you fail. The important thing is that you keep on trying.  Unfortunately society has gambling everywhere making it very difficult to avoid. Stay strong and true to your committment. God bless you and keep you strong! luv Pooby

[Pooby43]

Compulsive gamblers don't have control if they did they wouldn't be compulsive gamblers. First and foremost Denial is the most common characteristic among gamblers. Overcome that and you are taking a step in the right direction.

[gamblinggus]

True. We, compulsive gamblers, cannot gamble normally. We must stay away from our first bet one day at a time, for the rest of our lives. Denial is one of countless possible character defects. Name any defect, and there is a compulsive gambler who possesses that trait. Then again, we aren't the only defective people on this earth. Nobody's perfect. When you point a finger, there are three more fingers pointing - back at you.

[zelarian]

You can learn everything there is to playing any kind of hand dealt, but the difference between a winner and a looser is 'Discipline'. Learning how to successfully manage a bankroll and overcoming tilt should be mastered no matter what.

[OCPARKWAY]

Why are People Calling Him a Loser? hes got A problem and hes getting help

[gamblinggus]

For those wondering, I haven't gambled since July 13. We all make mistakes. We learn from them. And hopefully, we make the right changes to avoid the same mistakes.

Gambling is an impulse control disorder. It's not the joke ignorant people make it out to be. But I'm not about to rip anybody a new hole. I know I'm better off working on creating a better me.

I've got cash in my pocket for once. More importantly, I'm finding serenity. Gambling can be beat, one day at a time. Good luck.

[marthacattnurse]

You are a very brave man and I'm sure your video will give others inspiration to seek help. Good luck to you. Most people don't realize they're an addict until they've lost everything---not only in gambling but in life.

[BandwagonBabe]

so whatever happened to u? how are ya?

[MOTM47]

My heart goes out to you...

I am as well going through the steps of recovory. Ive everything, and now im wrapped in cold late at night... anyways, keep fighting, you can check out my video as well. GO to my channel and its title... Documentary on a gambling addict... Much love and respect... Nathan Kelly...

[robbiethecowboy]

hows ur progress going gus? hope ur doing well mate.

[cleopatra789206]

thank you! thank you! thank you! this is my first day of sobriety and you give me strenthg and hope

[yahoovisitor]

In the western countries it's a big source of tax earning and the gamblers are now turning their move towards the east where due to lack of education and literacy its easy to fool a poor man and get funds released on the name of awards.USA and its allies who for want of funds for destruction of peace on globe encourage the internet gamblers to commit this blunder. As USA is already destroyed as regards its economy and it can be an indirect source of earning money for this purpose.

[grenda5]

thanks for posting this,I need it.

[prokopton]

Visit our site and you might find out about gambling addiction. Gambling addiction could be a symptom of something else, such as a mental illness. I had a gambling problem for over a decade.

encognitiveDOTcom

[hldietsdotcom]

You help me Gus....thanks.

[souperroofer]

how much did you lose and what type of gambling did you lose it on.

[bartmanxoxo]

Guss U ROCK !!!!

[lkcaudill]

Sorry about that-I meant It really hurts me to "HEAR" that you etc... I get in too big of a hurry when typing. Hopefully you knew what I meant to say. God bless.

[lkcaudill]

I'm trusting in God's help to kick this habit. I'm going cold turkey. It worked with smoking. I haven't picked up a cigarette in 17 years. I'm sad to here you don't believe in God. This means you will be relying on man's abilities and techniques. Sounds like a gamble to me-no pun intended.

[lkcaudill]

I've decide to go cold turkey. This is how I quit smoking. I stopped smoking about 17 years ago. I'm leaning on God this time as well. It really helps to rely on a power greater than man. It really hurts me to here you are a non believer. This means you will be limited to man's abilities and techniques. Good luck.

[lkcaudill]

I'm on disability. I've lost $1100.00 in the last 3 days. I do believe in God. I'm asking for anyone else out there whom believes in God to please pray for me. I'm going to do my best not to return. I was able to give up smoking, but had to do it cold turkey. It was difficult. I pray I can stop the gambling. Thanks.

[MrJim]

Good luck mate. I am trying to give up as well. I made a new years resolution to quit, but I found myself losing £500 down the slot machines today. I felt sick afterwards & still feel sick now. I need to go back to a GA meeting & get help myself. Good luck.

[wotevahz]

My resolution too but i told myself after this football season and now i just lost big on New England not covering spread 5gs plus juice

[Hopefl1]

Hey brother, you look pretty young and I hope you have some time now. i just celebrated 10 years a few months ago. If you need someone to chat with or anyone else, feel free to respond to this email.

[louisianajane]

Way to go in attending Gamblers Anoymous. It's saved my sorry butt for the past 4 years. It works if yah work it!

[turborob1010]

I'm in the same boat. All the best. I respect your honesty and courage to put yourself up here. All the best.