Addictions: Gambling was my 15 year demon.

[poido123]

Started when I was 17.

My real dad had died, I was an up and coming tennis player and my coach at the time introduced me to gambling.

My life was a roller coaster for 15 years. Big wins, big losses. I gambled my dads inheritance away of 20 thousand dollars in 2 weeks at 18 years of age.

I have many regrets, gambling ate away my social life, putting a bet on came before everything, didn't give a shit about anyone. Would have trouble sleeping with all the lies, deception and money issues I had.

I'm 32 now, have given up gambling for 6 months and my Outlook on life has totally changed. I'm still discovering who I am, it's like a big cloud has lifted off and it scared me at first since I didn't know what it felt like to feel good about myself.

I attend GAMBLING counseling every week and have a strong determination to never go back. Life is too good now, I have money in the bank, working two jobs and a happy girlfriend. The journey has been exhausting but I now appreciate things a lot more.

I don't ever believe I'm cured, just take it a day at a time.

have any of you guys overcome Addictions? What was it like to come out of It?

[nathanjizzle]

gambling is a horrible addiction. You have spent your entire 20s with that addiction which im sure handicapped your potential. Never go back. Even when you think about it just remember how somber it is to be addicted to gambling.

at the end of the day, money doesnt mean shit and winning and losing it is a mirage for instant gratification. What matters is your health, well being and happiness.

plus, there are better things than the thrill of gambling. Like watching d rose play and the bulls pursuit of a championship.

[poido123]

gambling is a horrible addiction. You have spent your entire 20s with that addiction which im sure handicapped your potential. Never go back. Even when you think about it just remember how somber it is to be addicted to gambling.

at the end of the day, money doesnt mean shit and winning and losing it is a mirage for instant gratification. What matters is your health, well being and happiness.

plus, there are better things than the thrill of gambling. Like watching d rose play and the bulls pursuit of a championship.


My girlfriend always says I play and watch too much basketball and spend too much time on ISH.

I say it's a better problem to have than gambling. :rockon:

Watching d rose and the bulls win a championship would be more pleasurable than any of the bulls championships before.

We have endured years of injuries, disappointment and the "can't win without jordan" tag. We can do this :rockon:

[TylerOO]

Only took OP two posts to talk about derrick rose.

[GimmeThat]

reasons why sports quotes don't apply to everyone.

or every scenario. if you find that necessary.

[TheNaturalWR]

Only gambling I do is $5 buy-ins with my friends. :oldlol:

[BurningHammer]

I'm addicted to the Internet for years now and there is next to no chance to be cured.

[Proctor]

I've only gambled once and after hours of breaking even I won $1000 then proceeded to choke it all away. Still allured by it all but I'll steer clear for now. Not a good sign to be having fun even when you're losing. :lol :facepalm

[JEFFERSON MONEY]

.... and you had the nerve to call Indonesian people "vermin." People who lead humble hardworking lives you have not a clue about.

leeched off your GF.

attacked a decent human being in Lebron23 over and over.

Come off as an all around dipsh!t.

Wow. Thank you for a stunning disgusting display of hypocrisy.

[sweggeh]

I'll give you good odds on OP being a ******.

[sweggeh]

.... and you had the nerve to call Indonesian people "vermin." People who lead humble hardworking lives you have not a clue about.

leeched off your GF.

attacked a decent human being in Lebron23 over and over.

Come off as an all around dipsh!t.

Wow. Thank you for a stunning disgusting display of hypocrisy.

+1

I usually hope the best for people, but this guy is a real racist piece of shit. I hope his gambling problem returns and he loses his house.

[BurningHammer]

As long as you know your limits and stay with it, you will be fine. Set your limits low too.

[poido123]

.... and you had the nerve to call Indonesian people "vermin." People who lead humble hardworking lives you have not a clue about.

leeched off your GF.

attacked a decent human being in Lebron23 over and over.

Come off as an all around dipsh!t.

Wow. Thank you for a stunning disgusting display of hypocrisy.


I don't know what to say to this.

First of all, I never called Indonesians "vermin", perhaps you have me mixed with someone else. You could have this out of context and not what I said at all.

There was a thread where I had strong feelings about muslims (which is not a race) and expressed my concern for their aggressive religion and I put forward my reasons.

Leeched off Girlfriend? That would be an assumption, that is something that you have no idea about.

As for Lebron23, I said things concerning his appearance and I don't think it's at all racist. You throw racism around very loosely, I have guys I play basketball with who are of different ethnicities and I think they are great. I originally questioned his lack of basketball knowledge and he's a lebron fan, so I was never going to like him much. We get along now and I've left him alone completely.

People so quickly judge who I am on the Internet. So silly, we have fun on here and say things we don't normally say in life.

[cuad]

Actually, OP, I am pretty sure your demon is stupidity because I am pretty sure that gambling can be approached in a safe and addiction satisfying way.

[poido123]

I'll give you good odds on OP being a ******.


You remain so incredibly bitter from a thread that was made months and months ago.

Stop smearing me as a racist, because I don't like the Muslim religion and what it does to their followers. :confusedshrug:

[poido123]

Actually, OP, I am pretty sure your demon is stupidity because I am pretty sure that gambling can be approached in a safe and addiction satisfying way.


Not here to tell anyone what to do.

My experience started out as innocent gambling then my life became unmanageable. It may not have that effect on you, but it does to many.

[macmac]

I live off gambling, that's what I've been doing my whole life and it treated me well. But I've also seen ppl get pretty ruined from it, it's not for everyone. Depends how your brain is wired and how much self control you have

[poido123]

I live off gambling, that's what I've been doing my whole life and it treated me well. But I've also seen ppl get pretty ruined from it, it's not for everyone. Depends how your brain is wired and how much self control you have


Absolutely.

And there are roughly 2 percent of all gamblers who can make a living off gambling. I know a lot of people who can do it recreationally and enjoy it in moderation.

I can't do that. I'm a compulsive gambler and my life became unmanageable. When your life becomes unmanageable due to gambling, that's about when you know you have a problem.

[BigBoss]

OP is an abusive relationship with some poor girl, has a gambling addiction, and is racist. Consistent behaviour for sociopaths

[BigBoss]

OP is a 32 and still doesn't have his life together. Beta fakkit

[tomtucker]

Started when I was 17.

My real dad had died, I was an up and coming tennis player and my coach at the time introduced me to gambling.

My life was a roller coaster for 15 years. Big wins, big losses. I gambled my dads inheritance away of 20 thousand dollars in 2 weeks at 18 years of age.

I have many regrets, gambling ate away my social life, putting a bet on came before everything, didn't give a shit about anyone. Would have trouble sleeping with all the lies, deception and money issues I had.

I'm 32 now, have given up gambling for 6 months and my Outlook on life has totally changed. I'm still discovering who I am, it's like a big cloud has lifted off and it scared me at first since I didn't know what it felt like to feel good about myself.

I attend GAMBLING counseling every week and have a strong determination to never go back. Life is too good now, I have money in the bank, working two jobs and a happy girlfriend. The journey has been exhausting but I now appreciate things a lot more.

I don't ever believe I'm cured, just take it a day at a time.

have any of you guys overcome Addictions? What was it like to come out of It?

what are the odds you start gambling again ?

[poido123]

what are the odds you start gambling again ?


Lol


Like with any addiction, you need good reasons to stop.

[YouGotServed]

Proud of you Poido.

[poido123]

Proud of you Poido.


:biggums:

Genuine? Can't read sarcasm through text..

[andremiller07]

I tried it for a little while placing $5-$20 bets (weak bets) on UFC/boxing/NBA and I just found the games/fights more stressful/less entertaining to watch and it really put it off. I mean I get amped up to watch any NBA/Fighting sport that involves a team/person I support as it is.

I found I was no longer being as objective nor was I analyzing the game/fight and enjoying it but purely focusing on just getting the W and my prediction correct. It felt like the ultimate risk/reward thing and I was putting up **** all money on it.

[poido123]

I tried it for a little while placing $5-$20 bets (weak bets) on UFC/boxing/NBA and I just found the games/fights more stressful/less entertaining to watch and it really put it off. I mean I get amped up to watch any NBA/Fighting sport that involves a team/person I support as it is.

I found I was no longer being as objective nor was I analyzing the game/fight and enjoying it but purely focusing on just getting the W and my prediction correct. It felt like the ultimate risk/reward thing and I was putting up **** all money on it.


Yeah I hear you.

What started as a few innocent bets here and there on horses, turned into hundreds and hundreds of dollars on sports bets and every horse race I could bet on. I was hooked on simply winning, it killed any enjoyment I might of had from simply watching the sport.

My advice would be to never tempt yourself into areas that can get you in trouble. That's all I'll say on that.

[YouGotServed]

:biggums:

Genuine? Can't read sarcasm through text..

Genuine.

[poido123]

Genuine.


Thanks man.

It's cool to hear it from someone who I have annoyed before on ISH. :lol

:cheers:

[YouGotServed]

Thanks man.

It's cool to hear it from someone who I have annoyed before on ISH. :lol

:cheers:

Cheers. And no one has annoyed me on ISH. I'm pretty much unf*ckwithable.

[poido123]

Cheers. And no one has annoyed me on ISH. I'm pretty much unf*ckwithable.


You're alright kid, you're alright....

:pimp:

[andremiller07]

When you bet was it on only on sports you had a good/deep understanding off (e.g I'm guessing you know a lot about the Bulls and so on), you said you bet on horses (horse racing/car racing is the most boring shit to me these probably are sports you need to bet on to make them interesting) did you research or just bet on a limb?

[sundizz]

3 to 1 on him starting again in the next 4 weeks.

[poido123]

When you bet was it on only on sports you had a good/deep understanding off (e.g I'm guessing you know a lot about the Bulls and so on), you said you bet on horses did you research or just bet on a limb?


Line bets sports betting. Doubled up if I lost the first one, second one etc etc. Rinse. Repeat.

I've tried lots of systems and did it so long to the point where my head was spinning with numbers when my head hit the pillow. It takes a toll on your health, I remember my heart skipped a beat many a time at points of extreme stress.

horses I lost more frequently and it's a corrupt business. Too many variables to bet regularly, you probably have to be that punter who bets once a year hard and has the discipline to not bet again for a year. I knew all the horses and trainers and jockeys, even part owned a horse myself and did quite well.

LoSt lots of money on the bulls. I was always that one big win away in my mind..

I've had my head in all the systems, the issue isn't the gambling, it's me. I gamble excessively to the point of no return.

That is why I can't do it anymore.

[enayes]

OP, how much money did you lose/debt did you gain over all these years?

Were you able to pay everything back? If so, how?

[Draz]

In total how much did you win? Because your loss clearly has a huge make up.

[russwest0]

gambling always seemed stupid to me. the most I'll ever do with gambling is occasionally sports bet.

shit like scratch tickets are stupid as hell, and I have no idea how they are so profitable.

[Fallguy20]

A lot of insensitivity in this thread.


Addiction is the worst thing you could wish on anyone.

I've worked with at-risk youth who have issues with addiction, I myself was completely broken down with drug and sex addictions, and I have lost close friends to addiction.

The stigma associated with addicts is understandable to me because I recognize people cannot possibly understand what is really going on if they haven't experienced it or have been right close to someone in the struggling.


At 23 years old now, i'm only just in my recovery phase and sobriety. It was hell on earth. I did this to myself. You cannot imagine how EVERYTHING is effected by addiction... self-esteem is gone because you confuse guilt for shame. Your mind literally turns upon and eats itself up as you fall prey to denial or rationalization or morbid expectations or thought distortion ect. You lose family and friends because you are far and away removed from them, and thus your connection to real life or happiness.


I don't blame any of you for not understanding addiction. You just haven't been there. But anyone with addiction is not a bad person. It is not who they are, so much as a disease. A person with cancer doesn't walk up to people and introduce themselves by saying, "Hi, im cancer". By that same token, nor is a person defined by their addiction. But the loss of life from addiction is more than just those who die from it.

[Cocaine80s]

When I turn 21 i will carry the gambling torch for you bruh :cheers:

[poido123]

When I turn 21 i will carry the gambling torch for you bruh :cheers:


Your free to do whatever you want in life, but surely there are better things to do when you turn 21 :cheers:

[poido123]

In total how much did you win? Because your loss clearly has a huge make up.


It's hard to say exactly how much, but enough to buy a house with I'd imagine. A few wins here and there, but not anywhere near the losses.

[Cactus-Sack]

Trent, is this why your password was "gambling"?

[Thorpesaurous]

I've been a relatively heavy sports gambler for 20 years. I don't play as often now as I used to, but I do tend to play heavier.

I play cards. I don't play much online, but I do play with friends, and at casinos, and in underground spots, which my friends worry about.

And I've been betting sports since I was a sophomore in HS. Pro Football for sure. College football. College Basketball. Some NBA. Maybe taste baseball but very rarely.
I love betting playoff series. Best of 7 NBA and MLB series are some of my favorites.
I also really like futures. Seasonal over / unders. Divisional and league champion futures. I love anything I can hedge against like that.

For many years, my best friend and I started taking action ourselves. We were already calling in for a ton of people, when we realized that we were always dropping off to our guy. So we just started taking everything ourselves. I got really into the math of it. We kept our stable around 35 people, which is the ideal number. But we eventually wound up with a couple guys who went so heavy they skewed the stable. It became less profitable. We finally got burnt by a few degenerates about 6 years ago, and just stopped after that. Our best year we split almost 25 grand. And we never lost until that final year only because we got burnt. There were some wild weeks though when you really aren't sure how you're gonna survive.

Nowadays I pretty much pick a game I like every few weeks and go 500 or 1000 bucks on it. In the playoffs I'll play almost everything, so I may drop the number to 100 to 250 per game. But I'm much choosier now than I used to be.

[Stuckey]

.... and you had the nerve to call Indonesian people "vermin." People who lead humble hardworking lives you have not a clue about.

leeched off your GF.

attacked a decent human being in Lebron23 over and over.

Come off as an all around dipsh!t.

Wow. Thank you for a stunning disgusting display of hypocrisy.

http://images.rapgenius.com/dz9y0cr73xyvzi77jw0u0cw5m.1000x650x1.jpg

sorry had to...

I was addicted to poker for throughout my college years. Don't even know how I managed to graduate but it took 5 and a half years to just get BA. Yeah that's how bad it was. All nighters sometimes 2 days in a row sitting on a table waiting for a decent hand to strike gold.

Worst of all, when I won big, I barely spent any of it. Just went towards bills and building a bankroll that never came to fruition.

These days, I might sit at a poker table twice or a three times a year for a modest buyin, nothing more than 4 digits. Most of the time, I play online for microstakes of about 25-50$ buyins

[poido123]

Trent, is this why your password was "gambling"?


Yeah