Hi there, welcome, you've taken a good first step to seek help on here. Often times it takes a rock bottom for us to finally realise that we need help and a fresh start.
Losing everything is a typical end result of a gambling addiction. It sounds like you've still be gambling recently so at the moment it will be extremely difficult for you to just stop cold turkey.
Lost Everything Sports Gambling
Today I lost everything. Hello, I'm Adam. I've just signed up to this site after advice from Katie on the live chat. I've been gambling since I was probably 13/14. Slot machines are my thing. I would go to the arcade at dinner time when I went to school, or into town on the weekends to spend all my pocket money. Jan 03, 2020 Here's an alleged quote from the late Mickey Rooney, who lost, by his own estimate, nearly 12 million dollars on horse racing: ' I lost $2 at Santa Anita and I've spent $3 million trying to get it back.' That sums up what gambling does to us. It warps our thinking and twists all logic to keep itself alive and fed (with our money).
The first thing you need to do is accept that the money is gone and it's not coming back. Dwelling on the past is a key trigger that will cause you to have many, many relapses if you are not able to let it go. To help you with this, I would highly recommend self-excluding yourself from all physical and online venues/websites that you've gambled on (or might gamble on). If you want further restrictions in place, you can consider getting a loved one to monitor and control your finances for the time being. Any money in your hand right now is money that is highly likely to go straight into funding your addiction.
Lost It All Gambling
Now once you have the restrictions and blockers in place, seek emotional support. Attend GA and confide to someone your trust if you can. Getting it off your chest will help you immensely. Keep posting on here and keep track of your progress. We're all in this together but remember to always be patient...take it one day at a time. Good luck.