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Fairly certain I have a gambling addiction, and it just got well out of hand

Not sure if this is the right forum to post on, but anyway...
I'm 20 and have been gambling ever since I turned 18, and used to make a fair bit of money. However, this academic year my gambling has not gone so well and this has coincided with the first time in my life when I've actually needed to budget seriously. Anyway, in the past three days or so I have managed to lose about a grand and now have under £500 in my account to last until September, during which time I have to pay rent and other outgoings totalling at least £2500, so you see the issue. It's fairly obvious to me that I have a gambling problem and I want to stop but I now face the dilemma of what to do about the money.
I have spoken to an advisor on gamcare but was wondering if people think I should consult other sources, and should I tell my family?
Any other advice is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance
Hey there, it takes abit more to really determine whether you actually have a gambling problem or whether you were just caught in a moment of stupidity. I gamble regularly and this football season am afraid to say i haven't been too successful, but yet i wouldn't say i have an addiction i just think it makes the games more exciting. there have been occasions on which i have lost too much but they aren't too frequent and this comes to my point if this losing £500 in 3 days in a regular thing for you and you are consistently gambling with stakes beyond yours means then that could indicate an addiction. However if this is one of a couple of times where you've just got carried away they i would say not, if you are consistently gambling money you cant afford to lose then it's very possible you do need help.

With regards to telling your family i think that would probably be a good start. They may not like it and probably will think you foolish but if you have an actual addiction then the first step is getting help from those closest to you. You wont be able to find anyone else better to start helping than your family. This to me just sounds like a foolish mistake from someone who had got used to winning that thought he could chase his money, always a bad mistake, but i think only you know really whether it's getting out of hand now and its only you that can definitely stop it if it is.

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