How I Finally Stopped Gambling for Good

I’m writing this post to share my story, a story that might help people who are in the same boat now as I was before.

When Gambling Took Over My Life

Back then, gambling was part of my routine, part of my life. It controlled my emotions and made me close myself off from everyone. I kept telling myself, "just one more time, one more deposit, one more big win."

But one day, I stopped, this time for good.

Every day I woke up with the same feelings of guilt, shame, and hate for myself. I would spend my days either thinking about gambling or gambling. On the outside I acted fine, but inside I was sinking deeper every day.

Loans, lies, guilt, anger it all became normal. I wasn’t living anymore, I was just surviving as every day felt the same.

My Turning Points

My turning point wasn’t one big event, not a huge loss or a lucky win. It came through a few small but powerful moments that slowly changed everything.

1️⃣ Joining Gambling Services

The first turning point was when I signed up for Gambling Services. I was assigned a therapist named Tanya. We had weekly calls where I could finally talk openly about my problems.

I chose to opt out of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) because I decided to face this journey on my own. But even just talking to Tanya helped me a lot. She said a few things that really stuck with me and helped me move forward. It finally felt real and I was doing something about it.

2️⃣ Taking a Break and Finding Space

The second turning point came a couple of weeks later. I had booked a holiday to my homeland earlier that year to visit friends and family.

That trip gave me breathing space from gambling, anger, guilt, and everything else I was feeling. For the first time in months, I enjoyed my days. I was surrounded by people I loved, and I didn’t have time to gamble or even think about it.

3️⃣ Asking Myself the Hard Questions

The third and final turning point came after I returned home. That’s when I started asking myself questions I had never asked before:

Is this who I want to be?
It sounds simple, but this question hit me hard. It made me think about the kind of person I wanted to become and the steps I needed to take to get there.

What is the reason I gamble?
I realized it wasn’t about chasing big wins anymore. There was something deeper. I was using gambling to escape my own thoughts.

What are my triggers?
This one took time. I had many triggers, and it took days or even weeks to spot them. When I did, instead of jumping back into gambling, I wrote them down.

These questions and the habits I built afterward changed everything. I no longer see myself as a gambler. That person is gone. I’ve grown into someone stronger and more aware.

Filling the Empty Space

One thing I realized was that too much free time made everything worse. After that trip, I decided to keep myself busy.

Everyone has different hobbies or interests find yours and start from there.

🏋️ Joining the Gym

The first thing I did was join a gym. Even if your issue isn’t gambling, I recommend it.

At first, it’s hard, you have to push yourself to go, but after a while, you’ll crave it. For me, it helped massively. Stress had made me lose a lot of weight, and once I started training, my appetite came back and I began eating normally again.

🎣 Finding Peace in Small Things

I also started spending more time doing things I enjoy. When I had free time, I went fishing, it clears my mind like nothing else.

It doesn’t have to be fishing though. It can be something as simple as going for a walk, cooking a homemade meal you’ve never tried before, or spending time outdoors without your phone.

These small moments remind you that life exists outside of the chaos. They help you reconnect with yourself and see that peace is possible, even in the smallest things.

📚 Learning and Reading

I began learning new things and focusing on personal growth. I’ve always been interested in online business, so I started learning about paid advertising, SEO, and marketing again.

And something I never thought I’d do, I started reading books. Before this, the last book I read was over 20 years ago (Harry Potter!). Then I found “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, a book I’d recommend to anyone. It’s all about building good habits and breaking bad ones.

You can find it here: Atomic Habits on Amazon

Don't Just Depend on GAMSTOP

While GAMSTOP helps, I wouldn’t count on it alone. It’s a great first step, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll eventually find a way around it when the urge hits hard.

Blocking yourself is useful, but real change starts when you understand why you want to gamble and what’s triggering you to do it. GAMSTOP can stop you from logging in, but it can’t stop the thoughts that push you there.

Instead, use it as part of a bigger plan. Try adding more layers of protection:

• Block gambling sites and apps on your phone and computer using tools like BetBlocker or Gamban.
• Ask your bank to block gambling transactions, most banks can do this now with one click in the app.
• Tell someone you trust about your situation. Accountability makes it harder to relapse quietly.
• Fill your time with new habits or hobbies, the more meaningful your days become, the less space gambling will have.

The goal isn’t to depend on one thing to save you, but to build a system around yourself that makes going back nearly impossible. For me, that system was a mix of self-awareness, new habits, and removing every possible trigger I could find.

GAMSTOP can block access but only you can block the urge.

What I Lost and What I Gained

I lost a lot of money and yes, I’m still paying off debt. But what I really lost was time, peace, and control.

Now, I’m slowly gaining those back.

To anyone reading this: I hope my story helps you start your own journey of evolving into the person you’ve always wanted to be.

Final Thoughts

You can’t change what’s already happened but you can move on from it.
It’s something you did, not who you are.
Don’t try to fix everything at once. Small changes make a big difference.

I’ll continue sharing the habits, tools, and routines that help me each day, so stay tuned. You’re not alone in this.