online betting, why did i become addicted

[Rainbow2]

ok .. so i wanted to write a post about a problem i had a while back which was '' online betting '' basically i became stupidly addicted and very self destructive, i basically chucked away most of my money and now i just feel like a stupid fool.
I used all of my grans inheritance money which was 5000 pounds , and i also used my other money so basically i chucked it all away , what for .

i wanted to post this up on here because i feel i need someones opinion and support on this.

Apparently i am not allowed the money back or any of it because it is me who betted and they are refusing to give it back regardless of the fact i have mental health issues, this makes me a bit upset.

I did end up winning some money but i only threw it away again , basically i only put a stop to it after most of my money had dissappeared ,

i wish there was a way to be able to get some of the money back but i do not think there is...

at the time of doing this i felt '' not very mentally well at all'' and i was also going through phases of scratching my skin

is betting classed as '' self harm '' '' self abuse '' ....

[Three Roses]

I was stumped by your question so I looked online and found this interesting article, http://www.lizkarter.com/gambling-self-harm-distracting-from-emotional-pain/ which states:

Self harm can be a misleading term implying that the intention of the behavior is destructive rather than, as it is, that of intending to survive by distracting from a painful emotional and psychological experience, by causing oneself physical pain to focus on. Gambling addiction in women also is an attempt to distract from similar painful life experiences by absolute focus on gambling.

I guess I'd categorize anything that is the opposite of self-care as self-harm. But, I'm no expert so 

Also, not sure why they added the "in women" clause as I'm pretty sure its the same for men. 

[Rainagain]

As a distraction from real life it fits in with other problems like drink and drugs, choosing unhappy relationships and other poor coping strategies.

I'm sorry it has cost you so much.

I was told recently that I am a vulnerable person due to life events.

I wasn't happy with being a vulnerable person really, not a good thing to be.

But maybe we are, vulnerable people get taken advantage of, that seems to fit your gambling as well as some stuff that I have experienced.

I don't know what to suggest. But maybe recognising our vulnerability is a first step?

[Rainbow2]

three roses, thankyou . Yes i guess you are right , anything but self care is a form of self harm .. i guess i was just a little upset at the fact that i betted at a time of not feeling so mentally well and in turn lost all of that money, .... not very happy with the fact that these companies will not have any compassion or regard for the fact that i am and was '' mentally ill ''

its a shame that such companies are even allowed to exist and that '' vulnerable people '' get pulled into such sites.... 

thankyou for your reply

[Rainbow2]

hello '' rain again '' thankyou for your reply , you are right we are i guess '' vulnerable '' ...  and no it is not a good thing to be .

these companies are only there to get as much money as they can out of people.. it was a poor coping strategy for sure , i truly when i was betting i kind of felt '' self destructive '' and '' dissociated '' and '' pained '' i guess... i was not in the right frame of mind to be on these sites
i only yesterday read on the gambling commission site that casinos have should have a duty of care towards their customers and they should check and review problem behaviours on their sites and interact with the person who has the gambling problem, not one of these companies acted this way.. so how are they even allowed to run.. it seemed so unethical ..

[Jdog]

I'm not sure whether or not it's relevant, but my wife was a gambling addict and joined a 12 step program through which she has found tremendous support and help.  I know these programs aren't for everyone (I'm one for whom they would not be a right fit) but wanted to mention it in case there is a group in your area.  I'm sure others would commiserate with you.  I agree that it is just terrible how online gambling companies - essentially the same as organized crime- take people for all that they have with no remorse. 

There are plenty of good people in this world, and I'm so glad you have found this forum.