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Text Box: She told me everything would be okay and I needed help. I contacted the HelpLine that she gave me and spoke to a wonderful person who was compassionate and understanding. I was connected with a counselor and started going to support meetings. My sister came down to stay with me for 2 months and got some of my finances in order so I didn't lose my house. I got another job once I was feeling a little clearer mentally and things are starting to get better. I am 42 years old and starting my life over and you know what? It feels good to be back to square one... If you or someone you know is having a gambling problem, call 888-ADMIT-IT today!

Text Box: The first time I gambled, I was with a few friends on a casino cruise off the coast of Florida and I hated it. I was seasick and miserable for 4 hours! It left such a bad taste in my mouth that I didn't gamble again for the next 10 years. Then one day, my sister came to visit and she told me she wanted to go to the casino one of the nights she was there. She had never been as she was from a small town in Oregon. I was reluctant as I still remembered the horrible experience I had a decade earlier but I relented and went to try to have a good time with my sister. I played the slots with her and within 20 minutes I won $600. I was floored, I was ecstatic. I had never own anything in my life! We played for a few hours and went home and I was still ahead $400. She left the next day to go back home and I was already feeling the urge to go back to the casino.

Text Box: I went back the next night after work and lost everything I had won plus an additional $300. I told myself if I could win that one time, I could win again. This started a trend of me going to the casino 3 to 4 times a week over the next couple of months. I was starting to seriously deplete my savings, I was beginning to go in late to work after being out all night and I was ignoring all of my friends. Within 8 months, I was dead broke, 3 months behind on my mortgage and had lost my job. I was depressed and was even thinking of harming myself. As I was sitting in the dark in my house which I was about to lose, the phone rang and I picked it up after ignoring it for weeks. It was my sister… She said she had been trying to get a hold of me and knew something was wrong. I cried to her and told her everything that had been going on.

Julie’s Story

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The FCCG would love to hear from gamblers and loved ones that would like to share their story of recovery. If you are interested in doing so, please email Brian at bkongsvik@gamblinghelp.org

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