I’m 23, turning 24, and gambling is ruining my life. It’s not casino gambling or sports betting — it’s crypto.
A couple of years ago I got deeply involved in crypto trading. I lost control, lost everything I had, and since then I’ve been stuck chasing that same feeling. For me it’s leverage, constant price checking, and trying to recover losses — it feels exactly like gambling.
I did manage to stop once. I stayed clean for a few months, focused on work and the gym, and during that time I got my finances back under control. Unfortunately, I relapsed and ended up borrowing again.
I earn a good income compared to the average in my country, but despite that I’ve borrowed money from friends, family, and the bank. I’m now back in debt, and the stress is overwhelming.
I feel like I’ve wasted the last couple of years of my life. My biggest fear is losing my job and digging myself into a hole I can’t get out of.
I don’t want to live like this anymore. I’m looking for advice from anyone who’s been through gambling or crypto addiction — what helped you stop for good, and what practical steps should I take right now?
I need help.
View Reddit by Such-Rhubarb-8507 – View Source
Hey there, our Automoderator detected keywords that suggest you might be looking for help.
Please take a moment to look at our [F.A.Q.](https://www.reddit.com/r/problemgambling/wiki/index/), which contains some definitions and basic recovery strategies.
Don’t forget to check out our [resources section](https://www.reddit.com/r/problemgambling/wiki/index/#wiki_resources), which continues to grow.
If you believe this message was inappropriate, please [message the mods](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/problemgambling) and let them know.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/problemgambling) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Crypto gambling warped my mind man. I mad 3800 in 15 mins off the Shiba Inu pump back in the day. Held eth and btc during points when I was up or down 7k in a month. I wouldn’t leverage trade but constantly convert into other coins and watch the charts day after day. It all ended with losing everything on stake. The problem I had with crypto was I could move my money at 3am on a Sunday. I literally lost all my crypto in the middle of the night on a weekend. What helped was restricting myself to never buy crypto anymore, or gamble. The second thing is maybe not for everyone but instead of gambling and crypto I do stocks now. My stocks don’t move in the middle of the night so I’m not staring at them all night, I can’t sell them or buy new ones in the middle of the night, I can’t sell during the weekends. This has made investing a little more sane for me. I still struggle with that could have been but I’ve stayed away from crypto and online gambling since 2022. I’m 30 now if you stop now you have so much time to recover
Losing your job is a justified fear because gambling is a huge distraction. Self exclude, delete all accounts and pay back highest interest first. It will take time but impatience is what got us in this mess to begin with.
Why Bipolar Disorder Strongly Increases Gambling Addiction Risk
Being bipolar significantly increases the risk of developing a gambling addiction because of how the illness affects impulse control, reward processing, and judgment—especially during manic or hypomanic episodes. In these states, the brain is flooded with dopamine, which increases risk-taking, creates exaggerated confidence, and weakens the ability to foresee negative consequences. Gambling fits perfectly into this neurochemical environment: it is fast, unpredictable, and provides immediate rewards, all of which intensely stimulate the same brain circuits already overstimulated in mania.
Mania also distorts thinking in ways that make gambling feel rational. People in a manic state often believe they have special insight, winning “systems,” or exceptional luck. They overestimate their ability to control outcomes, which leads to chasing losses, increasing bet sizes, and ignoring financial limits. The brain’s normal braking system—fear, caution, and long-term planning—is impaired, so decisions are driven by emotion and sensation rather than logic.
Even outside of full mania, bipolar disorder involves chronic mood instability, which makes gambling especially appealing as a form of emotional regulation. During depressive phases, gambling can temporarily relieve numbness or despair by providing stimulation, hope, and a sense of possibility. Over time, the brain learns that gambling is a fast way to escape emotional pain or amplify excitement, reinforcing the behavior through powerful conditioning.
This creates a destructive loop: mania fuels risk-taking, depression fuels escape, and gambling becomes the bridge between the two. That cycle is why people with bipolar disorder develop gambling addiction at far higher rates than the general population.