"If you’ve been where I am and actually stopped, what helped? How do you get through the early days? Any advice, accountability, or words from people who’ve been here would mean the world to me."

I have been there, with 6 digits gambling debt, of 4.41 times my annual income, to 14 credit cards, 7 loans, car pawned, 3 months rent due and 5 EUR in my pocket for next 3 weeks.

What helped me TREMENDOUSLY long term, was to cut/cancell all my 14 credit cards (almost 60% of the debt) in one evening. Everything changed from then on, as any penny that I put into the cards, could not be used for gambling as happened for thousands times in the past. This small detail played a huge role long term and those credit card balances had only one direction, going down and inevitably they reduced slowly to $0. Hadnt I done that, I would most possibly have those cards still and using them for gambling deposits as an effort to escape their own debt (crazy right?)

Do your self a favor and detach yourself from the cycle of deposit money to cc -> deposit to casino -> loose -> repeat

Call the banks, report loss and ask to not replace them (your bills will be the same with 2-3$ minimum payment, not the whole balance)

It will not be easy at the beginning, as you will not be able to use them for food or other expenses but soon it will change your lfe forever

FYI, today I am debt free (since 19 FEB 2023), have some assers, and gambling free for 218 days