This is my story (long, boring)

[Bona]

Gambling addiction is a progressive disease. OP's best solution is finishing the approach he has started.

* Open up to his family about the nature and scope of the problem. They can be his strongest support.
* Find a competent therapist with an adjunct support group to learn how the problem originated and how to control the urges. Gambling addiction is a complex problem but knowledge is power. Many states, especially those with casino gambling, have these resources available.
* Stay completely away from any gambling activity.
* You can probably speed the recovery process and minimize your losses. See a competent bankruptcy attorney. Don't even think about the "shame" of it. Credit card companies are the ones who should be ashamed. And don't worry about your "credit rating" it will recover faster after bankruptcy than it would have if you spent years struggling through it. Talk to a professional.

Many winning poker players are skilled enough to beat the other players, over time, by enough to overcome the rake and show a profit. Everyone reading this knows that. But what we don't all know or least don't consider sometimes is that some losing players (estimates vary but generally are about 2-5% of people who gamble) are dealing with personal tendencies and personality issues that make it IMPOSSIBLE TO WIN in the long run. No matter how well they understand the game.

IMO advising such a player to "play his way through it" is not far removed from yelling "JUMP" to deter a confused potential suicide on a ledge. If OP knows he has a problem, and it sounds like he does, he already knows the answer. STOP. THINK. GET HELP.