On the evidence of whst you've just said I have no doubt you're an alcoholic but you're a functioning alcoholic,there's a difference. All you need is a good old bowl of porridge twice a day because there is practically no modern day health obsession that the humble oat does not address.
I made a ****ton on us when we won the Championship, by cashing out, putting safety bets on Brighton, then putting bets on us when the odds were big with 3 games to go. I've banked pretty much all of it and just left a bit in the Sky Bet account for having fun with accumulators here and here, maybe £10 accumulator every few weeks.
If you look at it mathematically and only back when you have an edge then you will be alright if (a) you have a wide enough bank and a good staking plan and (b) you don't lose your head when you're in the inevitable bad patch. I've been running a quality racing site for over 20 years, some of my members have been with me for that length of time and most years we're profitable. Just treat punting as one would do a business rather than gambling and make the right investment choices then you can't go wrong.
I don't know about the last two, but tell me: do you have life insurance? Do you have house/contents insurance? Do you have more than the legal requirement for third party insurance for your car? If so to any of the above, you're gambling. I've said before here that all I do is punt horses. I am not a ****ing moron and take a bit of offense at your glib attitude. We've had one person here explain that he used to arb positions to make money, he has an edge. I have an edge when I place a bet on the horses -- today I had thirty one bets, all of them with an edge in my favour. If I don't have an edge then I don't bet. If you have an edge then you would be a ****ing moron, to coin a phrase, not to. The trick is to establish what your edge is and then act accordingly. Now, you'll find that that santimonious Daily Mail is that way --->
Sorry forgot to reply to your morose questions: No, I do not have life insurance Yes I do have home insurance - it is a requirement of my mortgage Yes I do have more than the legal minimum - again a requirement of the loan I took. Do I play the lottery? No Do I play scratchcards? No Do I place the odd bet that in turn I then lose? Yes Do I smoke? No Do I take drugs? Paracetomol etc Yes. Heroin etc No All you have done on this thread is come across as having to justify what you do and why you do it which obviously says something. If you re-read what I put it was tongue in cheek hence my last sentence "Now pass me a beer"
Yes, it says that I am not a ****ing moron because, quite simply, if one understands having an edge then there's sod all with punting. Scratch cards you don't have an edge, lotteries you may have if there's a mega-rollover which is why syndicates pile in when the risk:reward goes in their favour, why roulette has you on the wrong side of the 3% margin. All it says is that I can do mathematics and, quite literally, put my money where my mouth is.