Goals - what are yours and mine?

To learn how to feel emotions again.

Most of my life has been spent trying to block out or run away from emotions. I would even stop watching a movie immediately if there was the slightest hint that it was bringing out uncomfortable emotions. Escapism (including gambling) has led to a non-existent quality of life.

Same here Bruce - with alcohol, drugs, prescription medication, gambling etc. Now all those props have been removed - I don't drink for example - and emotions re-emerge. Sometimes it's scary but other times exciting in a good way.

Hi,

My goals may seem a little small however they are;

Appreciate the people in my life and spend quality time with them. Instead of my moody self after losing on a stupid FOBT.

Save money on a daily basis and watch my little tree of money grow. The goal is small, but I plan to have saved £550ish after 12 months.

CJ.

Good goals CJ. FOBTs were never my poison but I've seen the damage they cause.

Hi

Interesting one Phil and there are some good points being made here.

My goals ran really deep when I began to understand. I had to start learning how to feel real emotions again without using the drug of gambling to escape it all.

As you have said sometimes it is scary....very scary without the prop I was using. I now talk about gambling as a drug addiction as in substance abuse

I learnt that gambling was a way to try and shut out the pain I was feeling...loneliness.... dead end jobs...a procrastination streak where I only felt content in an isolated state buying my things and pottering round in the flat.

Truth is I was far from content and had become numb. I had been generally hating the thought of other people around me. I have been gradually getting back into some form of normal state and appreciating the couple of friends I have.

I think my goals have been a huge issue but Im chipping away at them. Im not rushing to the success stories page anytime soon because this has been about rebuilding myself from the core outwards.

Best wishes to everyone on the forum

Hi all,

My goals are to continue to be free from unhealthy desires by continually working on the loving/compassionate relationshwith with myself. I will also continue to constantly challenge my distorted/dysfunctional beliefs about myself so that it will enable me to accept myself unconditionally so that my mental state isn't at the mercy of others and life situations that aren't ideal. I've found that by accepting myself and having inherent love I am no longer looking for acceptance from others, people pleasing, mind reading and living a life of fear and anxiety.

Kind regards

My goals are more a tick list for 2019. They are as follows:no gambling,no drinking,no smoking, no drugs,yes gym , yes snooker, yes watching football, yes visit friends, yes visit national trust, yes yoga, yes meditatae. I have a continual battle as a few of u may know to keep well and stay employed, with all these ticked and not ticked for the year I hope to achieve this. Here's to a brilliant 2019

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I am still working on smoking but have cut down a lot. I still need to work on patience and tolerance. I can be snappy still and judgemental but like I said I'm working on these traits.