I am 710 days gamble free and i couldnt ask for anything more at the early stages of recovery i was concerned about the debt issue as that was my main concern now that i'm in the positive and my life has changed for the better the regrets are very hard to overcome i can let go for the past 18 years off my life however the addiction has cost me dearly due to ill health i am struggling i have missed alot in life not been on a hoilday basically no experienced life like i should have i know gambling is not about the money but the concequences of my action are hard to swallow i know it not good to dwell in the past and i should be greatfull it still something i am coming to terms and any newbie that comes on here is to start recovery sooner the better i also feel like gambling is partly to blame as it affected my health i know if i continue on this journery the future will look brighter i also feel like maybe i should be more content maybe im thinking too deep i never thought about my losses in past iknowing even 10% of my losses would all it take to make a significant change and it one things thars getting me down lately i was wondering how other addicts once they get to this situation cope it only recently the last few months this is becoming a problems then the urgues to gamble i know to even get 10% back the way am going to take me 5 years so it a very slow process
Hi Tazman,
Congratulations on being 710 days gamble free and thank you for sharing your reflections of your gambling recovery journey.
Recovering from gambling is a journey and in that it is normal to look back on things. It is understandable that when reflecting on your past on the gambling harms that you experienced that these feelings would come up for you. Try not to be hard on yourself for having them.
You said that if you continue on this journey the future will look brighter. That is a great thing to keep in mind when experiencing urges to gamble or feeling regretful. You have made a lot of progress and even if it feels slow in some areas it is still progress.
We are always here on the helpline for a chat if you need any support with gambling urges. You can call us on 0808 8020 133 or use our live chat to speak to an adviser.
Best wishes,
Amy
Forum Admin
Taz, forgive me if I am wrong but what you are doing here as far as I can see is rationalising a reason for returning to gambling.  The line "it would only take me 10% of my losses to get back" is a red flag.  Whenever that hits think about where that 10% went in the first place, and the impact of losing another 10%
Gambling may have brought you the occasional bout of euphoria when you won, but this will be far outweighed I suspect by sleepless nights and missed opportunities - think back on those whenever you get the urge.
For my part, I have lost a lot over the years and have no illusions that I would ever win back a portion of what I have lost, my sense of enjoyment now is from tracking the reduction of my credit cards etc. Having spent a year reducing those, do I really want to lose it all in a couple of hours on an FOBT and then have to start all over again - for me the losses are like last weeks dinner they have gone, I don't worry about them as in that route lies depression.Â
@mg43i8s0te i totally agree with u i was just being honest and i can see it turning into a relapse however by sharing this it also made me understand how fortunate i am being debt free and even have few thousand in savings the issue i have is only natural has my friends and family go on hoildays quite often so 15k would have actually made a huge difference to me it more of a regret then going back to gambling as i appreciate how my life turned around less then two years it more of a regret off why i didnt do it sooner and realise all this because it surely is possible and my life is much better position then it ever was and i appreciate this i was 3 years g/f previously however i was too focused on not spending i was never told about finding interest hobbies it was just about stopping gambling all that money saved went back to gambling so technically i didnt benefit financially i saw no reward it different this time around
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