So today is day 180 of not gambling. Well I say that, I have bought the occasional lottery ticket so some would say I'm not gambling free but to me I am. I never had a problem with the lottery, it was online slots which were my downfall. I became addicted to them within a couple of days of first trying them but was very, very fortunate to realise within about 6 months that i was on a very slippery slope as I'd already lost thousands. I've not been on the site recently as I've been keeping myself busy. The first month of stopping was horrendous, I was climbing the walls wanting to feed those slots but I'm glad to say that I no longer feel tempted to even try and gamble. My partner has been the provider of tremendous support and strength for me and I thank goodness he understood. So to all of you out there who are just beginning their journeys I wish you all the luck in the world. It's a great feeling to no longer have that devil whispering "just one more spin" into my ear. I'm trying not to get too complacent as I've read people's stories of having a slip years after stopping but at the moment life is good and I continue to take 1 day at a time not gambling.
Hi
Well done on 180 days 👏... im nearly on day 3 🙄...
@v9ehcqm83f Well done Rach, stick with it it does get easier as time goes on
Well done Red Dragon, I guess you are Welsh so I won't mention the rugby. 180 days is fantastic and everyone's recovery is different so if it's no slots and the odd lottery that is working for you then so be it. I'm glad you saw the light early on before it got to bad and carried on for years so that's a massive congratulations as you did it yourself presumably before debt and mental health suffered. I guess there is no diploma in recovery so it's a matter of whatever works for you and it's great to here you are much happier. Did you do it through straight abstinence or did you build a support network. First month is definitely the hardest part of the mountain
@lp5vut869c No, please don’t mention the rugby 🤦♀️.
I blocked myself from all sites using GamBan as I knew I didn’t have the willpower to do it without.
My partner has been brilliant and helped me through all the lows.
@fbgk8i2zj7 I hope so !!!! Strange seeing my bank balance the same for 3 days !!!
Rach, I must admit I loved that and went the first week without spending any money. Then in week two to treat myself for not gambling I started buying the odd costa which was my favourite when in action. It's really important to also be kind to yourself and do small rewards rather than a constant punishment
@lp5vut869c I went and did some food shopping yesterday didnt spend much was nice being able to choose what I wanted without thinking about it . I do have money to buy what I want anyways but before I always got a cheaper option to ensure my spending on "normal" things wasnt alot.
I wanted a new pair of hair straighteners for ages but ive always said "i can afford it" which i can but again not wanting to spend extra money when I could spend it on slots.
I know it all sounds crazy , I feel crazy lol
Hi Red Dragon.
Just wanted to say well done on reaching 180 days g.f 👏👏👏.
It would appear you are doing all the right things to remain this way and have a great support network 👌.
I think it’s always good to not allow ourselves to become complacent - I went over 470 days g.f until last July when I gambled and then again in September 🙈.
I couldn’t change what I had done, however, I did put my final barrier into place which prevented me returning to the only gambling sites I had access to - them dodgy overseas sites (called dodgy for a reason)!🤬. The Gamcare support team gave me a link to sign up to Gamban free of charge which was great 👌.
I have not gambled since and anything gambling related rarely comes to mind, other than when I read diary entries on here. I am currently on day 148, however I do remind myself that other than two lapses, I would be approaching the 2 year g.f mark on 1st April this year!
Keep doing what you are doing and continue to clock up those g.f days - day at a time. My mantra is “slow and steady wins the race”!! 🐢😊.
Take care.
Pink Lady 🩷🍎.
Will done pink lady
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