Hello.....again.

Just checking in to say that I'm still going strong after 124 days.

Gambling (or at least the urge to gamble) has all but disappeared out of my mind. I can't fully ignore it as you can't escape tv adverts, and my friends talk about it from time to time but it hasn't brought on many urges.

I've been trying to pay back my wife back the £2000 She used to bail me out. Not been able to pay back too much but a little bit is better than nothing.

I've been so busy with work and with looking after a 9 month old I don't really find time to come onto the forum as much as I should. Funny that I could always make time to put on that bet. Weird how your mind works isn't it.

Anyway I hope everyone else is coping with their struggles. It does get better I promise. You have have to take the bull by the horns and fight it head on.

RA

Hi mate,

Sorry I’ve not responded in a while or checked in. Its been really good having you on side since near enough day one. Something you wrote made me laugh which isn’t funny looking back but being in the same situation having a baby really makes me question how the hell I found time to gamble. At GA everyone said fill your time now you are not gambling, if only that was true. I don’t get a minute when I’m not working ha.

How is life with you? Good to see your perspective on the money you owe to your partner. We would all like to pay it back ASAP, but in the real world where we are now living and the daily cost of things and especially having children money isn’t as easy as that. But paying it off bit by bit will get there in the end and I’m sure your partner will just be pleased that your on the right track and doing so well too! I use to find it so stressful and was always chasing that big win to pay off my credit cards and then never bet again. I did it once and then bounced back to 15k in the hole at the end of my gambling career lol. But I don’t let it overwhelm me now and just accept it for what it is . Think having this outlook on gambling debts is a big step in our recovery’s.

Holiday was great thanks for asking and so good to catch up with my family. My sister who lives in oz really has been through the mill with her health in her life and lives on her own out there. She loves it and is such an inspiration to see what she has overcome in life to get to where she is now. So so glad we made it over to see her new home. The little one was fine flying. Had to keep her entertained constantly and did cry a few times but was good as gold. So lucky I thought when we sat down on the plane what have we done lol. But no she was fine.

How is your little one doing? You get to spend more time with him now not gambling?

OAU

Well it's been a while. 

But I'm proud and happy to say all is well and I'm still 212 days GF.

I've taken a bit of time off the forum as my wife logged onto my account and read through my whole diary 2 or 3 months ago. I was angry at that. I felt it was my own private way to get all my thoughts down without being judged. She knew age had done wrong and was very apologetic, but I just felt like all the time I had put into this diary was then wasted. 

In that time I've only thought about the concept of gambling a handful of times, and I've not had one single niggle telling me to place a bet.

This is the longest I have ever gone without gambling in the 11 years I had been doing it so something must be working. I have a little boy I must focus on now so time is a precious.

Hope everyone reading this has a gamble free day. All the best.

RA 

Great work.

I'm about 50 days behind you and find people like you inspiring for me.  Yes, it's a strange use of the word "inspiring" and I'd much rather be using it to describe someone who had done something great for society....but we all know how tough this is, especially at the start.

You my friend are an inspiration to me.  Keep up the excellent work and enjoy your family.

Glad your well mate. I’ve not been on here for a while. But glad we are still going strong. Hope to catch up soon when you next check in