Oh no

51 days! That is amazing! Any tips? I'm reading this as I have just done what you did in January, blown all of my wages after working 45 hours a week to earn them and I am dreading facing my family. To know you can do it does give me some help.

What I have begun to see with a bit more clarity is my triggers. This can be payday (bad if like me you get paid monthly), stress, boredom, plain need for a high and financial anxiety to name some. I'm also remembering the misery and self loathing that follows a binge (I can't stop) and accepting that a win is just a precursor to a bigger defeat. I'm also aware that I have enough problems, that I complicate my life at the best of times so this is an extra anxiety that I don't need. My life is still not wonderful but less chaotic and without that horrible feeling of a loss. You can recover. We all can. It is still early days for me but I am getting less obsessed with money which is a better place. Keep this feeling close to you. Best to all.

Hey you, thanks for dropping by 🙂

Wonderful to see you have sailed right past the half century & a fantastic, positive post!

In the words of Ade2, recovery is indeed possible! Keep winning - ODAAT

Hi all. 122 days still going. If I can you can. After a while it feels like a bad dream. Life is better gf. Now can I give up the f**s...?

Well done!!! Just read your post and really give me some hope. I recognise yours and my trigger and are pretty similar. Today is my first day so i am hoping i can do it as i cant live like this x

Wow you are an inspiration Down and Out, I am on Day 12 and taking one day at a time, I am going to win this battle, thanks for sharing your journey

Big congratulations to you.

Posts like this show there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Giving up the smoking would be great as well, for health and pocket, but just make sure you don't deny yourself too much.

Apart from gambling, food is my weakness, but I never tackled gambling and my weight at the same time. Did them independently once I'd got one firmly under control.

Dear all

Thanks for the kind posts. Not sure why I've wanted to go back to the forum this week, I think it's when I am troubled and perhaps deep inside my inner gambler is trying to get out! But thankfully that's not happened and I feel quite far away from it, but not being complacent. The way I work on it is a kind of CBT. If I gamble I will feel worse than I do already. That's not rational therefore I'm not gambling. So for me I think the key to stopping is not necessarily trying to feel better about life (I am intrinsically very grumpy) but not feeling chaotic and catastrophically messed up. The spiral of trying to get money when none is there to pay for the basics is something I did so many times and it's exhausting. So in summary, still miserable but not in that complete gamblers self loathing way! So I am still a way from Nirvana but being gf is definitely positive...best to all

Dear all, now made 215 days. I have had quite a few urges recently but resisted. I think I'm in that complacent/dangerous area where you think you have cracked it and feel that I could be a normal part time gambler. Fortunately I've remembered I'm not able to do that. Good to read my old posts to remember how horrible this addiction is. I cannot win...best to all of you and keep abstaining.

Great achievement. Keep going and never look back you will be hitting a year in no time x

Hi all

Relapsed last month and have been gambling again. It has not been too much of a disaster yet but could be if I don't stop now. Strange after getting to nearly a year GF.

Have used it as a crux to avoid addressing personal issues. I am sure many can relate to that. I need to stop now. This is the first step. Strange and disappointing to be back again.

Hi guys

Yes out of control again. Losing myself. What was I thinking of. One year clean and then going down this hellish road. I have to stop again.

Morning,

What are you actually going to do to stop? What changes do you need to make to break the triangle?

With stopping, it's what you do that changes things; the best of intentions are meaningless if not backed up by solid action. You have to do what it takes (more barriers, get support), for you. If you don't, who will?

BW,

CW

All the best. Try re-reading your blog from start to finish to see if this helps. You can beat this. It appears the urge is back for you. I have found that the urge is difficult to break tho it can be done with the right support

You can and will smash this...
Take care

Many thanks for your post D&O. I an not sure if I am supposed to enjoy but I did. As one who know you have really summed m up in a nutshell. I have always had a poor relationship with money. As a child my parents would be so generous with their change but always squander it straight away. I was very impatient and could never wait for anything always looking for birthdays or christmas. That is how I got into debt at 17. Getting credit and HP because I could not wait and here I am 20 years later and still in debt. The constant debt and stress as an adult certainly fuelled my addiction. Now I hate money. When I get it, if I do not gamble it I want to spend it on some comfort. I just cannot hang on so my problem with money certainly goes well beyond gambling. I need to develop a longer and stronger backbone and be patient and just hang on to what I have. If I do success would be a self-fulfilling prophecy. I am sorry that you lost your wicket after nearly a year. I am pleased that you have refocussed. Just as with me, we do sometimes need that big loss to focus us! You are two days in. I am four. Let's beat this b*****d together!