Worried Sick

i have built 2 lego kits with my sony1]

But at day 6 you are on your way to stopping gambling. You say you don't understand why you gamble and it doesn't make you happy but it will certainly make you sad.

Is there anything else you can do instead of gambling - filling time with other things may be the way forward. Given time away from gambling you may begin to feel happier but it may take time.

hope you're well

Clare x

hi claire /Ken

have had a really busy day todayalthough it's been very tiring i'm trying to keep busy my son is over the moon ... cleaned up this morning after laying in cooked roast beef dinner for the family and my friend me and the kids have made alien keyrings i have built 2 lego kits with my son spent ages with the play doh i watched a film with my eldesti think i've actually worn my kids out instead of the other way around...have to say though despite feeling good my mind wanders a lot and i don't particularly get the enjoyment i should be getting from spending time with the kids hopefully this will change over time because i know they have really enjoyed today .... 6 days and soon to be 7 if I could get to sleep ...counting sheep ... Funny you should mention word games Ken ,i have been doing something similar , only i'm more of a numbers sort of person and have been playing rummikub online .... You take care too ... Happy New Year ...2015 The year we finally got that holiday ...maybe

Hi Lesley.

Busy day for you yesterday and I know what you mean about the mind wandering when you're keeping busy. I think of it as normal withdrawal symptoms. Like your brain is used to you gambling and it's like it's missing something. But we both know you're not missing anything. You're winning by not gambling. It's hard and it will take time but I feel certain you will begin to gain more enjoyment from the day to day activities in time.

Well done so far and keep it up

Clare x

Hi Lesley

I remember my head being all over the place in the early days, but I also remember that when everything settled down I had more clarity of thought than I can ever remember previously. I am sure the difficulty with concentrating was all part of the withdrawal effects. I am convinced that doing new things and learning new skills were crucial to helping me give up and ensured my long term success. I cannot imagine returning to my old gambling ways, because my life and my relationships with others are so much more fulfilling now.

I remember my wife coming back from a day out about a year ago and asking me how my day had been; I answered that I had had a pretty lazy day and then proceeded to list all the things I had done that day. I was amazed that what I thought had been a lazy day had actually been quite productive. It just shows how much time there is to do things when not sat at my computer from morning to night in my own selfish bubble.

Don't be distracted from being the person you really are by your brain's urges to gamble again. I lived my life on auto-pilot for so long and now I challenge my instincts and impulses all the time. Those nearest to you will notice the changes and will love you even more.

Best wishes

Ken

I Messed up ...yesterday I found I site I had not excluded myself from ...and blew nearly £200.00 on a slot ...I am gutted and feel I am never going to escape this life I am creating ...I going to have to start over ....feeling pretty low at the moment ...

More serious than I though ...I will need more help than I thought I'm not strong enough to do this on my own will power has all gone ...

Acceptance that willpower alone will not work is a key step on the road to recovery. Self exclusion from sites is a start but you left the door open by not downloading the software to stop you opening others. I may be wrong but i presume you also didnt hand over financial control. Learn from what you didnt do last time & improve your barriers. This addiction doesnt muck about or play in half measures. Neither should we if we want to beat it