2014 Challenge

Good morning everyone,

Checking in on 219 gamble free days. In answer to your questions Mr B:

1. My main gambling area was Horse Racing. It started off with a 5 figure win for a small stake back in 1987 and I thought this was an easy way to make money. How wrong could I have been! Since then I have constantly placed bets on various sports trying to get that magical feeling of winning and that final 'big win' that would secure my family's future. Like most this resulted in huge financial problems and worst of all family troubles.

2. My personal advice for someone trying to stop gambling on Horse Racing is to totally remove yourself from any exposure to the sport. Stop buying newspapers as you know that 3 pages in from the back is the days horse racing, don't watch any racing channels on TV, don't look online at any horse racing websites, don't go near any bookmakers and self exclude from them. Place the blocking software to prevent assess to online websites.

I have now accepted that the 10's of thousands of pounds I gambled away over the 25 years is lost.

And from Dec 13th 2013, has been the start of a gamble free, family orientated, non selfish, good nights sleep, money in the bank, no more lies & devious way of life for me.

It will take a lot of effort to achieve this but I am 100% committed in achieving a non gambling future.

Have a great weekend.

Mike

Morning everyone :),

Checking In today is 21 days gamble free for me so i'm barely getting close to my goal of 100 gamble free days but as long as i keep those days going i know i'll be at my goal in no time :D. stay strong everyone and be happy

Flying visit for me today, will read up on everyone's progress tomorrow.....

Checking in 341 GF days

Del 🙂

I getting later with my check in every week but good thing is I'm still here 🙂 have had a hectic week with stage 1 of a job interview and sorting things out for charity event

Hi everybody,

Checking in on day 224 I think...

Many congrats to Gladsdad on becoming a member of tbe century club. I remember when there were only 5 of us, now theres 19... 🙂

Dont worry, be happy 🙂

Scambling

Thank you Scrambling

It makes me very happy to be in the century club!

P.S amazing achievement of 224 days you must be very proud at where you are today

Hope everyone is ok this week

Best Regards

Glads Dad

Afternoon all, Checking in for the week with a question for the group. Does anyone else find they are simply replacing one compulsive activity, i.e. Gambling, with another?

I have had a crappy week and despite not turning to gambling, I have managed to exhibit all the antisocial red mist activities I associate with gambling. On Tuesday, I withdrew from the family completely and blew 50 quid obsessing about getting three stars in a game of candy crush saga. Seems a really stupid thing to be worried about now I write it down but I hate the person I become when acting compulsively and I'm starting to realise it is not just gambling that makes me exhibit compulsive behaviours. On Thursday, I talked a few mates into going of for a drink and proceeded to ignore them completely and knock back my body weight in whisky. Last night I spent my whole night with one eye on the computer buying pay per view sporting events and obsessing about not having a bet. If I'm completely honest, a few pay per view other things might have crept in there too as a way of distracting myself from actually letting the people who love me know that work is killing me and I am a little upset.

Net result is I have wasted several hundred quid (mainly on whisky I can't remember drinking), upset my friends, ignored my family, wasted a whole lot of time that could have been far better spent and still haven't got the third star on level 488. I can't help feeling I might as well gambled.

Should probably add, that I've had a few hours off with the family today, got things bank in perspective and been making amends. I think I have said before that I get in the viscous circle of isolation being a trigger and then acting in ways that make me even more isolated. It really is stupid but, when I am doing it, I can't see it.

In answer to Mr B's questions. Started in the bookies as a way of fitting in. Horses led to dogs led to anything else they had on either in the bookies or in the pub next door. Compulsive behaviour of chasing losses started there but online casino was my biggest problem simple because it is so easy to lose and lose fast. I like betting on sporting events; love having an interest but most sports bets sites also have casinos and bookies have machines so I know I have to steer clear of both.

Apologies for the late check in.

Like most young CG's it's fobts and online roulette and blackjack for me. Nearly 5k in a couple of says put me well and truly on my a**e!

To help me stop I put restrictions on my phone, closed my eyes and typed a password and still can't remember it. Other thing is closing online accounts. My closest bookies is a couple of miles away so it's relatively easy to stay away unless I'm in town where there are about 15. To self exclude is my next avenue but at the moment I don't even want to go in just in case.

Hope alls well

Checking in day 27 everything going really well 😄

Checking in for this week. Been an amazing week at the Open and will be sat on the 18th around this time tomorrow hopefully watching Rory receiving the Claret Jug. Hope everyone's doing well and looking forward to reading tomorrows update.

Hi all late checkin got internet in uk not back home till end of week still gamble free. Think it maybe day 169 will need to catch up on challenge thread and diary. Thanks all and mr b . Recharged and still keeping strong hitthefanx

Hi Mr B sorry for late checking in had a not very good week health wise.

Mo

morning everyone. i'm 39 year old female from Lincolnshire.

betting shops, dogs etc have never interested me. to me it was the slot machines, starting with the 2p ones at the seaside and then going onto the online casinos, even better didn't have to interact with anyone and if I needed to do anything the laptop came with me!!

after my last relapse I'm on day 53!!! I've gone past my first half century and steaming towards the full one!!

been tied up time wise this week with ill health and extra shifts at work etc but still feeling positive.

best wishes to you all. we can do it!!

also I have a quick question that I don't know if you'll have the answer to but, is there an app you can get on your phone linked to gamcare so that if you are out and about and feel the urge you can contact someone?