Morning all
Just a quick post
There seems to be a LOT of positive thinking/comments/posts around at the moment and this is a BRILLIANT thing to witness to from the HUGE negativity that brings us here in the first place
Keep it up cos it's empowering to all
Glads dad đŸ™‚
Quick check in before work, hope everyone is doing good and this weeks going to be a 100% check in.
Hi Mr B, thanks for the reply. More than up for the commitment of the forum and to stay off the betting. This is the first major challenge for me as the season starts today keeping myself busy by washing cars and creating my team for the fantasy league.
It's a check in but think this will be my last. Gambled again. Let you all down as well as my family. Faced with bills I hadn't expected and I caved in. After all I've written about a new me I'm not. I'm the same old loser I've always been. Sorry to all.
Ok apology accepted
Now what?
So you had a bet, do you still want to stop?
If you do get back on the band wagon and shake it off
Very few of us have managed to stop first, second or even third time. Stopping from this addiction is a process
We're here for each other
Tri
Quick update:-
* 6.5 hours to go, 10 check ins required
* 2 New members confirmed now
* Bornagain doing the update tomorrow
* Mileend - tri is right - you have lapsed, not relapsed......read back on the person you are, not the person you think you are now. This isn't easy - 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year......doesn't matter how long, it's tough. You can look in the mirror and see a person who is doing everything he can to stop and stay stopped, or you can look in the mirror at someone who's given up. If you were a family member of that person, then which would you want to lend your love and support to?
* I've had a couple of emails in the last 24 hours - I won;t get to them today, but will tomorrow - to those of you who dropped me a note.....stay strong, believe in yourselves and I'll be in touch soon.
Stay strong everyone - could be a rough week for the group.......but I reckon we'll still be over 30.......great going!
Mr B
Evening all! Checking in after another stupidly busy week but still proud to say no gambling or isolating, compulsive behaviour. I hope I am learning to react to life's challenges like a normal person as apposed to a compulsive, addicted person. Let's keep fighting the good fight.
Checking in 272 days / 9 months!
been very tough battling all my depression and anxiety problems recently but a change of meds and some more willpower and i feel a bit better,,
we are but shadows and dust ...shadows and dust
richy x
Checking in, so busy with life without gambling that I've just made check in. Nothing to Really report, only that my gambling music is so quiet just now, I can't hear it at all. Keeping my life music up as I hope everyone else is as well. Stay strong gang.
As it's technically Sunday, it's also now day 1(again). Yesterday I lapsed and am in a bad place again. If any positive can come of this then hopefully anyone else wavering in the group will think twice. Having a bad time generally at the moment but as we all know there's no easy way out to any problems - head down and work hard. I start again.
Hi Mile End,
You are here, you are still fighting.......and if there's anything to be learned for you, the period of recovery around 5 weeks is a massive risk area for you - 34 days, 36 days is the numbers I've got. Strengthen defences, post lots, stick with us, work hard as you say, but believe that you can do this - I do.
Always here mate,
Mr B
Checking in on day 143. Got a few days off and going to alton towers with the kids Monday and Tuesday.
Morning everyone!
A bit of a change of plan - bornagain was going to do the update as I had some commitments today, however, due to the warnings around weather for the UK today those plans have fallen through…..which leaves me free to fulfil my normal Sunday morning duties! Many thanks to bornagain for the offer of stepping into the breach!
So the challenge faces another huge test in the coming days……..on the back of the one we faced yesterday. The start of the football season always sees a flurry of bookmaker promotions and television campaigns…….and of course Ray Winston will start to grace our screens more and more often. I hope any of you who like me had the biggest problem area of gambling surrounding football managed to get through yesterday without a hitch and feel strong and confident going into a new week when the big guns join the action.
There’s been some debate on the challenge this week about the Fantasy Football League I’ve started (details on previous posts). I really hope it’s not caused anyone to steer clear of the challenge thread - and I assure everyone this will be the last time it’s mentioned by me on these pages. For those who want to join, have a look back to my post last Sunday that contains the details. As has been suggested - there’s a forum within the league page itself which anyone wanting to converse about the standings etc. should use - the ask from me and I’m sure others would be to have no direct mention of problem gambling. There’s 11 entries to the league so far and I reckon there’ll be another couple of come - unless anyone has any objections I’m going to invite Papa B into the league.
I’ve taken the unusual step this week to check a member in without any proof or knowledge of whether they are clean or not. As most of you are aware, Wolfgang, and especially his better half to be Lou have been having an extremely difficult time with family recently. I’m really confident that Wolfgang will still be gamble free but am concerned that his silence in the last week may spell that the challenges he and Lou have faced may have become even more difficult. Wolfgang/Lou - you guys are in thoughts and prayers.
In the update this week I’ll cover off the headlines, welcome 2 new members to the group, highlight the Milestones that have been celebrated plus those that will be celebrated in the coming week and finish off with the Roll of Honour. Better get started then………..
Headlines for the Week
The group kicks off this week with 36 soldiers which is one less than last week. With a retention rate of 86% we’ve seen 5 members not managing to check in, but having looked at their recent posts I’m very confident that at least 2 of them are still out there fighting the good fight and remaining gamble free (John64 and markieb10). That left us with 32 retained group members and with 2 missing soldiers coming back and 2 new soldiers it gives us the 36. The days for the 36 current members look good with a collective period of abstinence lasting just over 12 years and the average days clean being just over 120 per individual. The total money saved since the challenge started is creeping closer to the half million gbp - pretty outstanding! With a very strong finish to the month we could still see the half million being reached by the end of August……but almost definitely by the end of the 3rd quarter. With the 2 new guys joining us, we’ve had a 110 soldiers coming through the challenge which, with 36 marching means that our overall retention remains above a 1/3rd - still 10 times better than quoted norms!
Introducing New Members to the Team
We can finally welcome 2 new members to the team who have taken the time to post and then repost expressing the necessary commitment to their own and the team recovery. Sparky1981 and ccw95 join us with over 4 months of the year remaining - challenge for you guys is to aspire to reach the 31st December totally clean. Lots of advice and encouragement can be found on this thread and on the site - read back on the updates and especially on the survey results! All the very best and thanks for joining us. Ccw95 - I think you could be our youngest member - I’m so delighted that you’ve realised as early as you have that there’s a gambling problem in your life and that you’ve had the courage to speak to people about it and try to arrest it from your life at such an early stage. Being more than twice your age (ouch!) I can only wish that I’d have taken steps much more early in life to free myself of gambling - stay strong and always know that we are here if you need us.
The Biggest Milestone………Ever!
Before I move onto the milestones section, I need to call out the biggest one that the group will have ever experienced which is fast approaching. This coming Tuesday, the glorious 12th of August, Del79 will be free from gambling for exactly 1 year! I have an ask that every member comes onto the challenge on Tuesday, checks in, but most importantly recognises this momentous day for Del and the group. I can’t wait for your big day Del!
Milestones Celebrated Last Week
The following milestones were celebrated this week:-
Richy244 hits 9 months of being free from gambling today…….you’ll be next after Del to hit the year richy! Seriously well done soldier - hope that things are picking up for you!
lostafortune, triangle and ringerbell all moved past 150 days on the journey! Brilliant going soldiers - all great contributors to the team and much appreciated!
Delboygolf (Mr Reliable!) and Shorty8 stormed past 20 weeks clean! Another milestone coming up for both of you in the next week or so!
Strange and help2604 are now both 3 months into recovery……..and will both join the Century Club in the next week! Woop woop!
mjc1974 has come through 70 days and into double digits of weeks of recovery!! Amazing going mjc - you must be sending clear messages now that the blip was just a blip - confidence and trust growing every day!
Rst, Pinky333 and Matty21 have all reached the half century - such a significant milestone for each of you and I am so so proud you have all come this far - always knew you could make it this far…….and way way further!
Milestones Coming Up this Week
……and there’s lots of them to be celebrated!! Here they are:-
Tuesday 12th August - Del79 reaches 1 Year!!! Elfie hits 50 days!!!
Wednesday 13th August - No Crisis reaches a quarter of a year!!
Thursday 14th August - Scambling moves onto 250 days!! Help2604 becomes the newest member of the Century Club on reaching 100 days free!! Wolf57 hits 10 weeks of no gambling!!
Friday 15th August - Del’s one year free party takes place (hopefully in Glasgow! - all welcome!), Mr Brightside moves onto 250 days and Daz71 reaches a quarter of a year!!
Sunday 17th August - delboygolf hits 150 days, Drew2002 marches onto 20 weeks and the next new member of the Century Club chalks up this massive milestone - congratulations will go to strange!!
Roll of Honour
Here’s the Roll of Honour for this week……..
Names Days Clean
bornagain 236
Happy Days 241
lostafortune 156
Mr Brightside 245
Del79 363
rstxxxtogo 50
Hitthefan 190
luckygirl 115
Baggins 161
ToBeOrNot 170
triangle 150
Scambling 246
NoCrisis 88
ringerbell 150
delboygolf 143
Drew2002 133
Gladsdad 127
Pinky333 55
Strange 93
Wolfgang 131
help2604 96
Shorty8 141
julio 158
Daz71 84
D70 78
Mileend 1
Wolf57 66
richy 244 273
StoneRoses 12
Elfie17 48
Matty21 50
GamAddict 42
SuzyLemon 59
mjc1974 75
Sparky1981 5
ccw95 10
Drum roll………total days free of gambling since the Challenge began……….
8527 Days = 0.42635 million GBP in our pockets………………..0 GBP in the bookies!!!
So that’s the update for this week everyone and check in is open!! Next week we’ll kick off the next survey which will look to refresh our gambling volumes, but in the meantime have a brilliant week everyone, be strong and continue on the amazing journey you have begun.
Don’t forget Tuesday - big expectation on the group to find the time to check in and congratulate Del on his 1 year milestone!!
Take care and God bless everyone.
Mr Brightside
Apologies for late check in its been a crazy few days. Day 28 and still clean, feel I passed a big test yesterday with the start of the footy. Lots of urges but pushed them away.
well done to all on this journey the achievements of people on here are incredible.
Mark
thanks mr b for your usual round up
yes a year in abstinence is certainly something to acknowledge and gives me hope for one.
checking in on day 150 and yes i'll be around this week including tuesday
Tri
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
