2014 Challenge

Checking in on day 213 with a big hangover lol.

Have a great day all.

Steve

Sorry all for the late check in! Had a manic week which in many ways is good. Am not surprised gambling thoughts are creeping back in as every time I've failed before its been round about now. Also had a few knocks but got to keep strong so when good times return I enjoy them to the full. Not sure number of days I'm up to but its 60 something.

Hi Mile end!'

Great to see you checking in fella......it's never nice to post someone missing when they are at a milestone.......and it's actually today that's the milestone day for you!!

Congratulations on your 10 week anniversary today!! 70 days gamble free fella and you're right......danger territory for you!! Guard up!!

Well done again and good to see you keeping busy!!

Mr B!

Hi all - early check in for me as another busy week ahead with builders still, plumbers, electrician and all has to be ready for the flooring going down on Friday [if all other professions do their stuff on time that is!]. We just hope the new plaster will be dry for us to paint before the flooring is laid ~ otherwise it'll be lots of clean dust cloths down next weekend!!

Anyways troops ~ will be 143 days on Sat Pm for me - and as Mr B has pointed out in his update, I'll hit the 20 week ~ 140 day mark mid week. A great milestone for me and one I'll be particularly happy to reach this time around as I personally think its such a short hop on to 26 weeks / 6 months from here and that is a massive milestone.

No gambling thoughts a been far to hectic although plenty of opportunities, and the stress levels high which would normally push me into a dark place, but great support from the OH, and funnily enough, I just didn't want to!

Have a great gamble free week everyone, especially those new to this journey, stay strong and lets hope returning soldiers turn up happy and GF.

Thanks also Mr B for an inspiring yet personal update. I know how that trust can be taken for granted and must have been a big leap fo faith for Mama B as well as your good self. So well done for looking at the bookies and ignoring them! A great step forward!

BE strong everyone,

Kind regards, Cliff

Hi fellow soldiers. Checking in on day 33!! A month has finally past and my it has incredibly quickly. A small sense of relief has struck me and this personal milestone is a massive one for me.

Had a good week, been incredibly busy but not much to report from that. Attended a couple of game conventions with Microsoft for my internship and loved every second of it!! Really comforting to hear others success. I feel a sense of team spirit and it's certainly helped me get through the tough times thus far. Don't post often but I do when necessary to offer advice and help others on their recovery. Welcome all new members, your presence is greatly appreciated and look forward to battling on with you.

Congratulations on everything Mr.B, an inspiration to show what's possible and you deserve it. Good to hear about your scenario from the week, goes to show how long it takes to recover yet takes second to lose all the hard work and progress.

Keep pushing on guys, have a safe and gamble free week.

Andy 🙂

Feeling great 34 days down, many more ahead. Checking in for another gamble free week. Rst.

Thanks Mr B. I'm happy to have hit the 10 wk milestone though think your own report of abstaining from a non self excluded bookies on the first day of having back your bank card is a far greater achievement than any days counted. As said we are all only succeeding if we have not gambled today so to tackle the demons head on in with a positive outcome is another inspiration to us all.

Last post of the day.......

What a great start to the check in week

& some brilliant posts as well - thanks everyone for bringing reflection, positivity and energy to the group.....

Good luck with the builders Wolf!

Great first month and post Andy!

Stay strong Mile - dangerous time - in less than a month you're into the Century Club - you can do this and this is your time!!

Thanks for the nice comments guys - motivation to stay strong!!

Have a great week!!

Mr Brightside

checking in on day 220

crazy saying that but there it is

well done to all the other soldiers who help and support each other on this journey

this soldier for one needs help from time to time

thanks tri

Morning all.

Mr.B fella a huge well done on taking steps to show you are in control of your own mind,for it I salute you.

What I will say is today I look forward to self exclusion,I carry a few passport photo's and if I am in a new area or another bookies open's I go in and self exclude,it gifts my resolve no end.

The reaction has been entertaining in a few as well.

One that comes to mind,I walked in asked to self exclude and the lass replies 'But I haven't seen you in here before!'

My reply 'You won't again!'

lol maybe I could start a club or launch a book one similar to the one I had as a kid to check off the registrations on cars,or instead of crossing off the birds my twitcher friend does as he sights them I could cross off the bookies I am excluded from!!

All to retain my strength of mind

Abstain and Maintain

Duncs checking in gamble free since 31/10/2013

Stepping forward never back

morning duncs

I like that idea of that club

if only as a reminder of what can happen if i take my eye off the ball

🙂 tri

I'd be a member of that club folks!!

Dunc - Mama B and I spoke about you yesterday and mentioned that had you been in that situation you'd have brought out a ready made passport photo and been self excluded within minutes!! A leaf out of the MacBook (that's the repository for dunc'isms and not a popular device made by Apple!!) and I'll be getting some snaps taken before this Saturday!! Cue confusion on the faces of the staff in those shops!! I'll get my "Exclusion Record" out and tick off Bradlokes and Hilly Will Falkirk branches to the list of successful location removals!!

We're still going pretty strongly this week - a quarter of the way to 100% retention......we've never done it before!!

I've been talking to bornagain via text and he's had a mini blip at the weekend. He's really hurting, and while I'm forging on and posting this, he doesn't know I'm going to.......so forgive me Phil, it's all positive intent. Please throw some support the way of one of our founder soldiers and reassure him that we're here and really want him with us.

Be safe everyone.....and this is me formally checking in for the week!! Less than 50 days to go before the year clock ticks around - woop woop!!

Mr Brightside

Hi Mr B, checking in for another gamble free week. another great post and good to hear milestones made this week. Congratulations to Andy who like myself passed our first milestone of 1 month gamble free. This week temptation arrived in the post in the form of a new credit card for an account I was 1.05 in credit. I never looked at the card number, phoned the credit card company asked them to pay 1.05 to charity and close the account. I then cut the card up. .........and so I move another step forward in my recovery.

A wee aside - I also deleted candy crush as I have wasted countless hours over the last 2 years and when I thought about it I realised it was another form of addiction - a pointless random game that was taking over my life.

Keep strong everyone.

Mo

Ben 23. Need to try anything to stop. Hopefully you guys can help. I just want to feel normal and sleep normally for once 🙁

Checking in for the week. Not sure how many days I'm on but know you will keep me right mr B

In relation to your question I am travelling over to Scotland for the game in a few weeks but only a flying visit. Always been able to do away trips but it great knowing I've emergency money if I needed unlike past experiences were I'd have lost it all in the airport before my flight

The charity event went brilliant and can honestly say it help me as much as the charity. Know now it's over I must keep my guard up as have a lot more free time on my hands. Charity still not registered btw 🙁