2014 Challenge

Hi all,

Checking in another week GF. Very ordinary week, no complaints though. Ordinary is good 🙂

Hi

Glads dad checking in feeling battered,torn n helpless

It's so hard to admit I'm at the bottom again after so long feeling strong and well enough to think I'd beaten this disease

I need some help to get me to where I was a few months ago I'm happy to disclose my number to talk to anyone who wants to speak to me

I hate myself for allowing myself to get to this situation but after my relapse its been so hard to keep gambling thoughts away

I'm not happy or in a good place but I know I can beat this hell because I did beat it for 10 years

I want to beat this s**t I've dealt myself again

Hey GD

Not in a position to talk tonight, but email me your number on the MrB email address on the front page and I'll send you a text in the morning - you can phone me whenever you want fella. You're a good guy Glads - and you're going to make it through this.

Mr B

Limited internet connectivity so a quick gamble free check in. Not been able to read any posts this week. Hope everyone is doing ok.

Mike

Checking in day 267 life music loud soldering on hitthefanx

Hi mr B

Will contact you later this week as I'm away with the wife for a couple of days.

Ironically I'm celebrating my 45th birthday and should be happy but gambling thoughts are pi**ing me off no end

Thank you for your response

Glads dad

Apologies for the late check in , first time ever I think. Still GF.

Del 🙂

Checking in on day 220.

Have a great day all.

Steve

Happy extra hour in bed day………..unless you are dunc or have kids, dogs, working or all of the above!

The update this week will be yet another “last of the month” as we say farewell to October and move into the penultimate month of the year. After today there’s only 10 more updates that will take us to Sunday the 4th January 2015, meaning 10 more check ins and a 70 day gamble free target for everyone to set themselves to get there. I’ll do the monthly update next Sunday and remember that it’s only soldiers who have checked in that feature in that. It’s a big week coming up for our small army - this week will see us reaching our 2500 post on the challenge, move past 500 pages of check ins and updates on the thread, hopefully move past 0.6m GBP of money saved in not gambling and significantly, we will welcome our second soldier into the super exclusive club of being more than a year in recovery. Reasons to be certain that there’s safety in numbers!

My opening ramble this week is about the word “experience” and how it struck me yesterday as a vital thing to draw upon in the recovery journey. Last week I shared how I found myself standing between two different bookmakers at 2.45pm on a Saturday afternoon - with all aspects of the triangle aligned to really test my resolve in staying gamble free. I survived that test and made a mental note to get a couple of passport pictures done so that if I found myself there again I could simply go and self exclude. So yesterday I dropped my daughter off at her dance class (1.45pm) and headed to my favourite coffee shop to grab a latte and begin pulling the challenge numbers together for this week. Walking up the street the realisation that I didn’t have those passport pictures in hand and that once again I would be in that area at “danger” time hit me……….you know that pit in the stomach feeling? It’s 2pm by now and I’m safely in Costa with my coffee in hand and laptop open. Sitting back and reflecting on the previous week, the point of the triangle that is “time” took on new meaning. My experience told me that it was the specific time of the day that heightened thoughts of gambling and not so much the location or the availability of money. Therefore, if I wasn’t in the specific location at the specific time then maybe I wouldn’t have as much a temptation - and that was proven to be the case. No cigarette at 2.45pm……..and at 3.10pm I left the coffee shop, walked past the bookmakers and again had a mini “punch the air” moment as another test was navigated. However, I hadn’t planned well enough and I hadn’t considered what had happened the week before well enough to be able to really learn from the experience - I put myself in temptation’s way. I need to do something differently next week - passport pics required and a proactive assault on the bookies is necessary! To close this ramble off……..when in recovery, when blips have been had, when thoughts of gambling enter our heads and when we are presented with the opportunity (time, location, money), do we truly put our learnings into the “experience” bank and ensure we plan effectively to avoid a repeat test? We need to be constantly learning from our experience if we are going to win through………..

Onto the update for this week then and contained within is the usual sections of headlines, milestones, returning members and the roll of honour………..I’ll add in a couple of shout outs too……so without further ado, let’s get on with it!

Headlines for the Week……………

I’m delighted to say that it’s been a really strong week for the team. We’re back to 30 members, retention was a fantastic 93% (27 of 29 checked in) and we’ve had 3 soldiers return to us from their individual battles to rejoin the ranks. Each of us will carry an average of 150 days of recovery into the new week and between us we’ve stopped for 12.3 years - pretty good huh? With a fair wind (and there’s enough of that at the moment!) and a couple of new members we’ll reach the team milestone of 600,000 GBP saved by this time next week……it’s a stretch but I would never say never. Checked in we have 17 members of the Century Club, but as mentioned in the shout outs below I think we will be at 18 next week if a missing soldier checks in…..I think he will!

Returning Members and Shout Outs……..

It’s brilliant to see bornagain, Mile End and mba returning to base camp this week. Some bumps and bruises evident in a couple of them, but from reading recovery diaries I get the sense that there’s renewed resolve and determination to win through this horrible addiction.

I’ve done something I don’t often do this week and that is to check someone in without being asked. ccw85 has had a very tough time in the last few weeks and sadly lost his grandmother following a period of illness earlier this week. It’s totally understandable that his mind is elsewhere and I just want you to know ccw that we’re with you and hope you and the family are supporting each other through. Take care soldier and hope to see you checking in again soon.

I also want to specifically ask for some rallying support from everyone for Glads Dad. For those of you who never saw GD’s post on Saturday night, following his blip a couple of weeks ago he is really struggling and could do with some words of encouragement from his fellow team mates. I would really appreciate it if we could pop some posts on this thread to help him on his way back to strength and belief that he can do this.

A quick mention for Matty1658 and Jelle who joined the group last week and have stayed with us into their second weeks - in doing so maintaining our great record of new member retention. It’s brilliant to have you both fighting with us - keep it up!

Finally, last shout out is to MarkieB10 who hasn’t made it back to base camp this week, but from reviewing his recovery diary is still going strong and celebrated joining the Century Club this week - he must have been too excited to remember to join us! Congratulations markieb and make sure you get checked in this week!

Milestones Celebrated and to be Celebrated this Week

It’s an incredibly quiet week for milestones this week………but it’s the quality and not the quantity that counts! Here are the soldiers who celebrated in the week just past:-

Wolf57 marched past the 20 week mark and is getting closer to the half year! Congratulations Cliff!

CannaeWin celebrates 10 weeks of recovery today! Doesn’t seem like yesterday you joined the group CW and look at how you’re doing! Superb!

Milestones in the coming week:-

SuzyLemon will hit the 20 week mark on Thursday! A brilliant milestone Suzy - well done!

ccw85 will be a quarter of year free from gambling as of Thursday as well - congratulations soldier - I know someone who will be very very proud of you in achieving this.

Last, but certainly not least, there’s duncanmac……..who, on Friday 31st October 2014, will be able to lay claim to 1 Year of maintaining his abstinence. He has stepped forward, never back and will be placing a foot and joining Del79 into Year 2 of recovery. Words can’t express how delighted we are for you Duncan and how proud we are to be walking this path with you. I can’t wait for Halloween……….it will be a treat (not a trick!).

The Roll of Honour………

Here are the names and gamble free days for our army as at today…….

Name GF Days

bornagain 8

Happy Days 318

lostafortune 233

Mr Brightside 322

Del79 440

duncanmac 360

rst94togo 41

Hitthefan 267

Baggins 238

triangle 227

ringerbell 227

Scambling 323

delboygolf 220

Gladsdad 15

Pinky333 132

Mo 38

Chirst21 36

John64 149

Mileend 77

Wolf57 143

StoneRoses 13

Elfie17 125

SuzyLemon 136

mjc1974 152

ccw95 87

CannaeWin 70

mba 7

AndyJ 40

Matty1658 35

Jelle 9

Drum roll………total days free of gambling since the Challenge began……….

11698 Days = 0.5849 million GBP in our pockets………………..0 GBP in the bookies!!!

Before I sign off and open check in for this week, there’s an article posted by Sandra1 in the Overcoming problem gambling section of the forum - it’s called “stages of gambling and how we got where we are now”. It’s well worth a read - a little scary in places, but helped me to understand how I must have shown up at times to my family and friends……..and strengthened my determination never to go back there ever again.

That’s the update for this week then folks - check is in now open for the new week. Have a great 7 days, don’t forget to post words of encouragement to struggling soldiers and please remember duncs big day on Friday!

Have a great week everyone - use your experience, be good to yourself and look forward to your gamble free future.

Mr Brightside

Many thanks Mr B for your update and words of wisdom. Checking in very early for the coming week before being overrun by goblins, aka the grandchildren on half-term holiday...

Massive congrats to duncs on the year milestone on the 31st - you should be feeling really pump(kin)ed up.

Glads Dad - so sorry you are not in a good place at the moment, but we really need you here with us - you've been such a great team member in supporting others.

Now it's your turn - you'll soon be back on track with renewed motivation. I hope you can enjoy your birthday break and that it will you a bit of space and refreshment.

All the best to you and all fellow-combatants.

Joanna

checking in this week day 227

yes an amazing achievement by those who have milestones this week.

I have to doff my hat at those who come back after going back to gambling. Its not an easy walk and one i've done myself many times as i'm sure many of us have

Well done to all

Tri

Checking in day 41, great win at footy this morning, hope for the same with Man U this afternoon. Can't wait for the new year, going to have to change my name from rst66togo into something a bit simpler like. Rst.ex-CG. Will be great to have this successful year behind me and build on it.

Hi everyone I want to encourage each one of you on this challenge. You have made a commitment to yourselves and to each other and you are winning! Yes some of you may have stumbled along the way but if you are still here then you have great courage and you are determined to win the battle! Today is the day - one day at a time!

Bornagain - delighted I can hear you marching 🙂 Gladsdad don't waste your energy beating yourself up turn that negative energy into positive energy - you are coming to a birthday milestone make this the time gambling has no hold on you ever again! Enjoy your birthday & know you have great support on here.

I texted Mr B on Saturday to check he had got pics with him. When I read the update I was delighted at his strength but next Saturday I will put a framed pic around his neck with 'Do not admit' on! Seriously I am so blessed by his determination and the way he is embracing his recovery 🙂

It's difficult for each of us whichever side of this battle we are on. We must never get complacent or let our guard down for a minute!

Temptation is the enemy - the dictionary definition is 'the desire to perform an action that you may enjoy immediately or short term but will probably later regret for various reasons - legal, social, psychological (including guilt) health related, economic etc.'

a couple of quotes - Opportunity comes knocking every now and then but temptation bangs on your front door!

Temporary happiness isn't worth long term pain!

How very true! Temptation isn't the enemy itself, giving in to the temptation is.

I hope that this will be a positive week for each of you. So many milestones with great cause for celebration on the 31st! However each day that any of say 'today I haven't gambled' it brings joy to my heart! Stay strong.

Love Mama B xx ps don't let the goblins get you down baggins 🙂 x

evening everyone.

I'm checking in on day 152 gf.

had some thoughts this week but didn't act on them. looked at photos of my family and what I could loose. no amount of money could replace them so gambling isn't worth it.

best wishes for the future everyone, keep strong and remember we're there for you.

richy244 checking back in after a few weeks forgetting to, still clean and will be a whole year on 10 November