2014 Challenge

Hi All

I'd like to do the challenge also if that is ok. I'm currently on 37 days no gambling. Would be a dream come true to go the whole of 2014 with NO GAMBLING. I want next Xmas/ New Year to be a really happy time. The last several years its been misery. So, i'm up for this challenge BIG TIME

Cheers

Checking in on day 29. Bit.wobbly today for some reason, had a few urges, but have resisted using my coping strategies.

This is the 4th longest amount of time I've ever stopped for.. My best was last January to March where I achieved 69 days before I caved in, I think that was the hardest I'd tried and it hurt like hell when I failed. Looking back I can see where I went wrong and what I could have done to stop it ending badly. I want this so much now and am determined to succeed.

hi everyone- just checking in 20 days gamble free. Rock bottom- i too have found today hard- in fact it was the first time since i stopped that i struggled with urges but i will see it through and tomorrow will mark 3 weeks for me! Linda x

I'd like to join the challenge Mr B.

I'm only on Day 1 and have also started a 'recovery diary' to try and help me stay focused.

I need to change my life in so many ways but can't do anything until I have conquered this awful addiction 🙁

I want 2014 to be a year I'll remember for good reasons.

I have not gambled today.

I do not want to gamble tomorrow.

M x

Hello Mr B and all the group! Yup, today has been hard and I don't know why either...maybe we are thinking that it would still be OK to gamble in 2013, as long as we don't in 2014...I think that has gone through my head today. I am finding the whole 'let's not let ourselves, partners and each other down' extremely helpful. Please all keep an eye out on the new members forum and encourage them to join us. I'm a firm believer in strength in numbers.

Great check in post mrbrightside I have definitely become more motivated and determined not to gamble. Well done to everybody on here.

Day 20 🙂

Happy New Year everyone x

Well that wasn't easy got a bit emotional tonight for no apparent reason but I Didn't gamble. day 30 tomorrow. bring on the new year

Morning everyone - Happy New Years Eve!! We are about enter OUR year.........having just watched the news.........here is our New Year Honours list:-

Marek

Judderman

Rock_Bottom

Hardtimes

lec101 (Louise)

babybluesky

feet forward

Born again

Jam C

Co-ord 45

Hopeful-Liam (sorry for missing you from the list a couple of days ago mate 🙁 )

AdamPrice - welcome to the daddy of the group - over a 100 days clean - you are our benchmark fella!!

2012theyear - 2014 will be your year!! Thanks for joining!

ashamed - you will be able to be happy to look in the mirror soon girl - welcome to the team!!

And me........and I'm Mr Brightside!!

15 soldiers ready to do battle shoulder to shoulder vs gambling, day by day, in 2014. All awarded a WTW in the Honours list - a Wanting to Win.

So as we head into the New Year, a reminder of our commitments to ourselves and each other.......

My commitment to the group is that I'll do the count every Sunday night and update days etc.

Your commitment needs to be

1) to yourself!

2) to continue to fight for all of us

3) to check in at least once a week or I'll take you off the list as I want our numbers to be the truth!!!

The thing I said in the last list still rings true.......I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN.

Here's to 2014 everyone. Encourage others to join, we're over 300 days as a group and approaching a collective year already!!!

Take care,

Mr Brightside

Count me in if it's not too late. I want to beat this affliction so much, and this challenge will help massively!

Welcome el producto - the 16th member of the group. Really hope it helps you on the journey. Please read everyone's diaries and do everything you can to remove the opportunities to gamble - access to online accounts, access to money wtc.

Remember to check in regularly too!!

All the best,

Mr Brightside

Maybe I could add myself to the list? Day 3 after a relapse following a several month break from it - I need to start (again) somewhere!

Hi lostafortune - I'll add you to the list on Sunday - please check in between now and then to let us know how you are doing.

Good luck,

Mr Brightside

Hi lostafortune. I'm sure mr B would be delighted to add you - the more the merrier. I am Louise and 3 weeks in to being gambling free. For the first time in many years, I woke up this morning with a vague sense of joy that has been missing for sometime...I have absolutely no idea why, but it was quite something!

I have a huge debt to repay, but I have at least managed to start that process and have accepted that I need help and am never going to win back the money I have lost...I firmly believe that is what I needed to do in order to get over this crippling addiction.

Like you, I managed for a while without slot machines in my life, but it seems as soon as I am under any kind of stress, I go back to it as a means of escaping the real world. for me, I need to get to the bottom of that issue, resolve it, and stay strong.

Wishing everyone the strength to put 2013 behind them (I personally can't wait!) and

LET''S BE CLEAN IN 2014!

hi "clean for 14" buddies- so it new years eve and im sitting here with my 2 kids running around after a lot of sugar and Im thinking back at what a year this has been for me- ill give you all a brief insight into my life this year:

december- whole family had bad flu- i went to bingo a lot-

Jan- I broke my leg - i had a 3 month old baby and a 5 year old to deal with at the time I was in a full cast for 8 weeks- i gambled online instead of going to bingo.

feb- my uncle who sexually abused me as a child contacted me for first time to look for forgivness- this was unexpected and I gambled any time i could to take my mind off it

april- got cast taken off but carried on playing online AND went to bingo on slots

may- Found out I was pregnant again and was stressing because I had our wedding booked for september and would have been 5 months on the day

June- decided to cancel wedding to put pregnancy as priority - lost quite a lot of money with deposits but felt it was the right thing to do-

August- Went for scan and found out baby died- spent a week in hospital due to complications. - Gambled a lot more after this episode as I enjoyed the "gambling coma".

Septmeber- had to tell everyone that I had previously told not to come to the wedding for the baby that i had lost the baby- by far the hardest part of the year. Gambled even more during this time.

November- i was diagnosed with psioratic arthritis when i was 19 and it is progressive- stress and being unhealthy makes it worse and I was in a lot of pain- gambled more from home and stopped going out.

December- daughter got diagnosed with broncholitis - gambled partners money as well as my own then we cancelled our 2 week xmas trip due to ferry cancellations. -

dec 11th- stopped gambling.

Although everything that has happened this year has been hard to take- in the last 3 weeks I have never felt better- the self loathing that comes with heavy gambling makes already bad things even harder to deal with.

Jan 2014- happy- gamble free.x L

should have put this on my diary (i will anyway) rather than offloading on this thread - I hope you guys dont mind. I feel so much better- a little like I have left it behind- happy new year xxx