2014 Challenge

Thanks for the update mr B! Have a happy easter everyone.every day we dont gamble we win a part of our life back.keep fighting and keep winning.proud to be part of this team!!

Many thanks for the update Mr B - uplifting as always; I always think of Easter as a time for renewal so I hope that some of our missing soldiers will be coming home, perhaps bloodied but unbowed...

Checking in on my Day 49.

Best wishes to all for the coming week.

Hey guys and gals

Been trying to post all week but no joy. Anyway have internet for hour or so so will check in here for next week. Still gamble free and no thoughts or urges although it's easier herd as no temptations x anywAy will check in again when I get back home next weekend x

Evening all,

Managed to get my Gamcare log in sorted out ( thank you Mr Gamcare Forum admin man) so I am now able to post on the forum. Welcome to all of the new joiners to this worthwhile and hugely beneficial challenge that Mr B organised late last year. It is a great challenge to be part of and I personally gain lots from it. May it long continue for all concerned.

Congratulations to all those who have reached or about to reach certain milestones in there own recoveries. From 5, 50 or up to the top at 250(Del) days gamble free each and everyone of us can all hope that our lives will become much happier and can put the past experiences well and truly behind us.

Have a good bank holiday Monday tomorrow and I look forward to posting more times during the week.

Mike checking in on 128 days gamble free.

checking in day 38

gamble free

well done to everyone else

keep trying

triangle

An early check in for me this week

Finding it a little easier this time than my previous attempts to beat this and I'm putting that down to 2 things. They are 1. Keeping myself busy with this charity event and 2. Talking to people on here, on my other sports forum and other support avenues I've used.

Keep going everyone yous are doing great and have the support of every one of us taking part in this challenge and together we can beat this

Hi everyone,

Early morning check in can't sleep but nothing to worry is just that it is to warm and our lovely dog takes up to much space in the bed lol.

Day 20 for me today and it's looking positive in every way.

Everything seems to improve after a good talk with my partner Lou.

Bornagain: stay strong mate and stuck to your positive way not everyone does understand the addiction gambling and I've put it in the past often down as ignorance. And got sometimes even angry with the people what didn't understand gambling as an addiction. It took me long to accept that the simple reason for it is, that it is no addiction for them and when they talking about gambling and I can't handle it, then I have to turn away. But to be fair most of the times when I explained what gambling has done to me they did understand my point.

I hope it will get better for you soon.

Was pretty down myself for a few days but being regular on here took a lot to it that I'm fine now.

All the best for you stay strong.

Hope that you all had a good Easter break and wish you all a strong and free from gambling week.

Wolfgang

Hi everyone,

Early morning check in can't sleep but nothing to worry is just that it is to warm and our lovely dog takes up to much space in the bed lol.

Day 20 for me today and it's looking positive in every way.

Everything seems to improve after a good talk with my partner Lou.

Bornagain: stay strong mate and stuck to your positive way not everyone does understand the addiction gambling and I've put it in the past often down as ignorance. And got sometimes even angry with the people what didn't understand gambling as an addiction. It took me long to accept that the simple reason for it is, that it is no addiction for them and when they talking about gambling and I can't handle it, then I have to turn away. But to be fair most of the times when I explained what gambling has done to me they did understand my point.

I hope it will get better for you soon.

Was pretty down myself for a few days but being regular on here took a lot to it that I'm fine now.

All the best for you stay strong.

Hope that you all had a good Easter break and wish you all a strong and free from gambling week.

Wolfgang

44 days completed...

mini temptation to have a one-off random big bet...fought it off so far...

Good Luck to all...

I quote steven gerrards motivational post match huddle speech to the team after beating man city last week.

"This does not slip now! This is gone.we go to norwich.we go again!!

Apart from the going to norwich bit lol.i,l keep this in my thoughts as i go for another gamble free week.stay strong team.

Checking in on day 30 🙂 xxx

Checking in, last gamble 20th Feb 2014...

Can't seem to add up today but I think that makes it 60 days.

Finding it reasonably OK overall, but the things that get me are the odd moments when my mind wanders a bit and I contemplate just a small bet.

Trying to keep myself busy but must admit I am thinking about it a lot less, it's just those odd moments I worry will trip me up.

But I am much happier without gambling in my life and more engaged with my family.

Checking in on 46 days and completely free from gambling. I haven't gone not gambling for more than one day since I started gambling more than 15 years ago!! Need to keep this going. What's helping is currently travelling across Asia with my wife, currently in China - hello from Shanghai! Keep strong everyone!

Hi LG

I'm so sorry that you are feeling low. If its any consolation you have done the right thing, picked yourself up dusted yourself down, put your head up and march on!!

I was there over two weeks ago and my journey to recovery has begun (again)

I did 10 years away from the lies deceit and that vile feeling of disgust and self loathing

However here we are again,looking forward to getting back on the straight and narrow..

I know I've only been 16 days but my goodness it's been wonderful.. My only concerns are how I'm going to get the finances back in the black!!

Please stay focused and keep your chin up!!

Take care and log in daily if you feel you need to it certainly helps me

Glads Dad

Phew!!! That's all I can say today, simply, phew!!

I was concerned about extending check in.......maybe delaying the thought of a really poor week and it not being the "Easter Weekend" factor........however, with nearly half of the missing check ins from last week posting today and us only being 3 check ins away from being over 50% "there" for the week, I'm a lot more comfortable with things!

It really does seem as if there's a lot of soldiers struggling with a vast array of things just now. From home to money to work to family to temptation to generally just feeling lost........it's all out there. It's also apparent that thoughts of "just one bet wouldn't do any harm" or similar are pretty common for a lot of the team........maybe it's the thought of paying for something or squaring some debt or something along those lines...........or maybe it's that you've gone a few weeks, possibly longer, without gambling........and you simply can't remember how utterly and totally s**t you felt when you lost.........and that you've built up this "it wasn't that bad" myth in your head.

If you are thinking like this, would you do me a favour? Try as hard as you can to remember the last time you were gambling and winning........maybe even winning big.......you had that feeling of invincibility.......just one more race, or one more spin, one more theoretical pull of a handle...........and before you knew it you had lost the lot.......and more. How did that feel? How good was it? Was it worth it? How many times since then have you said, "if only I'd stopped at that point"? But we all know.....even without having to say it......you couldn't stop. I certainly couldn't. I was in the zone. I was in a cage and couldn't escape until I had no more to lose. And it felt utterly and totally desperate........I will never ever forget how that feels........winning and losing is even worse for me than the losing on its own. So, if you are thinking of betting or gambling.........just try to remember that - if you win, then you lose.

Life is tough team.......even without gambling. But without gambling, there is one less thing to worry about.

I really hope that you all have a strong, satisfying, temptation free week........and that you embrace the challenges in life, overcome them........and know that when you put your head on your pillow at night that there's one less thing that you have cause to worry about.........your future is yours to make.........we determine our destiny.

I am out of my cage, I am doing just fine, because I am free from gambling...........I am Mr Brightside.........

........but the cage is sitting there........over there in the corner.........just in my periphery vision.........it always will be..........but I will not be going back there.

Mr B x