2014 Challenge

Morning everyone!

We're just over 16 hours away from check in closing for this week and we have 28 soldiers safely checked in.........while we await 9 to report back to base.

Great to see the daddy (Del) and BBS checking in - tough times individually for both of you guys but hopefully a light at the end of the tunnel for you both - still going strong though!!

Hope everyone has a great Saturday and we see some more of the army joining us for this weeks update.........it's marvelous to see how those of us in the early stages of recovery are embracing this challenge........and to see and share the victories you guys are having - a real inspiration for me!!

I am Mr Brightside and I have not gambled for 139 days.........it's no longer in control of me........and it feels good!!

Checking in 6 or 7 days clean totally forgot. Enjoying a relaxing holiday in turkey with the girlfriend. No real thoughts of gambling yet.

Have a brilliant holiday RST - thanks for checking in despite being away!

Mr B

Hi just checking in day 6 today (sat) if i can make it to the end of the day! I find weekends difficult, too empty at the moment. Been looking at the forum at http://www.***-group.org.uk/forum/ given me a lot of food for thought. Tired at the moment, but staying strong in my recovery despite all the temptation everywhere!

Checking in on day 130. Its been a busy week with work and I have a rare weekend off. I was supposed to be down in London for the football today, but decided against it as a day out with a load of gamblers and lots of beer is probably not a good idea for me at the moment. Big rugby match on TV today anyway so I will have a few beers and hopefully cheer the Saints on to a win.

I'm still not myself and I'm working hard to come through this. I have had days when I have wanted a bet, but I have got myself through them successfully. Just need to keep working hard on myself. After so many years of destroying myself it was never going to be an easy process to fix me.

I thought this was easy, the first 100 days was so simple. Then wham the urges came back, I had debts that were stressing me out and its really set me back. I do think I have learnt a lot from this and once I get back to feeling 100% again I won't ever go through this again.

For any of you that want that bet today stay strong and fight it! Its unthinkable for any of us to slip back into a life of misery, lies, pain and hurt. Its a hard fight at times, but its worth it and life will get better the longer we fight.

Well done on everyone who has hit milestones this week. Proud to be a member of this group.

I've passed a small test today- wife's at work from 9-6 and usually I would've been in the arcade all day on fruit machines throwing my hard earned cash down the toilet...

Instead got busy cleaning the house, the car and been for a walk.

I kept any gambling thoughts at bay and happily I'm celebrating 21 days 🙂

Feeling great !!

Glads dad

Checking in on 134 days gamble free. Had a great day today witnessing my son win the league title with his football team. The gambling urges are weakening as the days go on and Saturdays are no longer spent watching Horse racing and other gambling activities.

Keep strong everyone and may our recoveries prosper as the days go on.

My guard remains firmly up and ready to knock down any urges that may arise!

Mike

50 days up for me!!! Must say the urges are returning starting to eat away..but then I remember about the debts I have and the money that's been lost over the past 30 years..praying that my teenage kids don't ever get into gambling, fortunately neither of them like sport as such, so that's half the battle won...good luck to all

day 44

checking in

well done everyone

keep going and putting in the effort

march on soldiers

1234 hop 234

Good morning everyone!

Can’t believe that we are just a few days away from another new month……..and almost a third of the way through 2014! Next week will bring the monthly update and details on our total clean for 14 tallies, plus the number of calendar months that individually and collectively we have abstained from this horrible affliction we have found ourselves contending with.

We have gone through a period of change as a group similar to the change process that we have gone through on our own journeys. It’s been a difficult month - well publicised sporting events, temptation abound, personal loss, huge challenges with partners and loved ones, financial problems and stretches at work. In a previous life, one of these would be enough for any one of us lacking in the necessary resolve to stop gambling to return to our old ways and enter the horrendous cycle of lose - regret - worry - chase - lose - self loathe - chase - lose - desperation…..etc. However, there are 30 of us who are simply not accepting that old life and are marching towards a new normality where gambling plays no part in our lives. Boy is it turbulent, but with every day that passes without gambling, there must be a growing belief that the new normality can exist………and while there may be temptation placed in our path, we have the strength, the resolve, the motivation and the downright determination not to go back to those days.

It’s been a fortnight of learning for me as the administrator of this group. I’ll start with a confession and I guess a bit of an insight into me. I have a job that is incredibly focused on metrics and key performance indicators………..these are the “proof” that I am performing well or poorly. As such, I am hugely driven by numbers, percentages, performance etc. (no surprises for everyone there eh?). However, I’ve been applying this concept to my thinking for the challenge and I guess have been disappointed when our numbers don’t stack up or show progression…………but every day is a school day………..and when I think about the purpose of this challenge, the thing that lies at its core is recovery. Can we measure recovery? I suppose in a way I’ve been trying to………and will continue to as it gives us a benchmark of progression, but it’s not the acid test of success for this group. Each one of us have a recovery journey that has to be bespoke to our own needs………….this challenge has been a huge part of mine and will continue to be so. What I have accepted (change curve of denial, resistance, acceptance and normality!), is that people will come and go on the challenge……….but the single aim has to be that the challenge has played a part in an individual recovery journey…….at some stage for individuals it may not be required, for others it might be a main stay and necessary for the longer term, and there may be some that it simply doesn’t work for. Our aim has to be to stop gambling - that is the single objective, the goal harmony. So what’s the purpose of saying this? We have made commitments to one another and the wider group that we stick with this and that we have a responsibility to the group to check in etc. However, if that becomes counter productive in our individual journey, then our responsibility first and foremost lies with ourselves and I want to release people from this commitment if that is required, without guilt or peer pressure - in the knowledge that we all have to accept that we are sufficiently tuned into our own recovery journey to know what is right for us. If this has applied to anyone that has dropped out of the group in the last few weeks and you are reading this then I hope it helps. The challenge is a small part of a much more important individual journey - if it plays a part and an individual manages to abstain from gambling in the longer term, then the challenge has been an absolute success……..without the need for measures and metrics! Ramblings of a mad man over………I just needed to get it out there even if it doesn’t make much sense!!

Here are the headlines for this week………

Of the 36 soldiers that marched into last week, 30 have checked in, giving us a retention rate of 81% - it’s still a rate that massively defies the %’s we are told by the statistics that gamblers will actually refrain in the long term. A number we should be proud of. Our newer members are doing incredibly well - better than ever! You guys are amazing and are leading the way for newer members on the forum - maybe an indicator that the challenge is a great way to begin the journey and overcome the challenges of the first few weeks and months or recovery. Our total number of days of abstinence has dropped slightly from a fortnight ago but still gives us a combined days tally that represents more than 200k of saving in this war we are waging……….and winning……… against the gambling industry. We have a collective number of days that amounts to over 5 and a half years of recovery and each of us has an average days stopped of 60 days! The group has also hit the milestone earlier this week of more than 1000 posts as a team in our collective challenge!!

Milestones Celebrated in the Last Fortnight………

We’ve had a lot of soldiers celebrating major milestones in the last fortnight………

Delboy - the daddy has pushed through 250 days and continues to lead the way for the group. He is our leader and is carrying the flag for us - congratulations Del - as Glads Dad said earlier in the week, you are an inspiration!

Scambling and Mr Brightside - have both hit the 20 week mark! Congratulations Scamb - as long as I am always one day behind you we’ll be in a good place mate! Thanks for all your support on the challenge recently!

Batman - our resident superhero reached the 10 week mark earlier this week and posted the 1000th post on the thread - fitting! Gotham City is safer when it’s superhero is concentrating on fighting evil and not taking part in it!

Lostafortune, Baggins, Kickitnow and FlyingFox - have all broken the 50 day milestone and are more than half way to joining the Century Club!! It’s a major milestone folks - many congratulations and make sure you take a “proud” moment to reflect on how far you have come!

Milestones to be celebrated in the coming week……..

Tuesday 29th April - Hardtimes and BabyBlueSky will both be celebrating 20 weeks free from gambling! The “Same Day Stop Sisters” are doing it for themselves! Looking forward to it!

Thursday 1st May - HappyDays will join the girls on 20 weeks of no gambling - Mike - you are such an important contributor to this group - keep it up mate!

Friday 2nd May - a big day for the group as AdamPrice joins the century club in hitting 100 days, ToBeOrNot reaches double digits in weeks stopped in hitting 70 days, and triangle and ringerbell both reach the half century!! 4 of our comrades all with reasons to be proud!! Will be expecting posts from you guys on Friday!

Sunday 4th May - newhorizon71 reaches the 10 week mark!! Another hugely valued contributor on the thread hits a big milestone…..congrats and we’ll celebrate with you a week today!

Here’s the Roll of Honour for this week……..

Name Days

Hardtimes 138

Babybluesky 138

Bornagain 131

Happy Days 136

Lostafortune 51

Mr Brightside 140

rst18 9

Delboy79 258

Hitthefan 85

Luckygirl 10

newhorizon71 63

Baggins 56

Kickitnow 53

ToBeOrNot 65

Triangle 45

Scambling 141

Ringerbell 45

Delboygolf 38

AdamPrice 95

RobbyBox 29

Spaingone 41

Davey 7

FlyingFox1 51

Shorty8 36

Drew2002 28

King1984 29

Gladsdad 22

Batman 73

Pinky333 21

Wolfgang 26

So, drum roll………total days free of gambling is……….

2060 Days = 206,000 in our pockets………………..0 in the bookies!!!

With regards to the gathering for early next year - probably the first weekend of February, I’ll get into organising something in a couple of months time. We will definitely do something - I’ve got a number of emails waiting to be responded to (sorry folks!) and will do so over the course of this week. I think it’s important that we celebrate our victories in 2014 at some point.

One final thought for this week - I’m thinking it might be good to do a “Spotlight” on a soldier each week as a learning for others and to get to know each other a bit - just 5 simple questions that I will then post the answers to as part of the update on a week to week basis…….something along the lines of…….

- Tell us a couple of things about you

- When did you realise that you had a problem gambling?

- What have you been doing to fill your time now that you have stopped gambling?

- What has been the most important thing you’ve done to help you stop gambling?

- What’s the best bit of advice you’ve been given on your recovery journey that you’d share with others if they were starting out on their journey?

I think in hearing the answers to these questions, some people on the forum, especially those who were very very early in their journey, they may stand a better chance of recovering themselves! If anyone would be brave enough to volunteer to answer these next week then please post your willingness on the thread and email me your answers to the address on the front page of the challenge thread.

That’s the update for this week everyone - check in for next week is open.

Have a brilliant, gamble free week!

Mr Brightside

Hi,"Baggins" gave me the heads up for this,

Quick intro - My names Darren,My vice is slot machines in arcades,Today is day 1 for me and is also my sons 3rd birthday which has given me more motivation to stay gamble free,not 100% on how this thread works but will try my best to follow any rules etc

Morning and welcome

Well done for realising you have an issue with slots ( me too)

This site is a great help to motivate you and keep you clean

I'm quite new and log in every day - this helps me loads

Best of luck and remember you are not on your own !!

Glads dad

Hi everyone. I'm on day one. My motivation is that prior to six weeks ago I had stopped gambling for five years, so I know I can do it. The last six weeks has been a gambling frenzy nightmare. So here's to day one gamble free, may it be the first of many. Thanks all.

Aftermoon all, sorry to be late with check in but still here and still gamble free. I'm finding that the best thing for my recovery (having listed boredom as a trigger) is to get up and out and spend money on family trips instead of gambling. Intermittent Internet here so hope this gets through. Stay strong folks.

hi just a quick intro im jess and im 25 my vice is online slots (easy access was the appeal with 2 young children at home) won a decent amount at the start and thats where it all spirelled out of control. im now in the right place and frame of mind to say enough is enough and mean it. id like to join your challenge as i intend to visit this site on a daily basis just to keep me motivated. today is day 1 for me. Thanks 🙂