2014 Challenge

I haven't been in a betting shop for 1 year 1 week or had a bet on a horse or played the roulette (which was my major downfall) I have a £5 a week football bet as a bit of fun and can finally control it after all these years.

I am approaching 10 days of no gambling and have a situation that I need advice on. It is one of my closest friends birthday on 25th Jan and he has planned a night at the dogs. Now my problem is with online sports bets only, I have no addiction to betting shops, roulette machines or horse racing. So is this ok to go along if I say take only 20/30 to have a few bets to act normal. Non of my friends know my addiction and this isn't technically going against my clean period as I know I will not be itching to go back to the races the next day. Have yet to have big urges to go on my phone and throw hundreds away on stupid sports games so I'm doing well and living a better life.

Hi rst

My opinion would be that betting would be a very bad idea. Couldnt you go along and not bet on anything? Im only saying that because if you won something it would start them old flames burning again and it will only be one step away from going back to online.

If I was in your shoes I wouldnt even go at all and I never had a bet on a dog in my life- its just gambling is gambling. This is only my opinion and others might not agree with me but for your own sake cry off and go and do something another time with your friend.

All the best and I hope whatever you decide works for you x Linda

Not been.around for a couple of days, having a tough time personally nothing to do with gambling and haven't gambled. day 39 today. Onwards and upwards.

Hi everyone - great to see the check ins starting to flow in for this Sundays deadline!

Some great numbers coming in too guys and amazing to see us all doing well. Rock_B - sorry to hear that you're dealing with more than the gambling challenge and you sound pretty flat in your post - you're doing amazing mate, we'll all be thinking about you and rooting for you to come through.

Dave - welcome to the thread mate. That's brilliant that you've got on top of things and are doing well. I've thought long and hard about whether to say anything about your weekend bet 'for fun' and have come to the conclusion I need to......maybe for selfish reasons but also for the general wellbeing of all of my fellow 'fighters' on this thread. I am genuinely delighted for you that things are going well and that you've felt in control of your gambling. I'm afraid for many of us on this thread, me absolutely being one of them, that no form of gambling can be entered in to because I can't control it and I don't want it after the misery it's caused me, my family, and the loved ones of many us on here. A fiver bet for fun on a Saturday might be fine for you, but not for me.......so I'm going to respectfully ask you not to refer to any gambling you are doing that you deem to be "fine" on this thread but wholeheartedly encourage you to enter in to writing posts that motivate and inspire the group, sharing insights and tips as to how you made the breakthrough. Hope you understand and read this with the positive intent in which it's been written.

Rst18 - I can understand the dilemma you face and can only answer your q if it was me in your shoes - I'm with Linda on this, I couldn't do it. I'd have to balance whether I wanted to stop gambling or whether the night was more important........if I went, I'd gamble and whether it was what I was "hooked on" or not, the buzz and the grip would get me and I'd be sucked back in. I think my only advice would be to make an excuse as to why you can't get yo the dogs and then meet up with your mates afterwards.

I'm 32 days clean and checking in.

Looking forward to doing the tally on Sunday - clean for '14 everyone!!!!

Mr Brightside

HARDEST MOMENT TO DATE

Oh my god!

I need to give everyone a little brief background, before I move onto the tough moment.

I used to throw thousands at the tennis betting, over the past 5 years or so, I would win big, but also lose horrendously.

Anyway, a big tournament is starting on Monday, and the draw has just been done. So I popped onto my betting account to see the odds and how they fluctuated bla,blah blahhh.

Long story short, I log in, and there is money waiting in my account....... It is a long term bet that I placed about 6 months ago, has been settled at some point during my abstinence.

So I look through a few odds, thinking, it isn't actual money I have put in, shall I have a bet and see how it goes, or should I put it on a stupid accumulator and chance it.

3 thoughts went through my mind, 1, there is no point starting from square 1. 2, I cannot be bothered staying up to watch it, I need my sleep and 3, I didn't want to let the Clean for '14 team down!!!!!

Boy was that tough!! So I withdrew the amount to my bank and I feel so happy right now :-).

For about 10 minutes the cloud descended and my eyes felt heavy again, as when I gambled.

I feel this is a major accomplishment in my abstinence.

Sorry for rambling!

Liam, being Hopeful.

47!

Top stuff Liam, well done Fella, i can fully appreciate how tempting it must have been. You're doing good, keep it up.

Cheers for your encouragement Mr BS, i won't falter. Life throws a few curved balls at us sometimes and the good news is i haven't even felt like gambling. The urges have well and truly subsided.

Keep it up everyone.

RB

Hi everyone,

Day 32 and still on the road to recovery and remain bet free.

Keep up the good work.

Mike

Big well done Liam, that was no mean feat to do the right thing and get that money back to you where it belongs - for good. I know exactly that "frozen" moment where you're logged in, there's money there, and you are rationalising away... "it's not real money... I could just... maybe with half of it..." etc etc and basically looking for any and all reasons to make gambling okay. It's really hard, and you proved to yourself that you CAN say no. Great. Keep it up.

Checking in today as I don't think I have this week. So 65 days today I believe.

checking in completely floored with the flu for first time in 9 years! Anyway 31 days for me- what a difference a month makes! All the best to everyone x Linda

Just a quick check in...

12 days for me 🙂 🙂 🙂

'I cannot win because I cannot stop' .....no point in starting then eh 🙂

All the best to everyone!

M x

hopefully you all dont mind me joining in.... today was my 150th gamble free day 🙂

keep going troops.

del

25 days for me, day by day they quickly add up and I am becoming a better person 🙂

checking in day 32

Day 11 for me today, still early days but I am remaining strong and focused x