2014 Challenge

Just a quick question, does the commitment.that i've made to this challenge/team mean that i shouldn't be participating in the world cup sweepstake at my work?

either today or tomorrow they will be going round collecting... think it will be a quid a team so where not exactly talking about this being a problem, just a bit of fun

CasinoRoyaLoser here checking in, 6 days has gone by quickly. I need to count days as i want to prove to myself i can do a single day without gambling so i MUST count each day no choice for me it's essential.

Morning folks

Quick message to Sonic Boom - you need to make choices on a day to day basis Sonic as to what is right and what is wrong as far as your recovery is concerned. The fact you are asking the question tells me it's making you shuffle in your seat!!

A pound or a thousand pound is a gamble if you are staking money to win money, but ultimately the call is yours. If you walked into the bookies and staked a pound would that be a bit of fun? The same types of things are kicking about my work for the World Cup as they did for the Grand National etc, and I appreciate it's difficult to say no, however, that's what we need to do in my opinion.

What I really appreciate is that you've come on here with the honesty to ask the question. Let us know how you get on.

Mr B

Sonic Boom, I think its all down to how it would affect you if you were to pick the winner. There are two raffles going round my work and I have said no to both as I believe if I won it would give me that buzz that gambling used to give me and possibly make me want more of the buzz. I want to enjoy this World Cup for the quality football and not be cheering on a team because they could win me a few quid. I hope those days are gone for me.

The objective of this challenge is to be gambling free and to support each other? Isn't it?

Doesn't matter if its a dollar or a million dollars does it?

That's where my head is triangle

Have to agree with Triangle on this one. Gambling is gambling whethers its a pound or a thousand pounds.

I had to say no a couple of times to joining the wc sweepstake in work.

I also wont be joining the fantasy football this year. We all put 20e in and the top 3 get prizes.

Although im on Day 16 so i cant give advice just thoughts

well I have let all my fellow soldiers down im afraid. Got to 7 days and slipped.

so i am checking in as on day one again.

feeling very upset and P***** of. I am so stupid. hope I can stay on the challenge and am not thrown out.

onwards and upwards

silly me

Hiya team,

thank you all for your takes on the works sweepstake

ok, well if i let the team down and have to start at day 1 then so be it. I know my weeknesses when it comes to gambling and what i need to do. From a purely personal stance i count gambling as placing bets with 'the industry' be it bookies, lottery, online sites etc. A works sweepstake for me isnt what i class as gambling but thats just me. Although i totally get the comment about how it may make me feel if i won and got a buzz. Unlikely to happen as i got Iran. If i truly wanted to 'gamble' i would just pop in a bookies and put a 'real' bet on. So in summary i dont register today as a betting day and therefore in my mind tomorrow is day 25 not day 1

I have to restrain myself from posting what I wanted to post.

Gambling has taken so much from me, Ive tried not gambling before but I wasn't fully committed.

Im going hard on this P***k of a disease, f*** poxy worldcup sweeps, grand national sweeps whatever. Gambling has taken my life, it wont suck me back in again.

Stephen, Day 16. Feeling like f*****g cr**

Checking in on day 25 (I think), still not gambling but had some really bad days this week due to problems at work and in life. In the past issues that I'm going through at the moment would have sent me straight back to gambling as a kind of hiding place I suppose. I'm still fighting and don't intend to give up the good work that I've managed so far. Good luck for the rest of the week everybody and thanks for this this thread it helps to come here when things look really bleak. Daz.

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Day 4 for me today. Hardest one yet as I've just been asked if I want to go and put a bet on the us open golf. Just said 'nah I'm alright' when inside I was burning. Hope everyone is staying strong this week especially with the World Cup round the corner.

Charlie

Checking in on day 45, hope everybody is doing well. Having a good week this week and looking forward to making it 50, 100, 1 lifetime.

Jess

Checking in on day 81. Lay in my cost bed last night watching out the window and listening to a wonderful thunder n lightening storm n I thought about what an amazing world we live in. Sometimes it's just nice to be at peace with the world n realise there's a bigger f*****g picture out there. The debts will clear the urges will weaken n one day I will be thankful I had this addiction because it's made me realise how important the other stuff is. Peace.

Checking in on day 176. Good to see so many new soldiers. I know the early days are a struggle, but keep fighting, this illness can be beat. It is going to be an incredibly hard few weeks for some of us with the World Cup looming. You just need to think about what would happen if you were to put that first bet on, I know in my case it would lead to a spiral of damage to myself and to others close to me.

I have had to really plan what I will do and who I watch the big games with to avoid any awkward situations. I'm going to the pub with three lads from work on Saturday and only one is a gambler so I should be safe. However for the Uruguay game I am meant to be going out for the day with lads who all like a bet, so I may have to give this a miss. I remember 8 years ago I had stopped gambling for 10 weeks and the World Cup was when I slipped up, it wont be happening this time around. I hope it doesn't catch any of us out.