2015 Challenge

Check in on day 226

Checking in on day 20.

WillDo79 my friend just try and continue from where you were before your slip. Stay strong and stay in recovery.

Have nice and gamble free day everyone.

Today I won't gamble.

Ergos

Day 532 - checking in

Well done to all who did not gamble today. Tomorrow will look after itself. Suzy

Never_give_up wrote:

Hi all, I know I am joining late but hopefully I can go the rest of the year without gambling! Its day one again for me after many many times of trying to stop

Ive gambled ever since I was old enough so thats about 16 years EKKKK. It all started when my mate took me to the races. I had £100 to start and by the end of the day I had almost £3,000! Id never seen that amount of money, I was hooked instantly. One lucky day has turned my life into a living nightmare!

I've always been very competitive so for me as soon as I lose money I want to win it back and more, I hate being a loser! I think thats true with many gamblers to be honest. very competitive people. But I do now realise that I am a loser, every time I gamble, no matter if I win or not.

Many people have tried to help me but I keep going back. I only gamble at lunch times at work because I am bored and there is about 10 bookies within a short walk to me.

So for me if I can just get through december now and be ready for a fresh start in 2016. 16 years of hell is long enough. Too long in fact.

Thank you,

Russ

Welcome Never give up

Enjoy the challenge. Enjoy offering support to others.

Keep coming back daily.

Tri

There is a meeting in London somewhere tonight. Go to it. What do you have to lose

​

We

Bless you Russ, I do know how you feel,

If you can get to a meeting tonight as Dan suggested, go.

To physically see and listen to other folk with this, will help you to not feel so desperate/ desolate.

This addiction is horrendous and can become dangerous, you will get all the support you need from me and other dear soldiers on here, but Dan is right, get in there and meet people for real, they are/have been in your situation.

Sending you a deserved hug ((((Russ)))) because this addiction is S***e, but you can change things around, get all the help anywhere and everywhere, GA, and here, are just 2 options

Suzanne xx

Checking in safely on day 222 x

Never_give_up wrote:

Dear Diary, day 3.

I have been weak, I lost nearly £300 today on the pokies, I broke down. I have never had tears in my eyes becuase of this addiction before. It has shocked me. I wonder why I do it to myself? I dont want this anymore. A grown man crying in the streets, its pathetic. I have just referred myself to a NHS problem gambling clinic in London, will this save me? I hope so, I really do.

I am 34 now and have let gambling and debts ruin my entire life, why have I done this? Why do I continue to do such a terrible and pointless action? Losing thousands of pounds over the years.

The fact is I don’t really know. I just know now I want to stop more than ever. It seems I gamble more when I have stress or anxiety in my life. If I am worried about a plane flight or a new job or anything really. So l need to change the way I think. Instead of turning to gambling as a distraction so to speak I must turn to something else. Look deeper in my thoughts and figure out what is really worrying me. Then once I know I must decide is it inside of my control or outside.

If I cannot control such a worry, let it go, I must let it go. If I can control it write down a few steps of what will help me worry less. Don’t simply walk to the nearest bookies and waste my hard earnt cash. It’s a pathetic and weak thing to do. All it does it makes me worry more and I finally understand it now.

For me this really is my last chance. I need to be brave and step up to the plate. I am strong, I just need to find my strength and let it over whelm me. I need it to flow through my blood, I need positive thoughts to rush to my head faster than the weak negative ones.

TODAY FRIDAY 27^TH NOVEMBER I AM STANDING UP TO MYSELF FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. I MUST BE PREPARED TO FIGHT HARD AND FIGHT LONG. I WILL WIN, I WILL BEAT THIS ADDICTION. I MUST. I CANNOT FAIL AGAIN, ITS TOO TIRING. I HAVE NOTHING LEFT.

I must always remember that I have a choice, a simple choice, to gamble or not to gamble. Why is it so hard to choose not too? Well from this day it will not be hard, it will become easy. I must at first be strong and decide “no” every time. No matter how hard it is at first. I must teach myself that the easy and best option is “no” and I will. My brain will be trained to do the RIGHT thing.

I do not believe in god but perhaps I should believe that something will guide me, something will make me a better man, a stronger man. I AM going to look back in a few weeks, a few months and realize how far I come. I believe in myself now, I trust myself.

Today, tomorrow and always I will be free for the first time in my life.

Stand with me and we shall all not fail.

Please whoever is reading this show me some support and will in return to you as I need to learn off those who have beaten this, we are stronger together.

Hi I will say I am BEATING this, the war with this addiction can be very serious.

Have you looked for any counselling at Gamcare?

there's also groups like Gamblers Anonymous?

How are you today?

Checking in, Ive missed the last couple of Sat check-ins but v happy to say im still clean and been about a month. So nice the feeling and wish everyone good luck over the xmas period, remember you will never win and get those 'extra' xmas funds because all of us on here can't stop!. GL all x

Checking in on 315 Days.

Hi Russ,

My thoughts are with you.

I view the thousands of £'s I lost over the years to be dead money with no hope of retrieval. Once you can accept losses as lost and gone forever you are part way down the road of recovery. The urge to chase is an absolute nightmare and is the road to ruin.The gambler may win a few battles whilst chasing losses but as sure as eggs is eggs, he or she will never win the war.

Seek and obtain counselling and put the strongest measures in place to block any attempts to gamble.

Others on the Forum offer excellent advice.

Just one last thing - If you suffer from really unsettling anxiety, discuss these feelings with your GP.

Best Wishes.

Russ,

A sincere and honest post, well done for posting it here, I feel for you greatly my friend, you are going through a lot at the moment. I have stopped for around 23 months now, after gambling for 25 years. If you want to move forward, you have to draw a line under everything that has happened, and accept who you are.

That money has gone and it isn't coming back. It clearly hurts you a great deal but there is a way forward - accepting who and what you are is key; you are a compulsive gamber, which means that if you win, all you will desire is the same level of eurphoria again, if you lose, you will experience soul-wrenching desperation to win it back. Both scenarios lead to losing and nothing you can ever do will change that - remember it, run it over and over in your mind if you feel tempted to gamble - urges are only ever temporary; learn to occupy your mind with positive, constructive things if you feel vulnerable. Russ, things seem pretty bad at the moment, but imagine your life in five or ten years if you carry on; money doesn't really matter at the end of the day.

Your family may respect you more if you come completely clean with them and tell them the true extent of your gambling problem and the debts you have. It has worked for me and may work for you. I have handed over the control of our finances to my wife to remove one of the temptations of having ready money to give to the gambling industry.

I do hope you can move on from your gambling days and start a new gamble free life.

Mike checking in for the week.

Hi Russ

Where you are is where we all have been and there really is hope and light at the end of the tunnel

It is very difficult to retrain your brain into not gambling thoughts but it can be done.

This is what I have done

Give other people who you can trust the responsibility to look after your money.. We can manage our lives without it HONESTLY WE CAN GET THROUGH LIFE WITH MINIMAL CASH

Get rid of cash cards and credit cards

Be honest with your partner / family TELL THEM EVERYTHING

Don't put yourself in vulnerable positions - keep away from dangers ie bookies, arcades gaming sites etc - use blockers for phone and online sites

Go to GA meetings EVERY WEEK WITHOUT FAIL THIS IS THE BACKBONE TO YOUR RECOVERY

By doing all of this you will move forward quickly in your recovery, I am a year in and my life is AMAZING to what it was

I wish you well with your recovery

Glads dad in and ok

Checking in on day 126. With Xmas approaching let's all stay strong and have an amazing festive period. Let's spend our hard earned money on our loved ones and on having a good time rather than giving it to the bookies.

Checking in on day 619.
Steve.

Checking in on 580 days.

We are in to the last month this week, (where has the year gone) but it is nearly gone, and I am so proud to be marching along side of each and every soldier on here. It does not matter what day count we are on, each day we abstain we are winners.

Keep strong troops, it can be a vulnerable time, keep believing in you and keep safe.

Suzanne xx