Checking in 3 weeks today
checking in 28 days gamble free
Regards
Wayne
Checking in on day 311.
A bruised steve.
Really saddend to read that some people are struggling but it doesn't mean you have failed or can't stay in this group. I have lost count of how many times I had to say DAY ONE, but we all just keep trying. It's a terrible addiction with no visable evidence for others to recognise. It's often something people try to tackle alone but we've got each other if no one else and that makes a big difference. Will power alone might not be enough to get you through the bad days so you need to put physical barriers in the way like giving financial control to someone and self exclusion. But even if you do slip, be honest and keep coming back to gamcare and you will find the assurance and comfort you need to get through the bad days.
Keep checking in even if it's just to report another DAY ONE and never give up giving up.
I don't know anyone on Gamcare but I say thing about my struggle I can't bring myself to share with my own family and friends. I don't feel judged and I never feel like I've let anyone down but most importantly, I never feel alone.
Joining Gamcare was the best decision I ever made and has been the single biggest contributing factor to my long and on going recovery, so thank you, I owe you all a lot.
Simon
Morning.
Checking in 27 days free!
Been away so nice and easy... Might be harder come February!
Ab
Good morning everyone,
Checking in day 227.
Most new year resolutions are abandoned by now but we are on the winning team on this forum. Together we can learn to see through the tactics used in the gambling industry and invest in ourselves and our families instead of adding to their huge profits.
Take care,
Suzy
Hi all,
Just a quick post to say well done to Emily and Stoneroses on not giving in and running away. The great thing is about this challenge is that not only does everyone give advice and strategies to combat gambling, but also support and encouragement when it is needed. Good to see that the group is still strongly bonded.
Keep up the good work!
Scambling
This weeks update will be put on after I finish work tonight. I'm struggling to function right now, I don't ever want to drink again lol. So I will aim to have it up by 11pm.
Phil,
Thanks a lot for all the effort you put in to this.
It's helping to keep me and a lot of others on the right road.
Hi guys really late with my check in this week. Still gamble free only complaint is the hangover I'm suffering from 🙁
Thanks for the support guys it means a lot to know people want you to succeed.
Ive been really trying over the last year to beat this just been having the occasional silly slip it P****s me off and feel like your letting yourself down. Cant run away from it or hide it done enough of that over the years.
Day 3 today. Will never give up trying to beat this. Im so close to getting a first in my degree and achieving a few other things i dont want this addiction to keep getting in the way of it and regret wasting money etc
Day 3 as a non gambler.
Checking in Day 25, things going well for once, striving to keep away from that first bet.
Good evening everyone. Checking in for the week.
Still gamble free. Enjoyed having the weekend off work and having some family time.
Stay strong everyone and remember together we can do it!
Challenge Update Week 4
Introduction
Welcome troops, we end this week with 60 active soldiers, sadly there are 7 missing soldiers. I really hope you have simply forgotten to check in and will be back. We are getting closer to the end of January and this brings big problems as for most of us pay day is looming and the urges may be troubling us. However on the other hand once January is done we are a month closer to completing the challenge. More about that later.
Now I have felt guilty today, this update is a big task and I want it to be on every Sunday morning, however I simply wasn’t well enough to do it before work today. I work 1pm till 10pm on a Sunday so if I don’t get it done first thing it will have to be done after work. So today while I worked I was guilty about not getting this up, so in future I will try my very best to make sure the update is on first thing on a Sunday morning.
Don’t forget about the 2015 Challenge chat on a Wednesday night from 8pm till 9pm run by sergeant triangle. Also if you ever need to talk to a fellow soldier you can email me for the telephone list, which was successfully used for the first time this week [email protected]
If you have any ideas about ways to improve the forum feel free to email me or post a message on here. If your count isn’t right let me know, we have so many soldiers it’s a big task to keep on top of the stats. Some big counts to look forward to later in the update, enjoy!
Positive Energy and the Payday Blues
We all have our beliefs, some of us follow a religion, some of us are inspired by an alternative energy form, or some of us are sceptical about it all. I’m more in the sceptical camp, however I do believe that this forum is making special things happen, I can feel a flow of positive energy. I think there are some very special people here, it’s only early days in the challenge but as I get to know more about my fellow troops I can see just how strong a group we are. On Saturday morning we had a couple of slips, StoneRoses and Emily82 had a decision to make (having slipped myself I know how hard it is to admit what you’ve done). They were brave soldiers, it must have been so tough to admit their slip. Then the magic happened, this positive energy I believe we have amongst us sprung to life. The support and friendship for our two wounded soldiers was immense. I am so proud to be a part of this group, thanks to everyone who was so kind and supportive. The positive energy is growing and I believe if we all tap into this we can all see this year out.
This positive energy is strong, but for some of us it will wane as payday approaches. Payday is close for a lot of us and maybe for some in the early days of recovery we have not had the money to gamble until now. That little devil on our shoulder is going to get louder and louder, so think back to last week’s post and get your life music blaring to drown it out. We have all worked on barriers to stop us gambling, don’t forget that if the urge comes hard you can email for a telephone list and speak to a fellow soldier who may be able to help, or make a post on here saying how you feel and there will be someone to help. Please don’t suffer in silence this week, there are going to be troops who want to gamble, don’t give up the fight! Post how you feel and tap into the positive energy forces that are flowing through this challenge.
While we are talking about payday blues here’s a little story about my last gambling payday. I use my mum controlling my finances as a barrier, but in November last year that payday devil was screaming out loud. ‘Just one last bet, go on Phil you can take it and leave it, its easy money’. I was weak and I couldn’t control the urges, I had to make a 500 pound debt repayment. I took the money and headed for the bookies. The day started well, my first bet won, 240 profit. Its easy money this, the gambling devil was right! I don’t think I had another winner and lost all my money. I left the bookies feeling disgusted with myself, thinking I am unable to give this up and I should just accept I’m always going to gamble. The following day I found where my mum had hidden my bank card and I drew another 500 out. I headed off to the bookies and lost 400 over a couple of hours. My last bet was a desperate one, 100 pounds to win 900 and the horse won, I was back in the game. I had told myself if I won my money back I would never gamble again. I left the bookies with 1600 pounds, I could put the 1000 back in my account and had 600 to treat myself with. I went home elated, I wasn’t going to gamble again. However when I woke the next day that devil on my shoulder was telling me to have one last bet, there’s more easy money to be won. I headed off with 1600 in my pocket and had a few winners and a few losers over a couple of hours until I hit a bad losing run and in an hour I lost 1600 pounds. I walked home absolutely devastated, what a mug I am, what a total loser, what is the point of my life, I was resigned to the fact that I would never beat this addiction.
However here I am, 56 days later and going strong. How did I get back on track? Well it was because I continued to post honestly on my diary and was supported by some amazing people. And then to hammer another nail into the gambling coffin I went back onto the 2014 challenge and tapped into the magic. So to sum up do you really want the next few days to follow my November story or do you want to make the choice not to gamble. Come on troops it’s a no-brainer isn’t it! We all know where this ends, we know what will happen if we let the gambling devil take over our mind in the coming days. Find what works for you and make sure you stay strong this week. Tap into the magic on here, I really do believe its flowing through and there’s enough around for all of us to help us along. We are so strong as one, if you need help or support we are here for each other. Make the right choices this week, we can all do it!!!!!
Milestones in the coming and past week
brutus123C and bornagain both passed through 50 days last week!!
lollypoplol hit 20 weeks today, well done soldier!!
Taxi man smashed through the 10 weeks mark last week!!
Garyl1976 will hit the amazing total of 300 days on Thursday, top form!!
matty21 and DINO hit 50 days on Sunday and Friday next week, good stuff lads!!
Glads Dad will bring up 10 weeks next Sunday, congratulations pal!!
mba is a centurion on Tuesday, brilliant 100 days well done!!
Elfie17 passed through 30 weeks, something to be proud of well done!!
I Wished hits 9 months on Monday, well done Suzanne, going so strong!!
RST.Ex-CG reaches 20 weeks next Sunday, well done, top form!!
Roll of Honour/ Days Gamble Free!
I’m sure you will agree it’s a pretty good list of soldiers 60 of us making that life changing choice not to gamble! As you are aware I keep track of how much we have all saved as a group and taking our average losses as 50 pounds per day I’m happy to announce that we have saved £74250!!!! Amazing work troops, keep it up
Summary
Once again apologies for the late update. I hope you enjoyed this week’s update, don’t forget the chatroom and the telephone list. It was really something special to be able to answer my phone and help a soldier in need this week. Thanks for all your check ins, I’m so proud to be a part of this. If there’s any ways you think this forum can be improved let me know. Make the right choices this week, don’t let pay day cause you to slip. Keep the check ins coming in, have a good week troops!
Phil
Thanks Phil, didn't even realise it will be 20 weeks next Sunday. I will be celebrating in style on the piste's of Andorra 🙂
Checking in on 134 days.
In terms of payday guys, the story told by Phil is so true, we think we can turn our payday into something more but we all know the outcome. For me I see payday as that breathing space, time to check finances, clear some debt and plan what you may need to sort out before next payday (if you haven't any debt put the money into a savings account) or treat yourself for another day of not gambling.
Associate payday as a day to slowly turn things around not make the next month hard by loosing your money before you've even done your first weekly shop.
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