2015 Challenge

I Slipped 🙁

Only 19 days in.....

What happens now?

How do i reset my gamble free days on log in?

Damagedone

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BAGGINS 🙂

Joanna I am so delighted for you! Well done. Your life will be so different now than a year ago. Life in colour! Wonderful!

I would love to meet you one day to give you a big hug - like Mr B would like too! In the meantime I wish you every blessing as you continue to live in the good of your recovery. Enjoy your great victory today - you deserve it!

I'm enjoying reading all the posts on this challenge & Phil you are doing a very difficult job amazingly! Plus you are doing so well in your own recovery. It's a joy to see!

Love to you Joanna and to all of you in this challenge - Mama B xx

Checking in 9 weeks today. Another great update Phil. Regarding Cheltenham just the thought of how much money i have lost over the years will be reminder enough to never wanting to get sucked into the gambling trap again.

Hi all,

Day 616 for me, payday has been and gone and managed to get through it unscathed. No thoughts or urges at all recently..just been kept very busy by work/friends and family so not had much time to myself but I think that is an important part to recovery so this week I have made no plans with anyone and hopefully contribute more to the site 🙂 As always welcome to give advice to anyone if needed.

Kind Regards

Krishan

Whoop whoop indeed! Thank you and bless you - Phil, Mr B, Mama B, Suzanne and others for your very kind words. I had no idea I would be the first lady soldier to achieve the One Year Medal - in celebration I got my butler/personal trainer Sven to raise the flag on the north wing and have asked the villagers to dance round the inn sign (too early for Maypole) on Saturday night.

To be absolutely honest, I was considering taking an extended furlough on having reached this milestone, but now that I've read some of the nice comments here about my early days, I feel that perhaps I can still be of support - provided I can remember to log on! If people will indulge me a bit more, I'd like to put down some thoughts about my year of non-gambling....

The first thing I ask myself is WHY? Why did I get myself into such a mess a year ago - for the newbies here I should explain that I became addicted to online slots and spent a fortune (and some of my sanity) watching stupid animated reels taking more and more of my money. Well I should say 'the bank's money' for I was constantly living on my substantial overdraft. No, I never got into really seriously debilitating debt - and here I sincerely salute those of you who have done so and who have fought so hard to become solvent again. But for me I was still living a 'non-life' of trying to chase losses - the 'just one more spin' mentality which of course is never just that. As to why, well I had gone through some bereavements, was feeling a bit low, and what seemed like a little harmless escape ensconced in my computer room when the rest of the family was asleep soon became an addiction and a grubby little secret. I still don't know how or why I discovered Gamcare, but it was the lifeline I needed. I soon discovered the 2014 Challenge and the delightful Mr Brightside and Mama B and never looked back. The encouragement from Mr B kept alive my determination to break free from this stupid obsession and I also gained strength from supporting newbies and others in the Diaries forum. Similarly Phil has been a great help and a worthy successor to Mr B - thank you Phil.

In some ways I feel a bit of a fraud as I have not had to face the life-altering repercussions that many of you have had to face, which has obviously made my journey that much easier. I cannot express the admiration I have for those who have had to fight their way back from the abyss and are still doing so each day. All I will say is that I know it can be done, and my fervent wish is that you will all find that new life that awaits. Pump up the volume on your 'Life Music' and you see gambling for what it is - a false friend who subtly 'radicalizes' us into people we don't want to be.

And now I'll step off my soapbox as Sven is waiting for me in the Butler's Pantry.....

Best wishes and blessings to all. Mr B and Phil - if you have emailed me I apologise - I can't access emails on that particular server and am awaiting a new computer. Hope to meet you someday for a group hug! xx

Checking in on my 365th day. : 0 )

Joanna

Hi I would like to join the 2015 challenge. Have been binge gambling last 5 months or so, since my mum passed away, did OK was up quite a bit got lucky a few times then lost it all back this month. ok tho no debts apart from utility debts, still have savings. Not as much as i had but still a substantial amount compared with the last 6 years. Need to stop before I lose this as well. Woke up this morning had a really strong involuntary message / thought in my head ' stop gambling ' . Did actually gamble a little this morning as needed to clear my accounts, had a few £ in them so needed to deposit to them then withdraw as balances were under the minimum withdrawal amounts. had a bonus on one account which I cleared & withdrew. Knew if I still had any money in the online accounts it would be playing on my mind. So the accounts are all clear now with balances at 0.00 . so no excuses. have blocker installed on both PC & laptop.

So my intention is to stop completely from 030315 & to stay stopped. Truth is, I don't care about money as much as I should, so why gamble if I don't even value the winnings ? was up about £1600 in early part of feb now down ! So no more starting tues 030315 will update on saturday. ty

Thanks for the update as always Phil. Was great to read a bit about your story too lady baggins and I do thank you for your post. It's always inspiring to read about people who've stopped gambling having been in a similar situation to yourself. I too was stupidly hooked on online slots gambling. I look forward now to my next major milestone of 100 days . I'm on day 67 today and that will be ten weeks on Thursday :).

Boxingday1 was my first day and I can't ever gamble again as then my Gamcare username would no longer make any sense !

Keep marching on fellow soldiers !

Boxingday1 x

Thanks for that post baggins, I've just got in from work and its really moved me. You helped so many on the 2014 challenge and your post today really shows the newish soldiers and those unfamiliar with last years challenge just what can be achieved. You are a very kind and supportive person and I'm glad you are sticking around!

davey thanks for the post, you will be added to the front page and checked in as soon as you make another post here. Maybe you should consider self exclusion from all your online accounts?

damagedone what happens next is in your own hands, you need to think how much you want this! We are all here for you so if you want to take our help and fight hard yourself, I believe you can beat your problems and enjoy the gift that is recovery. You can edit your account to change the days since you last gambled. I will check you back in if you post again before midnight Saturday.

Hello everyone my name Is greg and I would like to sign up for the 2015 challenge, my last bet was on the 22nd February 2015 when I spent a months wages over 2 days, I know it has to stop now, my main problem is football and horses but the FOBT have done some real damage as well, whilst I am a bit down I do have optimism for the future if I stay gamble free, any help is greatly appreciated

Hi Joanna

Can I congratulate you on such a wonderful achievement.

I am enormously pleased for you.

You have been a very important piece of the 2014/5 forums jigsaw and an excellent giver of great advice.. I wish you well in your further recovery and have a great celebratory drink

Glads dad also checking in and on his way to a better lifestyle

Have a great week to all

Albion100 you will be added to the challenge and checked in once you have made another post before midnight on Saturday. You need to plan carefully and use all the help you can get on here to ensure you deal with payday in March better than February. This can be beat and recovery is a precious gift!

Thanks bornagain, I have put a few things in place such as settong up direct debits and giving the card to my dad, I've done this before but he gives the card back because he really doesn't understand gambling addiction but I've started therapy last week which was good so I am feeling better now, I just need to watch for complacency, thanks everyone

Thanks Phil for another fantastic update. Big congratulations to Baggins (Joanna), that is a fabulous achievement and really inspirational for all of us. I imagine every day now being GF is a celebration in its own way, but this milestone is amazing for you and family.

Cheltenham - hadn't really thought about it and don't intend too. Horses wasn't my bag, but if I did have to find a way of avoiding it would be to go and visit my family (nephews / nieces). I don't have kids so to see those little chaps running around playing football etc really is grounding for me. There will be a point in their life when they can see what their uncle is, and I really don't want that person to be a decietful lying gambler that has no concern for anyone other than himself.

Checking in 75 days.

I wish all a gambling free week, and hopefully summer is in the way now.

Andy

Albion100 you have been added to the challenge and checked in. I reccomend you have a read through this thread so you can see how it works and if you have a read of Duncanmacs recovery diary its full of really useful and inspiring posts.

Hi all

Congratulations Baggins I'm relatively new to this (8 days in) so seeing that people like yourself have been GF for a year is inspiring and amazing.

Well I've hit my first milestone of 7 days and it feels good, I've been to the gym everyday whilst working away and when I'm home the family keep me busy enough, I havnt had any urges untill I got a text from my mate inviting me to cheltenham today, I told him the score and he was relatively supportive but for me I think I'm going to post in here every time I get an urge if that's ok with people as next week will be difficult for me but my head is so much clearer now I'm not gambling and I can't wait to hit my next milestone (1 month). Better Life thankyou for your words of wisdom regarding the longer you don't bet the easier it is to leave it as I find myself not needing to look through the RP app or checking different odds of accys, I really think this time I'm going to kick this disgusting habbit.

Take care guys and I will check back in before Sat x