2016 Challenge

Just to introduce myself...I'm now 634 days without a bet (since 3rd April 2014). Before then, my life was characterised by lies, deceipt and a daily compulsion to gamble heavily on FOBT's. It almost cost me my sanity, career, family and marriage. I was borrowing money from any available source (friends, family, overdrafts, credit cards, payday loans) and repeating the cycle.

I've used GA as my primary method of abstaining, recovering and improving my life (but appreciate there are other methods that work), I attend meetings weekly and have been gamble free since walking into the rooms a broken man.

I wish everyone well in their recovery journey...I truly believe that no win can be worth the piece of mind and happiness I am feeling at the moment.

Here's to 2016.

I last gambled on 24th May 2015

219 days ago now

Similar to Gary my main vice was FOBT's but gambled on anything that moved.

I gambled for 22 years and decided enough was enough, tried to stop years ago but never really put anything into it, this time I attended GA meetings but after a couple of months decided it wasn't for me, I mostly use this forum and the chat room to stop me gambling.

Life is so much better for not gambling, work, family and my outlook on life in general is far better for it.

I wish everyone well and hope 2016 brings a gamble free year for all forum members, let's beat this illness by supporting and helping each other, particularly new members who need help, encouragement and advice to put them in the right road to recovery.

Andy.

Hi today marks my 654 today on the challenge. Thanks Gary for updating the end of the 2015 challenge.

My gambling is anything and everything. Roulette, sports, horses, FOTB's. Nothing was out of my reach if i wanted a bet.

I attend GA meetings, have worked with a counsellor in the past and still do from time to time and use this site regulary.

Life is so much better not gambling, yet i don't forget what brought me here in the first place. Too many times I've got caught back up in the trap.

Congratulations to others who sign up and complete the 2016 challenge. Take it daily and it'll happen.

Tri

Firstly thank you for taking forward the challenge into 2016.

At this point I am 260 days in recovery.

My gambling became addictive to the point of destruction over the last 5 years. FOBT was my main vice.

2015 was a bad year in the beginning as my addiction truly took hold of me. In my darkest hours I waned to stop, to be found out, to be normal. To get rid of this weight that was dragging me down.

In April it finally happened and although the gambling weight was lifted it was replaced by guilt, pity, self loathing, hatred and anger at what I had done and what it had made me.

Recovery began to take shape. Gamcare counselling helped greatly allowing me to understand things a little better. Giving up all access to cash and cards for 6 months was a massive help. On the occassions I was given cash I provided receipts and change.

2016 - recovery must continue and each day I will make sure the barriers are high and the triangle is broken.

I will do everything in my power to never return to those dark days.

Best wishes

My first day of recovery was 19 April 2015, the day after I finally admitted that my life had become hell on earth due to playing the slots constantly for years. I gambled to escape, to try and block out all the bad stuff which was happening to the people I love. All I did was create a huge debt, which will take a decade to clear. Compulsive gambling is a progressive illness which turned me into a liar and a cheat and guess what, none of my problems went away, it's called life. With the help of this forum and weekly GA meetings I've managed 254 days clean. We will never be cured, but we can give ourselves the gift of recovery and start to live again, one day at a time. Let's make 2016 a good year which we can look back on with pride. Gary thank you so very much for volunteering to run the challenge, let's fight this together fellow soldiers xx

Hi there.

I last gambled 29.12.15.

I would like to join this thread please. I came here in Feb2013 and was gamble free for almost two and a half years. I received some money in April and September of this year, which led me to gamble again. Greedily, I thought I could make even more money. We all know the outcome of course. Whilst it hasn't led to too much financial damage, it does mesn however, that I no longer have an amount of money which could have been put to so much more good use. Back I went on a few occasions to the virtual sports, wasting time and money, receive lack of sleep and peace of mind. Once bitten, twice shy as they say!

I,m up for this challenge, if i finish this year gamble free which will then be 28 days, then i will check in on here on the 1st of jan 2016!!

GOOD LUCK ALL! X

Would like to join the challenge ; 7 days free from a bet.
Blocked from online gambling sites but bookies are my problem

Good Morning

I quit gambling on Boxing Day 2014 last year and joined the 2015 challenge in a bid to stop my online gambling addiction to slots. I had gotten into a lot of debt by continually spending double my salary and financing the gambling with credit cards and increasing my overdraft. After spending yet another load of money on Christmas Day evening I had finally decided I had a massive problem and had to stop completely. In the past i had recognised I had a problem but dealt with it through trying to minimise what I was spending.

I used deposit limits online but the problem was I had so many different online accounts and just spend up to the limit on each site and then open a new account with a different website. My usual spending was around £100 to £200 a night but this would sometimes go over £1000 !

Of course I'd mostly be chasing losses and this is why I couldn't stop. Many times I would eventually claw back a lot of what I had spent but I realise now this was what kept me gambling. I never actually won anything. No big wins I can recall. The only time I felt victory was if I won back what id put in. When you think of this logically ... It's a no brainier. This is how I tried to put gambling in its place by realising I never had and never would win.

The only way to win was to stop playing altogether and regain financial control over my money.

I stayed gamble free until May 2015 when, like many, I relapsed and began playing again. I played a few times and lost a few hundred pounds I think. At this point I noticed I was losing control again and it was making me stressed and worried about money again. I stopped again on May 15 2015 and now I've not gambled for 230 days.

2015 saw me pay off £3000 of gambling debt and close all my credit cards. I now have debts I'll be paying over the next three to four years to remind me of how out of control my gambling once was. This year though I have enjoyed a much better quality of life with saving up to go abroad and also just generally living more comfortably. I'm not stressed out or irritable and I enjoy my free time.

Stopping gambling is the best thing I did and I want to make 2016 the year of zero gambling.

I join this 2016 challenge and wish you all a Happy New Year and hope you'll join us if you're considering quitting or if you've been on the 2015 challenge and have already stopped.

Thank you Gary for offering this challenge. I know it helps many of us stay on track, checking in weekly and seeing how each of us get on.

Hi,

I have just read this thread and after 18 months of online gambling (running up huge debts) ive signed up to try and break the habbit. I've come to realise that no matter how much i win, it would never be enough. As a result, i can have £1000 of winnings on minute and back to £0 the next. Then make another deposit to try and win that money back again, as you all know that isnt how it works. Something i have now realised after running up £20,000 of debt.

If anyone can make recommendations of ways to discourage the need that would be helpful. I am going to try and fill my evenings with other activities, and leave all devices i have for accessing the internet in another room so they are away from me to prevent the urge to go online.

As you can probably tell, this is something new to me but i needed to start somewhere.

Welcome to Rick6832 and the biggest tip id give you is to make access to money severely restricted. Even to the point of cutting up credit cards and debit cards and drawing money out of the bank at the counter that you need to live on. You have to be so strict with yourself and by preventing any access to bank cards you will be making it less possible to gamble online. In other words, do anything and everything in your power to make it impossible to gamble. The easiest way is to prevent access to money. Of course you could also permanently self exclude from every gambling site you use and have ever used too... it's a time consuming task but it also helped me in recovery. If you had a family member or friend to confide in it would also help you a lot. Try to keep busy - make plans and stick to them. You initially may need to fill the void of the time you regain whilst not gambling. Id also recommend reading diarys on here to fill time if you find yourself bored and craving your online addiction. It does get easier over time ! Keep reminding yourself that you will never win. £20k debts has shown you that and now you've come to the right place with the right attitude to quit. I wish you and others on here determination and the strength to succeed.

Thanks for your response, much appreciated. I have tried to plan out a monthly budget for the next 6 months on starting to pay things off and clear some of the debt. I have to keep a credit card for work purposes but will be leaving this car in my desk drawer so i can only use it for work. If i can stick to this plan for the next 6 months i think it will make a big impact on my debt situation.

Hi Rick (and welcome).

Agree with the above...is there anyone you can give your cards to limit access to cash? I repeatedly did budgets but still gambled, I was only fooling myself really. I'd try to win to get some extra money but the inevitable spiral happened again.

It can be done but will take honesty, open-mindedness and willingness.

Hi Gary, count me in, I've been a CG for over 30 years, & struggle daily, weekly & monthly to overcome this continuous cycle of basically cr ap. Will bet on anyone & everyone when the opportunity arises. Currently 25 days without a gamble but only one bet away from disaster.