So i have now went 2 weekends without gambling and tomorrow will be 2 week's. Feeling good and shows it an be done if you want it, which i really do and it hasn't even been on my mind.
Anyone who's just starting or is similar keep it up, i feel better now than i have in 2-3 years.
Wonderful to hear Dave - I have admired your positive, proactive approach, as well as your humilty, which has undoubtedly contributed to your progress.
There are likely to be days ahead where you won't feel the same way - something may happen to you, you might feel down or depressed, and you might experience strong urges.
Do everything you can to "ride the storm" my friend - if you are having a bad day, accept it, do what you need to do to get through it, because the day after will likely be a much better day.
Another thing is to not let confidence lapse into complacency - some people feel so good in recovery that they feel "cured", and have a small bet which sends them spiralling into oblivion within minutes - don't allow yourself to fall into this trap my friend - the best of us have done it, don't let yourself become a statistic.
Well done again Dave, great to hear and I look forward to hearing more from you.
JamesP
Well done Dave. James is quite right that you need to keep focussed. There will be tough times ahead undoubtedly as we all have bad days from time to time. Try to put coping strategies in place for when you have a less than positive day. For me, I would frequently find myself going to the bookies or casino whenever i had something going off that was less than pleasant. I'm still not at the point where i can face my demons head on so i tend to have a drink/junk food these days to help me deal with life's problems (had some bad news earlier, today it was a pack of mini eggs :-0) but it's a million times better than gambling. I wish you every success in beating this...have you joined the 2014 challenge yet? I'm finding it a great additional tool in staying gamble free and it's a very therapeutic and supportive environment. Best wishes.
Well done Dave great achievement.
There will be challenges ahead, however, the good feeling of not gambling that you're experiencing is better than the buzz of gambling. Complacency can be a problem ..... I went 162 days gamble free before the 5th January when I lapsed and it was painful ... I am now 24 days into phase 2 and feel I've learnt from that experience. This forum is a huge help and like you I feel positive about the future.
Good luck
Micky
Thanks guys. Thats now 4 weekends. Itotally get and respect your advice about not getting complacent and i'm determined not to get like that. Well done Micky keep it up man.
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