*** Join The Guru Challenge! ***

Hey guys...10 days GF..but the main thing is not thinking of placing a bet..only regrets but more positives thoughts.

Keep posting on here guys..

Keep doing what your doing Mixer, if some people dont like it thats fine everyone is intitled to there opinion but from what i can see and have experienced, the challenge helps alot of people on here, and is that not what this place is for, helping people...... keep up the good work

Raj - thank you for your post. I have high hopes for you actually - there's some inner strength shining through your post. Try not to regret - easy done, especially if you are still getting over a big loss (like me), but we must think forward and not repeat the episiode. I will NOT gamble until Christmas by which time, by living a little frugally, I will have 'made up' the money I've lost. And then I intend to keep going for a full year and generate a target level of savings. Day-to-day I intend to stop but I have short and medium term targets in mind. Worth a thought!

Chartom - thank you for your support of this thread. I know you've been finding it diffuicult to build GF momentum of late but let's see what we can do this time, eh! You managed a year GF way back if I recall. Let's try it again. From today. One day at a time.

* LET'S BE CUNNING *

Truth is, we can find any reason to lapse. And we can, if we try, circumnavigate any barriers we put in place. (Although we can make those barriers into formidable obstacles!)

A few thoughts.

One, if we take away any one of these three, we can't gamble. Time, Money or Opportunity (i.e. gambling location - online, bricks and mortar etc.)

So worth considering how you can extinguish, as much as you can, one of those three. Think of the most 'drastic' thing you can do and work back. The most drastic thing to remove cash from the equation would be to cut up your bank card. But wait - might that work? Could you transfer money to friends or loved ones who could pass you spending money day-to-day? Do not dismiss anything that might actually work; and in the early days of recovery (which may last a lifetime) don't dismiss anything.

Two, ever thought why you gamble? Is it *really* that much fun losing money - remember we are 'hard-wired' never to keep any winnings, we always give them back?

Often, there's a reason which a trained councillor, for example, might be able to help determine. Sort the underlying issue out and the gambling should be rooted out too, is the general idea. Do consider counselling if you're truly wondering why you've been behaving so weird - compulsive gambling isn't normal. As we all know.

*** THE JOY OF BEING GAMBLING FREE TODAY ***

Being gambling free has instant results - straightaway, we stop looking into the darkness, stopping the soulless conversing with inanimate objects (slots) and abstract 'friends' (betting slips) - we join the real world instead.

As as time goes on things just get better and better. Relationships improve, we open our eyes to more things, we feel better and the financial situation improves.

Being GF is much more than the money, although it's a wonderful by-product of being GF!

Let's all be GF today... gambling is miserably 'black and white', 'win or lose'.

Let's forget all that - and live a real life. In full glorious colour - and all shades in between!

Life will have its moments as life does. But even when life throws challenges our way, we're in a better place to deal with them, gambling-free. Real life is a d**n sight more colourful and brighter than the skint, dingy world of the dreary grey misery of post-gambling losses...!

*** WHO'S UP FOR A CHAT TODAY or TONIGHT ***

The Gamgare Chatrooms are open every day - a great opportunity to chat things through with fellow hardy souls wanting to be gambling-free.

Here's where: www.gamcare.org.uk/chat

And here's when!

Mon: 7pm-8pm, 9pm - 10pm
Tue: 2pm-3pm, 7pm-8pm, 9pm-10pm
Wed: 7pm-8pm, 9pm-10pm
Thu: 7pm-8pm, 9pm-10pm
Fri: 2pm-3pm, 8pm-9pm
Sat: 2pm-3pm, 8pm-9pm
Sun: 8pm-9pm

🙂

*** HERE'S WHAT LIFE'S ABOUT ***

Evening everyone! Recovering gamblers like us - taking the gambling free road, day to day - are choosing LIFE instead of misery. LIFE - wow, living life like it should be lived. Great choice!

Here are ten ways to make our gambling-free life even better! And there's more to come - 50 ways in all, that I'll publish over the course of this week. These originate from SkyBlueBlue's diary here on Gamcare; a highly recommended read, a gem of a diary!

Hey Mixer,

Your challlenge is going well and has had so much interest. Well done for having a positive idea and giving it a go. It has been great having your support and positivity on the chat room too. Keep going and keep encouraging others. Remember we can only continue in recovery by giving it to others.

Guru Zulu.

Checking in for another gamble free day because my life is better that way!

The weekend has been crazy busy but am really happy that I am half way to reach "striver" status. I hope you are all having a wonderful gf day and hope to catch some of you on chat later.

Athena

Well done Athena ! Way to go ! 🙂

Sars

I'm joining the chat tonight, never caught it before

*** HERE'S WHAT LIFES ABOUT - PART 2 ***

First, a quickie update: Athena - Half way to 'Stirver' status; get's get you there 🙂 ; Sars - stormin' it - day by day. If you think you're 'free' of this, you *are* free of this 🙂 Xenedra - great idea, I might be on there too, I'm a regular! Zulu - thank you mate, likewise, you're doing a great job helping others - and you're right, it helps you, too - Karma 🙂 !

Last night, courtesy of SkyBlueBlue's awe-inspiring diary, I listed 10 ways to make our gambling-free life better. Here are 10 more!

Why not have a cup of tea, and slowly ponder each of these little gems ....

• Travel whenever possible, the places with the least to offer materialistically always offer far more spiritually.
• Feel every emotion and learn to enjoy each one for what it is…..part of the wonder which is life.
• Be brave! Tell that girl she is beautiful, ask for a pay rise (if you know you deserve it), …….Fortune does favour it!
• Be wary of those who don’t drink. They remember the next day, and take great joy in reminding you and telling others about things you cannot.
• Great Britain is the best little place in the world. We have a rich history of invention, we have four very different seasons, our scenery is up there with the best and our beer hits the spot.
• Some people are needy and selfish, it’s not something they are necessarily aware of or can alter. If you have the energy give them your time, if you don’t have, walk away politely.
• If someone enters your mind, take a moment to email, call, text, snapchat or what’s app them and ask them how they are! Knowing we are not alone is a fundamental need, and letting someone know you care costs nothing at all.
• Make lists, have goals, prioritise them and do everything you can to achieve them however big or small. There are not many better feelings than a sense of purpose and a sense of achievement.
• Aim high, think big, it is all possible…but you have to visualise it and believe it possible!
• Dance – Dance even if no one else is, Dance in the rain, Dance in the light, it’s your song that’s playing right now!

Let's keep Gambling Free - let's be 'free' of this addiction. The choice is ours. Sunshine or misery; it really is as simple as that.

My ego is telling me I want to be the first guru (!) so - I'm in!

Hi Phil - I am genuinely delighted that you're joining our group. OUR FIRST "GURU"! And having known you for quite a while now, you have been so honest about your journey and been of great help and support to fellow recoverers. You're a regular on the chatrooms. Yes, you have your moments but don't we all? We are passionate people at the end of the day. Wanting to use some of that passion, some of that zest, to live a life - not go down the miserable road to misery - has to be a good thing in my book. The warmest of welcomes, Phil.

*** NEWS IN GENERAL ***

And there's another bit of good news today. A major online gaming website has been fined £7m for not following proper processes in respect of dealing with self-excluded customers - it let them carry on! Those customers will be refunded. (I won't link to the story as that's contrary to Gamcare's forum rules but you can find it on the BBC website today.)

The tide is starting to turn ... the regulators are (at long last) starting to bite. But we need to do our bit and SELF-EXCLUDE from all online casinos and SELF EXCLUDE from all land cased tempations, like bookies (one phone call is all it takes - 0800 294 2060 - and you're banned from all local bookies and those you specify.)

If only every visitor to Gamcare with bookie/FOBT issues just rang that number; if it was the first thing they did - it would be a huge positve startpoint in so many ways. 0800 294 2060! Takes 20 minutes!

It's payday for some of us today. Let's keep our money, put it to better use, whatever's free. We know gamblings no good for us. Let's remain FREE of it. We have the choice - life or misery; but it's not really a choice, is it; so the decision is actually very simple.

Thank you Mixer for your kind words. Best wishes, Phil

Mixer wrote:

Hi Phil - I am genuinely delighted that you're joining our group. OUR FIRST "GURU"! And having known you for quite a while now, you have been so honest about your journey and been of great help and support to fellow recoverers. You're a regular on the chatrooms. Yes, you have your moments but don't we all? We are passionate people at the end of the day. Wanting to use some of that passion, some of that zest, to live a life - not go down the miserable road to misery - has to be a good thing in my book. The warmest of welcomes, Phil.

*** NEWS IN GENERAL ***

And there's another bit of good news today. A major online gaming website has been fined £7m for not following proper processes in respect of dealing with self-excluded customers - it let them carry on! Those customers will be refunded. (I won't link to the story as that's contrary to Gamcare's forum rules but you can find it on the BBC website today.)

The tide is starting to turn ... the regulators are (at long last) starting to bite. But we need to do our bit and SELF-EXCLUDE from all online casinos and SELF EXCLUDE from all land cased tempations, like bookies (one phone call is all it takes - 0800 294 2060 - and you're banned from all local bookies and those you specify.)

If only every visitor to Gamcare with bookie/FOBT issues just rang that number; if it was the first thing they did - it would be a huge positve startpoint in so many ways. 0800 294 2060! Takes 20 minutes!

It's payday for some of us today. Let's keep our money, put it to better use, whatever's free. We know gamblings no good for us. Let's remain FREE of it. We have the choice - life or misery; but it's not really a choice, is it; so the decision is actually very simple.

I wonder if gamcare will remove ***from their certified status ? I mean how could they not?

I'm glad to see that action is being taken against sites that are not being responsible in the way they regulates their sites. I have used the site before and found them poor in terms of helping me when i excluded! Therefore hopefully this is the start of the industry tightening up and ensuring operators are taking responsbility.

Checking for another gf day - as i was writing this i thought why would i gamble and throw away money for no reason!? The answer is... never agin! Im settling as many of my debts as I can and hopefully will be debt free in 6 months!

Will try and catch chat but might not happen as after watching bake off i have the bug so am cooking a chocolate t**t!

Athena