Hello to anyone who recognises my name & to those new peeps that have joined since I last wrote.
I haven't been popping in as much as I used do as my life has changed so much. I am truly sorry that I have missed some of your very important 'milestones' that many of you have reached along the way. Congratulations to you, each & every one of you... You know who you are 😉 I had every faith in your successes, you have worked hard to achieve a clean 'slate'. You have done what was needed... Wether you liked it or not... And it works!
You can all beat this b*****d gambling addiction if you really want to. I know how hard it can be, I know how it can twist a person, destroying them & those they love from the inside out.
I hate everything it does & stands for but with help & support & a will to claim your life back from it... It is possible. My husband will be 7yrs clean in a few months and I do not doubt that he will get there and beyond. Gambling nearly destroyed us... It nearly caused him to take his life. He battled with it for more years than I can go into today(our stories are here in the diaries, should you want to look further, he is 'gull991') but eventually he had that 'lightbulb' moment & it all fell into place. His recovery leaped forward from that moment on...
I know I could not of taken any more of that path he used to walk. It takes everything, strips you bare, trust smashed to pieces.
Rebuild yourselves... Make yourselves whole again... Take back your lives... If you have something worth saving, the Trust will return... It takes bloody time! Lol
Hour by hour, day by day when you are TRULY doing EVERYTHING that you should/ need to be doing to arrest this addiction it WILL work. YOU CAN BREAK FREE.
Make a pledge to give not a penny more of your hard earned money to those gambling organisations. Your money has been paying for their fast cars, good hols & private education for their children... While you get unhappiness, poverty, lies & struggles in return.
YOU HAVE BEEN GIVING YOUR MONEY WILLINGLY FOR THIS LIFESTYLE ! Madness isn't it?
When I say to stop this 'madness' you need to doing everything you should to arrest your need/desire... That includes all the 'stuff' "that you would rather not do" "That isn't for you" "that I can CONTROL that particular thing/behaviour" "it's not for me/or my way of doing thing" etc etc they are ALL lies & excuses that the addiction loves you to believe...
It doesn't want you to change... It doesn't want you to face your demons head on.
The only truth of all that rubbish... Is that Yes we are all individuals, Yes we all live our lives differently... Of course, that's what makes us all unique...
BUT... To cross the road there is basically one set of rules. You look left & right... Also again while crossing you look left & right. This way you tend to stay alive.
Now you can do it "your way" and cross with your eyes closed or backwards or whatever way you deam best.. you may be lucky sometimes, just getting by... But one day for sure you will die... FACT.
Sounds extremely stupid when you read it... Why on earth would you invent 'Your own way' to cross the road when there is already a proven way of doing it safely. Well it's the same with recovery.
Within this great site lay all the answers & help you require to help you gain control of your life again. You don't have to live on the round-a-bout for ever.
Believe in yourself
Stop kidding yourself, for short term relief.
Make a stand
Ask for help
Talk to someone you trust
Admit your addiction/life has become unmanageable
Stop lying to yourself & others
Don't believe the b******t that you or others think about how 'great,clever,lucky' you are as a gambler(or as an individual person) addiction claims & fools all... From all walks of life. No one is special, gifted or immune from it.
You are not specially talented, have a winning formula or other such cr**... THERE IS NO LONG TERM GAIN IN A GAMBLING LIFE, FACT. (Apart from the fact that you wouldn't be here on this site, reading this!)
THERE IS A WAY OUT OF ALL THE MISERY THAT GAMBLING CAN BRING... You can become honest & relaxed. You can sleep peacefully & become a better person... A better person to be around. You can free yourself from all the heartache that your gambling life has given you.
Money problems can be sorted... They can! Whatever seems unmanageable CAN be managed...
Just give yourself a chance & reach out for help today... Log in to netline... Pick up that phone... Ask your partner/friend/relative someone to help.
YOU DONT HAVE TO BE ALONE WITH THIS
Start your healing right now.
All the best with your recoveries everyone, 'see' you around sometime 😉
Jackie
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Wow Jackie
I'm only on day 10 and pretty new to this place, but that's the most rousing 'speech' I've read in this place. Thanks for taking the time to give us some inspiration.
I particularly liked what you said about feeding the 'organisations' lifestyles. I've certainly contributed my fair share to them, as one who hates fat-cats and believes in greater equality, that hit home.
All the best
What a fantastic post! I'm one month clean now and reading posts like this really puts my mind at ease..I'm getting there. Best thing I did in 2012, was come here and get myself sorted. Honestly, I would still be lost if it wasn't for coming here. I appreciate your post..it's good hear others do so well too.
All the best
Alex
Thank you for the previous comments. 🙂
BREAK THE CYCLE OF GAMBLING...
Stop carrying your cards around with you...
Stop carrying cash( if you are going out to buy something planned then take only that amount, really that's all you need--but your gambling head won't agree!)...
Keep yourself busy...
Make changes... Walk/Drive/Dine a different way than normal to avoid your favourite gambling establishments(even if its further/takes longer- don't let that gambling head change your mind- or direction!)
Keep receipts for any monies spent... Always.
Start making yourself accountable to someone if possible.
They could help manage/oversee your money/receipts
Self-exclude from ALL your gambling venues/sites....& the ones you had forgotten! ( it's is amazing how many sites/bookies that the gambler will secretly hang onto, 'just incase' - ONCE AGAIN THESE ARE ACTIONS OF THE GAMBLING BRAIN/WAY OF THINKING)
You need to 'reprogram' your old gambling self to break free from gambling & all the above steps will help start this process. It takes time but its do-able.
The 'gambling demons' inside you that shout soooo loud at the beginning of recovery will quieten down as you progress... As long as you don't feed them by gambling they will grow weaker & weaker until they no longer are part of the 'new you'. So when they pester you... RECOGNISE THEM FOR WHAT THEY REALLY ARE... They can't make you gamble... ONLY YOU CAN DO THAT!.. Just acknowledge them for what they are, laugh at their sneakiness & get up make yourself do something totally different a walk/run, bath, make yourself a nice meal, phone/go see a friend... Come on here & read/post/contact the staff/netline/chat room... (Basically anything that doesn't involve you giving in to the 'demons'.... The relief will only be short lived if you do... And the pain & grief & self hatred will start all over again.)
YOU ARE WORTH MORE, DESERVE MORE... Take this new start, new life with both hands.
You spent hours/years planning, checking, studying & looking at odds. It filled your mind & life 24/7.
Recovery takes time to learn also, time to change YOU & THE WAY YOU THINK. But unlike gambling it becomes easier with time.
Come on, give it some thought... Lots & lots of information & help for you out there...
What have you got to lose?
Nothing will change in your life, If you continue to do nothing about it... It's that simple
Ps- often people panic at the thought of handing over/ letting go of finances to someone(they trust) or not carrying cash etc. these suggestions(tips) are for the early part of your recovery. THEY REALLY DO WORK but are not forever.
You are just ACCEPTING that you have a problem with gambling/money and are taking a fantastically brave & mature approach to resolve the issues involved. You will be building strong foundations on which your Recovery can grow 🙂
Bye for now
Jackie
Just popped in to wish you all strength & determination with your recoveries, no matter how long or short they happen to be.... Anytime not wasted on gambling is progress.
You can do this.... The choice,as always is YOURS 😉
Jackie
hi jac
i just wanted to say that i came upon this post today and i can honestly say you have written 2 of the most inspiring posts i have read on here. i gambled for 10 years and stopped 47 days ago. i never admitted to having a problem not to anyone or myself but once i took that step-(ive made my addiction very known to my family and friends) everything else seemed to come easy- relatively speaking. Anyway thanks so much for your posts its really reinforced why i decided to do this.
Thanks again
Lindax
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