1 whole year of my life since I last chose to gamble on Friday 19th March 2021.
It is fascinating to think back to that day last year when I hit rock bottom; the idea of quitting felt like a mountain at my gate but it felt achievable if I chose to focus on getting to the end of each day and be proud of that solely.
Today as I share my thoughts, I am sat here reflecting on what I feel like I have gained as a result of making that big decision last year and consistently making the right choices every single day ever since…
This isn’t too brag at all, merely just an opportunity to share what is possible for a gambling addict if they can commit to making the right choices in their life - so here is what I have gained since March 19th 2021:
-Inner Peace; I can’t express enough just how beautiful it is waking up and going to sleep without the stresses of gambling mistakes.
-Family and friends trust and faith that I am not going to let myself down
-Continued to see my own business grow even further; I put this down to steering all of that gambling energy into my business instead
-Afford to have a brand new car; this is a luxury that I used to believe was only possible through gambling wins…the irony is things like this become possible through hard work and consistency to not gamble.
-Paying up front; this is a gain that I feel is undervalued. For example when booking my holidays this year, I saved on interest by paying up front the whole price (including my girlfriends half) because I have created a position to do so.
-“Can you pick up ‘X’ and ‘Y’ on your way home please?” “Sure no problem” ; this is one of the amusing gains because I feel there will be others who know this struggle when gambling. I used to get so stressed/embarrassed if someone asked me to pick up the cheapest items possible (like milk or bread!?) and I couldn’t afford it because all of my money was currently in a gambling pot online. Instead I would have made a big fuss over it…which nowadays is far from the case…I don’t even ask these people for £1 they owe me for it either ???
-Relationship with money; I no longer have an unhealthy relationship with money and my bank account. I accept that money comes and goes throughout our life, the less I began to obsessively check my bank account, the more my money grew because I wasn’t panicking about it. I put this down to my old gambling habits where as soon as I got paid I thought it was a chance to make 10x more with it - however far from the case now.
-Self Awareness/Control; The journey I have been on so far in my gamble free days has been the most educational about how I operate. I believe there is so much power in having the ability to understand ourselves. Nowadays when I feel an urge to gamble, or even get addicted to a fun game on my phone, I now recognise it is usually linked to wanting to escape from a big task I need to do (even as simple as doing the washing ?!).
Overall, the biggest change I have felt since I stopped gambling 1 year ago is I now feel grateful for everyday life. I’m writing this from my garden with the sun shining on my face, a slight breeze running between my (cold) toes and the smell of the Spring air. The point I’m making is I am feeling present everyday since I chose to stop gambling and escaping into unrealistic fantasy World of money.
My next milestone target is 500 days (Mon 1st August) and I am very confident that I will reach that successfully. I will point out that every single day between now and then will be a success in itself still because I will always be fighting the illness that is gambling addiction, but it just feels far less painful to fight as I grow stronger by the day.
Please feel free to share your journey or thoughts below and I will enjoy interacting with you.
So inspiring. Thank you for sharing. Wishing you many more years of the same benefits from continuing to go gamble free.
Brilliant! Well done 🙂
Absolutely amazing
Congratulations one day at a time you will smash the 500 days. I am on day 1 but i feel better for it we will beat this ? gamberling will not define us xx
Congratulations on your excellent progress in recovery and thank you for sharing.
Aum ?
Azza I remember you on day 1. So pleased for you for your 1 year. I’m day 405. Really happy to see your success
Congrats to you. This is where I want to be come next year. I wish you continued success
Congrats to you. This is where I want to be come next year. I wish you continued success
@jimmy84 That's great - set yourself consistent habits and I have no doubt you will be reaching that goal 😀
Azza I remember you on day 1. So pleased for you for your 1 year. I’m day 405. Really happy to see your success
@debsy371 Thank you - that is really thoughtful to hear you recall my Day 1. I'm even happier to hear you're smashing it on Day 405 - would love to hear what has played a big part in your huge progress??
Well done on your 1 year anniversary. What an achievement, you should be soo proud of how far you have come
???
Hi
My recovery took along time to start.
If any one asked me I would say I was fine or ok, was that the truth.
My stresses anxiety and panic were due to my high levels of fear that troubled me.
When I have Inner Peace in myself can I have inner peace with other people.
Gambling was not mistakes for me it was just the symptoms I was emotionally vulnerable..
Paying up front is mature and healthy.
Using credit cards and not paying them off is very expensive living.
It was a vey unhealthy habit to undervalue myself.
Money never resolved any of my emotional issues, money only gave me more choices of what I could buy.
Money never healed me, money never stopped me feeling lost in myself.
My healthy relationships today are based up on my healthy interactions with other people.
Self Awareness is understanding when I am feeling vulnerable.
Doing karate helped my self awareness and also improving on my response time.
My Control issues were very much fear based, it also indicated how inept inadequate and insecure I was with in myself.
Because of the painful trauma in my life it adversely affected my ability to learn and listen.
My legs use to twitch most of the time when my legs were crossed over, that was due to the pain adn trauma in my child hood.
There was a time when I did not value myself, my life, or people that loved me.
Love and peace to every one.
Dave L
AKA Dave Of Beckenham UK
Smashed it ? well done you should be very proud. Gives me hope and optimism, better data ahead if we stick to the plan. Keep up the amazing work.
@azzabazza Congratulations and well done on your 1 Year milestone without gambling.
You should be very proud of the progress you have made and the dedication you are putting into your recovery. Its clear to see that you are enjoying the benefits that your abstinence is bringing.
Keep posting and sharing your inspiration to others.
Helen
Forum Admin.
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
