Hi guys
I am on day 26 gamble free and thought I would start a new diary.
Whilst the forum was down it gave me the opportunity to do some research, in the past I have read books on stopping gambling and they were good. A couple of weeks ago I purchased the Allen Carr Easy Way to stop gambling and its transformational for me, definitely a game changer.
Gone are the urges and reasoning in my mind to have a ‘cheeky tenner’ in the roulette machine, below I will list the things which are helping me and hopefully people reading them will think in a different way about gambling.
1. Gambling gives me no pleasure, in fact the opposite, how can it be fun running from cash point to cash point in the vain hope of hitting a number with £13 on it - just to get SOME of my money back.
2. The gambling industry is playing on my addiction, glossy posters in the window and adverts on the TV showing people laughing and winning, when all they want is my money. If you like a clever way of conning me.
3. I don’t need gambling, gambling needs me in order to survive, I will survive without gambling.
4. There is no temporary fix, if I need money to pay a bill all that gambling will do is get me in more financial strife.
5. I have made a decision never to gamble again and will NEVER QUESTION IT.
6. The urge that I may get will be a little gambling monster inside me who needs gambling to live, every time I resist I will be slowly killing him, HA, HA.
7. THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE. I don’t need willpower to give up gambling as I am not giving anything up, I am liberating myself from gambling which has been like a ball and chain around my ankle. So, why would I be sad or need will power, it’s like having a splinter in my finger, when I take it out I am not sad but happy.
Good luck guys but my whole perspective on gambling has changed, it doesn’t even bother me anymore, when I see the posters in the bookies I just laugh and say ‘you are not conning me’ because that is what gambling is A CLEVER CON TRICK.
Shaun
Mate... Fantastic post. Thanks so much.
Everywhere I turn this book is calling my name... I must invest in it at some point soon. Thanks again for the insight.
No problem signalman, a great book that takes willpower needed to break the addiction of gambling out of the equation, add the fact that the gambling industry is merely trying to con us to take our money, then it all makes sense. I mean when was the last time you saw an advert on the TV about gambling featuring someone walking out of the bookies or casino in a zombie state or doing the walk of shame after a big loss, never. However, the true reality is that is what happens over and over again.
It’s just a clear and logical method that millions have used around the world and kept away from gambling for good.
Shaun
Love this post! I'm into Day 54 now and still owe so so much to this book, possibly my life. I will always remember what it did for me at my darkest hour.
JW
Hi JW_
Yes, the book is inspirational and when you read it and digest it, makes stopping gambling easy and makes us realise that we are being conned.
Also, no major urges as we are not giving up anything, other then harm to ourselves.
Shaun
Thanks so much for your kind offer of lending me the book. However after reading your post I just went ahead and ordered it... It keeps popping up in my life daily right now so I know it's calling my name. Thanks again for the offer.
In return I would like to recommend the AFTER GAMBLING podcast. I was struggling hard this month but I feel like the podcasts have been imperative in making me realise that I'm in charge of my destiny and not externals like gambling and addiction. Would strongly recommend a listen. The bloke is so down to earth. Someone on here signposted me to it and I never looked back.
Hi guys
Day 27 and don’t even feel the pressure of gambling, I feel like I have been liberated. No more running from bookie to bookie on a Saturday.
Take care.
Shaun
Well, one month today, doesn’t time fly.
Quote for today, gambling gives us no pleasure, we only think it does. The only thing gambling gives is us deceit, lies, stress, anguish and lots and lots of heartache.
Take care.
Shaun
Allen Carr Easy way is certainly easier then anything else I have tried in the past, do I really want to be conned?
Gambling needs us to survive, we will survive without gambling - hence the Allen Carr quote, “gambling needs us, we don’t need gambling”
Day 29.
Great posts all.
Ive read another alan Carr book regarding anxiety and depression which also talks a lot about his Easy Way methods.
A lot of his ideas are using Mindfullness and meditation.
Before trying these i felt it was a lot of Mystic mumbo jumbo but it really works.
Ive also joined a Yoga group and cannot recommend it enough for freeing your mind and enhancing your awareness of what really matters.6 weeks free now and family life so much improved.
if you need to explain your past position and cant find enough words ,take a look at I Had a black dog animation on you tube .I shared it to my son and he gets it more where i was on my worse days.
Keep the faith all.We will all never go back to that Zombie we had become.
Thanks lost1961, will look into, I have always wanted to do yoga. My gym membership includes free classes, one of which is yoga.
Allen Carr certainly makes you look at gambling in a different light, dissects it and gives it to you straight, gambling is just a clever con trick and you don’t need it.
Take care.
Shaun
Well, after a little research yesterday, my gambling recovery should get a lot easier. My only gambling vice was the bookies roulette machines, on youtube yesterday I typed in bookies roulette rigged and a load of videos came up.
One which caught my eye was done by a former shop manager at C****s, he said that staff were encouraged to keep players playing on the machines and if someone who comes in every lunchtime and plays for one hour then goes off to buy a sandwich, then the staff should get that sandwich for him. This guy describes players of these machines as to be treated like God’s and free drinks are to be made available to them anytime.
Must admit even with me, so many times I have had a few hundred on a machine and low and behold, a member of staff comes up with a ‘free drink’.
Just goes to show, it’s a clever con trick, just makes me so angry that I got conned, no more though, not even a single penny!
Day 30.
Shaun
Keep it going mate I feel like we have both really taken to this new way of thinking and have seen gambling for everything it really is, once you do that there is no going back to it because all it does now is make me angry, no temptations whatsoever.
JW
Hi guys
Another day without gambling, Another day in paradise.
Remember, don’t ever question your decision to stop gambling and there is no such thing as JUST ONE BET.
Stay safe.
Shaun
Day 32, ironic how much I spent chasing that number in the bookies roulette. I remember once I had £13 on it and hit it twice on the run - I was still down on the day!
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