Hello to whoever may be reading this.
202 days have passed since I last gambled and I wanted to take the time to share how I am feeling.
Proud. This is quite possibly the biggest feeling I have when I reflect on my recovery journey. On Day 1 it felt incredibly difficult to look ahead this far and imagine where I could be if I stopped gambling - and like so many other recovering addicts will tell you...simply take one day at a time.
So I have focused on getting to the end of each day without gambling, but truthfully on my journey I have had weeks where I completely forget how many days I have gone without gambling (which is really healthy I believe!), and before I know it I'll log back in and read I've successfully achieved another 21 days without acting on my addiction. I put this down to building new habits in my life and thus living in the moment which has resulted in distraction from battling my addiction and reaching the end of another day. A fantastic approach to engage myself in!
However it is very important during my recovery to be completely open and honest - there has been many occasions where the thought of gambling again has entered my mind, yet I have learnt that this is very normal and not a problem. The most important factor is how I chose to respond to those tempting thoughts - in life we simply have a choice of saying yes or no to our addictions...but that doesn't mean to say either of these choices are easy to make though.
For me it is about becoming true to myself...how much do I value myself? A lot is the answer nowadays.
I have accepted that my relationship with gambling will never be able to exist in ways that it does for many people, and I actually have grown to become grateful for my addiction because through it I have increased my self-awareness and ability to learn so much more about myself.
I hope to inspire just one person in my lifetime to choose to stop gambling then I will feel very fulfilled in not just helping myself, but helping someone else who is either trying to start their Day 1...or already begun their journey to keep on going.
If you have made it this far, well done and thank you for taking the time to read through my journey to date.
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Well done on reaching 202 days. You are proof that life can be good again with good processes in place to tackle the urges. Onwards and upwards!
Thanks for your post. Well done as well for your success in recovery am sure I speak for all of us at start of this process that your story gives us hope and makes me excited for what can be if I knuckled down and kick this habit for good.Â
Inspirational read. Pleased for you, keep up the amazing work! The only thing I'd add from my experience, I managed 8 years with sheer will power and mental strength and it crept back in. I have also now accepted that to avoid gambling and keep the good times rolling I need to log in here fairly regularly to read stories and give the odd response. I also post on set milestones, my next one is 500 days, nearly there. Good luck!
So wonderful to hear. It gives me hope for my son who is in denial. It’s wonderful to hear your own vision of your future. If you want to share, what prompted you to stop? Wishing you all the best!
Raise your bat on that fine double century, old chap. Well played 🙂
Fantastic achievement. More importantly, it sounds like you're in a good place mentally. We all have good days and bad days, but like you said... one day at a time.
So wonderful to hear. It gives me hope for my son who is in denial. It’s wonderful to hear your own vision of your future. If you want to share, what prompted you to stop? Wishing you all the best!
Being completely honest…It took me to hit rock bottom to realise I didn’t want to keep doing this repeatedly. And this was my 4th or 5th relapse in the last 5-6 years, so ultimately this time round back in March this year I just said ‘enough is enough’ and got involved with GamCare and the amazing 1-1 counselling help. Highly recommend!
Raise your bat on that fine double century, old chap. Well played 🙂
This genuinely made me smile. Thank you! ?
Inspirational read. Pleased for you, keep up the amazing work! The only thing I'd add from my experience, I managed 8 years with sheer will power and mental strength and it crept back in. I have also now accepted that to avoid gambling and keep the good times rolling I need to log in here fairly regularly to read stories and give the odd response. I also post on set milestones, my next one is 500 days, nearly there. Good luck!
Thank you for sharing your experience, I do believe it’s valuable to hear other peoples journeys too. I’m rooting for you to reach your next milestone!
Thanks for your post. Well done as well for your success in recovery am sure I speak for all of us at start of this process that your story gives us hope and makes me excited for what can be if I knuckled down and kick this habit for good.Â
You have got this! Take it day by day, and be proud of who you want to become next. Accept there WILL be tough days ahead, but you are strong enough to get through those and break into new habits and a healthier way of living and enjoying life. Always ears if you needÂ
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