I have passed 3 weeks, not had a single bet in any way shape or form.
I can say 2 things, 1 more money in the bank 2 looking at things differently.
Times have drastically changed over the past 3 weeks, No GA or counselling. I am not restricted in anyway so if I wanted to go and splurge online I can but I have found it is better to have the choice not to. That has given me a better feeling of accomplishment and self control rather than not having any and having to lie or cheat to have a bet.
Not saying my way is the ultimate but it works for me.
cocobear
I will say any blocks to prevent us from having a punt are not unbreakable, they are more than not something to gift you thinking time, time for the rational side of the brain to kick in and say
'why would I have a punt, I know what the outcome will be'
This journey is bespoke, you have to do what works for you, it is about learning from your mistakes is it not, gambling will for me always be a huge mistake, because the outcome will always be the same.
I CANNOT WIN BECAUSE I CANNOT STOP.
I hope your resolve continues to grow, don't shut the doors on the help that is available.
From my own experience I with honesty thought that by simply stopping the gambling that I had done all I needed to do, 21 months in, 21 months without a bet of any form and I let addiction back in the door, why??
Because I had never actually started to recover from this addiction, I had just stopped gambling, not understood why I gambled, today I embrace help, it's free and I do believe today I am in recovery for real.
Those three hours I gave back to gambling back in october last year hurt the most, because I gave my continued abstinence up but also because I let it happen, took my blocks away slowly and let gambling become acceptable in my life again
From it I learnt a great deal.
I hope your resolve grows, truly I do, but I will just say leave the right doors open, the only one you need to shut is the one between you and the first punt, for us the compulsive gambler the most devestating one.
May you continue to live gamble free, there really is no right or wrong way, just the one that works for you
Duncs stepping forward never back.
Hi CB
Keep doing whatever works for you but never say never or always in recovery. Moments of weakness can arrive at our doorstep anytime and a roadblock or two gives us thinking time to extinguish the gambling thoughts. In my experience counting wasn't very good for me as every time I hit a milestone I rewarded myself with a bet and went back to square one. Recovery is a journey for life and not a destination.
Take care
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