A new journey begins.

After a hard weekend last week this week and weekend has been a lot better. I have had a really busy week with a lot going on so no time to think about gambling. Then on Thursday received a large sum of cash which would have usually been stashed away as gambling funds for the coming months. Not this time nope went straight out of my account and paid the balance of the family holiday to florida in August off. Do not know if it is coincidence or not but everythingbseems to be going really well in my life just now and even when small irritations occur they are being dealt with swiftly and not being allowed to become a big problem. Is this all down to me stopping gamblong? Well i think so because i am now on top of my game at work and at home and always thinking with a clear head and dont have that f****r gambling clouding my judgement. Another busy week at work ahead so lloking forward to smashing the 20 week barrier this week and continuing to enjoy life.

Well what a lovely morning it is. Have been up for hours and everything in world is good. Couple of washings done and out the back, house all tidied now its time to get showered and ready. Then its off out for a full fry up then off to the pub for opening time to watch the football. Will not be overdoing it as working in the morning(famous last words). Then off out tomorrow night with the good lady to make the most of the bank holiday weekend. If it stays nice will have a bbq on Monday as we have just purchased a new gas bbq and itching to try it out. Mr Gamble will enter my head at some point today but in a position to tell him to f**k right off as i am enjoying my life too much the now.

Lovely to read you are enjoying recovery which is your new life now Gregg.

Have another fantastic gambling free day.

Suzanne xxx

Just completed the maximum break. However mines was not made up of 15 reds, 15 blacks and all the colours mine has been made up of gambling free days which is an even bigger acheivement.

Lovely achievement Gregg.

Suzanne xxx

still here and still gambling free

Hi Gregg

Well done on 166 gamble free days. Can't believe we started this journey just after Christmas, seems like a life time ago. So good living the gamble free life isn't it!

This time next week you'll be over 6 months gamble free - well done mate!

Well received a notification on my phone today to say i am 200 days gamble free so thought i would come back and update my diary. The reason i left was i felt i was being dragged down by the constant moaning on here and the inabilty of people to take any blame for thier own actions and wanting to blame anyone but thierselves. It was the bookies fault, it is the fotbs fault, it is the internets fault, it is the advertisers fault you get my drift. Well i have been gambling for 30 years and when i started there was none of the above and i still managed to gamble more than i could afford to lose. I have tried many times over the years to give up and failing each time sometimes not even lasting the day. What is differeft this time is i took a good look at myself and really was quite harsh on myself on the reasons i was gambling and what i wanted to gain out of this. For the first time in my life i wanted to stop gambling for me and realised what i needed to do and to stop blaming everyone else and realise that it is only me that could choose to gamble because as far as i was aware in my 30 years of gambling not once did anyone hold a gun to my head and force me to gamble. If anyone reads this and is offended or thinks i am having a go i am not i just feel that sometimes we need the truth instead of someone telling us everything will be ok.

Great honest post Gregg, and a big fat congratulations to you on reaching the double century.

200 days, proud of you,

Suzanne xxx

200 days. Congratulations on a brilliant achievement.

Well done

Hear hear! Massive well done on the Double Greggsboy 🙂

Hi Gregg

Good to see you're still doing well, was worried you'd had a slip! Great effort on getting over 200 days without a bet. I understand what you're saying, this is our own problem and are not made to gamble but i can see why people get frustrated with the marketing, even after self exlcuding as a problem gambler they still send me messages with offers. The FOBT's were sold to bookies with the selling pitch of how addicative the games are to keep you playing but I guess it is still up to us to identify the problem and deal with it. These limits they have now imposed isn't going to stop a problem gambler, they'll just find another bookies of which there are a rediculous amount to chose from.

People just like to vent their anger on here after a bad turn of events, I wouldn't let it put you off coming on here.

Anyway, good to see you're doing well

James

Well here i am drawn back to my diary again. Delighted to say i am still gamble free but having to fight the demons in my head that are telling me i am cured and i could lead a normal lifestyle and have the occasional bet on the football. I know this is all b******t and there is no normal life once you start gambling but never the less it is still tempting and nagging away at me. I am going on holiday in 27 days and will be away for a fortnight so my short term target is to get through these 27 days of the new season starting and once on holiday there will be no gambling worries and hopefully that will clear my mind of these stupid thoughts.

Alright mate good to see you are stll gamble free...... have not posted for a while myself but like yourself i feel the need to come back now the football season is starting, used to really enjoy a football bet on a saturday and part of me thinks i could just do a small bet each week and keep it under control but thats not possible any more. Make sure you get through those 27 days enjoy you holiday and then take it from there. ps good to see things seem to be looking alot more better for the Gers both on and off the pitch