A new journey begins.

Lovely to hear from you Gregg, and and know you are still,gamble free.

As we continue to build those days/ months up, we know we have to strengthen our resolve, even more in some ways, cos that addiction is not going to give up :), you did just right my friend coming back to your diary.

Take care and stay one step ahead,

Suzanne xxx

Well 3 weeks till i am off on holiday with the family. Even though football season just about upon us not thinking of gambling. Really looking forward to our first league game on Friday night and will be going with youngest daughter so will be a nice family night with no worries of gambling.

Hi Gregg,

Just dropping in to offer you my support my friend. So glad to see that you are still gamble free and marching on in your recovery. I am too, and I have absolutely no intention of s******g it up by drifting back into the occasional footy bet. Because, like you say, it just ain't worth the hassle is it?

I totally relate to your post, and the feelings you are getting with the season upon us. It was a habit we both did for far too long. And let us remember just where those footy bets took us to. Enjoy the sport for the spectacle, not for gambling on and stressing about.

Keep strong my friend.

Enjoy that upcoming hols with the family.

All the best

Ade

Hi Gregg,

Thinking of you at the mo buddy.

Hope you've stayed away from temptation and ignored the pull of the new season.

I went for a haircut this morning before 9 as my barber opens at 8 on a Saturday. Walked there, it's about a mile. Have to walk over the Thames to get there......lovely walk it is.....watched the early morning rowers going underneath me as I walked across the bridge....

Got to my destination. Had my hair cut....walked out and saw the bookies opening at 8:30.....,. With all their offers on for the start of the season...... Ignored it all and had some brekky........

That temptation will always be there for us.....but we have to choose to walk away.......

We can do this.......and we will get even stronger and more determined......because recovery is possible Gregg..

Keep strong

All the best

Ade

Hi mate.

Glad you had a good day yesterday.

Keep strong

All the best

Ade

Well first weekend of the new season over and was not as difficult as i thought. Have no interest in gambling at all and could not tell u what prices any team was so takes away the temptation of thinking u can make easy mone and if anything confirms that u can never win is todays Arsenal West Ham game. I know they would have been nowhere near even money but if someone had tempted me with that bet today u would have put your house on it as the saying goes but what happens West Ham turn them over. Gambling is a mugs game and it doesnt matter how clever we think we are or how well informed we think we are u just cant compensate for results like that today. So yes im glad i have kicked the habit and the only excitement i get is from my dream team which after my S****y start wont last too long. So in 18 days im off on holiday which will now include a four day cruise to the bahamas with the money i have saved from not gambling. Happy days indeed

It's good to read you are doing well and staying strong , HDs indeed.

Suzanne xxx

Well 12 days to my holidays. Still gamble free and still going strong. Suffering from a bit of insomnia tonight so thought i would visit my diary. Still getting the occasional gambling thougjts especially about football but nothing major and keep telling myself it will lead to the FOTB. Really wietd how i spent most of my last couple of years gambling on these machines but get no cravings to play them but have the odd occasional thought about football betting. It is like they advertise the football betting to lure u in to the bookies to enjoy a small bet then go for the killer punch with these machines.As long as i keep getting up every morning and repeating my mantra I will not bet today, then i will be fine. Also visualising where that single bet leads too is also a powerful tool along with being able to say i have completed my first gamble free year in 29 years is all the motivation i need. Will try and be back on before i jet out on my holidays and To everyone who takes the time out to read this,Thank You

Just a quick update to my diary. I am currently sitting looking out my window as a tropical storm hits Miami Beach. Just spent a memorable day yesterday in miami with both daughters giving my credit card a hammering. Then me and the good lady ordered 2 of the biggest cocktails seen sitting on ocean drive even during happy hour it cost me 50 quid. How is this all possible? Because i made the choice to give up gambling. Yes i have been able to afford holidays before while gambling but this time we can do what we want and i sm not worrying about how i will pay for it or any other s**t. So now ready to drive back up to Orlando for a few days then off on a cruise to Bahamas on Thursday. This sure beats sitting in a bookies and putting ur hard earned into a machine and watching a ball spin round.

Hi Gregg,

Thanks for dropping into my diary with our very kind words.

Glad to see you marching on and hope that hols was was as good as it sounds....cruising the Bahamas sure has to beat cruising a shopping precinct looking for another punt!

Glad you enjoyed reading my post and I now have an image of you playing in that Teddy Sheringhamesque position!! I was more of a central attacking midfielder, and a reluctant striker. Always get more involved in midfield!!

But what a buzz that gave me through my twenty's. We had players that would frequent the bookies before a game and leave it til the last possible moment to get to the game. I used to think what saddo's they were. Especially when you'd come off at half time for a slice of orange or a cup of sweet tea, and they'd be asking all the spectators...." do you know who won whatever race" or "What's the score?"...... in whatever game they were punting on.

Keep strong mate

All the best

Ade

Hi Gregg,

Good to see you posting again. Really enjoyed catching up on your diary. Couldn't be happy for you and your family now benefiting from a gamble free life. I've just been to Italy and can recall the exact same feelings you mention, after so long of scrimping its so nice to treat ourselves and rightly so - what we have achieved is not easy and has taken a lot of hard work.

Enjoy the rest of your hols and keep treating your family and yourself. Well done mate

James

Hi mate, thanks for your post on my diary means alot....... good to see you are doing so well and you sure seem to be in a much better place.Good to hear you are now able to spend quality time with your family which like myself you didnt do enough of while gambling.For me the urges are probably as strong as they have ever been and part of me still wants to win some of the money back i have lost but i know deep down that this wont happen......... anyway thanks again for your post and keep in touch

ps good to see the Rangers playing some good stuff and headindg back to the top flight where they belong 🙂

Hi Gregg!

Congratulations on getting over 300 days without gambling. So glad you've kept it up and seem to be helping others on here so well done.

james

Just a quick update. Still gamble free unsure of exact days but over 300 and only about a month and a half to go to complete the year. Feel totally in control of my life now. I remember my gamble free run of last year and every spare minute i had to wrestle with my thoughts to stay gamble free and eventually lost. This time there is no such thoughts and gambling is away at the back of my mind. However i am not being complacent and always thinking ahead to remove myself from any possible dangers . Heres to many more gambling free times.

Great post Gregg, keeping one step ahead is the sure way to keep going forwards.

Suzanne xxx