Got to get out my friend because we are compulsive gamblers and cant stop so we will never win. Goodluck in your recovery mate.no betting today will guarantee a better tomorrow.
Scottyboy
Good to see you join our challenge my friend,the more of us that can get to xmas feeling happy and have spare money the better. 😉 take care and stay strong as we all know betting wrong.
Scottyboy is not betting today for a better tomorrow
1st check in next sun,hope to hear from u with the 1st week gamble free my friend. All the best with this challenge.
Complete the xmas challenge and I will more or less guarantee you will have a nice xmas
Scottyboy
I like many on here, have over the years contributing, based my non gambling achievement on time. For the first day today, I don't have that feeling. yes am sure if at 500/1000+ days gamble free I definitely would be in a better place with more secure finances etc etc but really what difference would 1 day or 1000 make to the gambling effect.
THE most important thing is today I haven't gambled nor have I had any feelings to.
As long as each day I have that feeling then there wont be any problem. I'm not a fool, I know (from all my past breakdowns) that the inner strength is not always there but am hoping this shift in emphasis and realisation that I REALLY have nothing to gain from gambling and everything to lose is a telling one. I also know that irrelevant of how long gamble free, money saved etc if I relapse, I like all compulsive gamblers go into self destruct mode and can't stop until its all gone.
For all of us on here, if we haven't gambled today then we are all of equal stature and achievement. Keep it up folks and beat the challenge day by day, enjoying life not gambling as we go about it.
OK, some of you on here might think I was mad, but was in town yesterday and with 40 min to wait until my train back I decided to go into the local bookies to watch the national. I was a bit fearful it may trigger the urge and if a pub had been nearer I'dve gone there but as it turned out it done me good. To go in watch the screens and say when asked do I want bet on National - No thanks not for me, felt good. (Which at first was bit gutted at as used to always have a small wager on it, but in greater scheme of things I was winning from the start by not breaking). Also I noticed for the half hour or so I was in, the zombies were on the machines. Despite it being a national institution they didn't once flick an eye over to view the action or see who won, no, instead it was feed the money/watch the spins. I feel I am entitled to slate them as I know I AM one of these people. Was good to see what I must've looked like in the past. It reaffirmed that no, I really am determined to leave those days behind.
A simple thought for today, based on another gamble free day to build on yesterdays, and the day before, and the day before that, etc.
If I do same tomorrow and each day after then there will be no more rock bottom moments.
Winning by not betting - easy!
Not had any urges to bet of late and long may it continue. Don't know what went wrong a few weeks ago, those crazy few days have cost me so much. I'm taking the positives from it though, before I was settled not betting and now I feel the same, it shows for majority of time I am not a gambling addict. I do however get spells when all does not seem right and whether that triggers the gambling or the gambling just makes my negative feelings worse I don't know. I do know this time I am not going to have any more blips, the new strategy of just taking things one day at a time seems to be working. As said before, didn't gamble yesterday, haven't gambled today. wont gamble tomorrow - thats the only rules I need to keep to.
Still no thoughts of gambling but am cautious. Getting to the last week of the month before payday so am even more aware how bad my finances are. Got to keep focused.
Today I didn't gamble.
Still no gambling which is good. A week until payday, maybe I'll be able to pay back some of my debt, it'll take a while but one day I'll be both gamble free and debt free. It will take alot longer if I was to place another bet. Winning by not betting is my day to day achievement now.
Hi mile end,
You doing good mate keep it going.
It helped me in the past not to put my thoughts into what could be but more what really happened when I gambled.
Yes you are right, put all your money on red or black and you might double it or lose it all in one go.
But fact is that even you might double it mate you are still losing. It would just win you one or maybe two or who knows how many more goes until you lost it all again.
The truth my friend is that it is not about the money it will never be enough even I looked at it for a long time just like you do.
This thinking is planted in our brain, this is the addiction what brought us exactly where we are now.
I won on the day I when I have accepted that I can't win. On this way I won over my addiction and there is no other win or Los for us mate.
Stay strong in beating it mate
Wolfgang
Wolfgang, your post is so true. I comment on how I wish I had the money I have wasted on bets, but it is just as important to realise by beating my compulsion to gamble I also have to beat my own weaknesses which in turn means I am changing my whole way of life. I think that's why in the past I have lapsed so badly, as I never switched my whole outlook and way of thinking. This time it feels different, I am in acceptance now that I am a compulsive gambler and that can and will never be changed. By not gambling I am back in control of both my emotions and my finances. Its the only way to go. Cheers
Hi Mile End. I have been reading through some of your posts and they are inspirational. I am feeling right now if you can do it so can I. I was gamble free (almost) for about seven months and I. This time my finances actually came together really quickly and I was starting to see my head above water. Then two months ago I went and blew it. It's great to read that people actually do make it.
Spooly, thanks but as you will have read I have gone long spells only to have spectacularly relapsed out of the blue. We all battle on and am striving to make it this time. The blocks are all in place so I will hopefully start feeling the benefits soon.
Hi Mile end, it is a struggle but many make it and there is no reason why it can't be us. I am facing the difficult task if cutting uo every card again. I actually do not know why I find it difficult as I never actually get to buy anything on those cards,,, it all goes on feeding this horrible habit. Yes, mile end with focus and perseverance we will make it
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