Abstain and maintain.Stepping forward never back.

Hey Duncs,

Great post and so very true. Surrender to it, accept what is in the past is done and rebuild a new future. G.A. has a great wealth of wise information for us to tap into. There is so much hope for all addicts of our nature thanks to the men and women that built that strong foundation of G.A., you just have to want it, it's there for the taking.

Chicagoguy

Afternoon gamcarers.

Thanks to the honourable Mr.I.Brown, for passing on the channel 4 programme, 4thought. I would have before thrown my toys out of the pram of Barbara Berki thoughts as the reprsentitive of the gambling industry who paints a picture of her betting shop being "Socail club" were folk have a bet on the horses and may stick a fiver in the fobt!!!! BullSH####T, I wonder if she has a good laugh at the walk's of shame. How many does she see a week??

I hope many of you get to view this and will also post your comments online as I have, mine under my name Duncanmac.

My hope that [programmes like this one which gets 5 minutes a day airtime fo r the week 7.55pm on channel 4 lead to someone somewhere helping to educate folk about the dangers of addictive gambling. To think it may help one person in the future to not get into a position I did would be enough.

No bet today, no time for it.

Keep up the great work one and all.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Just watched it and I think that was just a waste of 1min40 secs. Too short to make an opinion of her or her betting shop. It was just promoting herself nothing more. Bookie of the year ha ha. Wow what an award!

I work in the gaming industry Duncs. Have done for 22 years. I got addicted badly in the last 5 years. I don't really know why. I have great friends, loving family, loving wife and great kids. I just lost my self control and have had to take a long hard look at myself to find the answers why. Still haven't really found the answers to be honest. I just realised that gambling took control of my thoughts and my life and I hate myself for allowing that to happen. Genetics? Weak minded? Vulnerable? Depressed? An underlying desperation to be successful financially? Take your pick. Who knows.

Gambling is a sick entertainment as it preys on those that are vulnerable and looking for a quick fix in their life. As we know it never fixes anything. I also know that for many it is an affordable night out(casinos, bingo, dogs, day at the races etc). Many see it for what it is and don't succumb to it's evil ways.

I still don't know after 22 years how I feel about gambling. I know that it's not for me but for others it's merely a form of leisure once or twice a year. High flying intelligent city guys are gambling with stocks and shares. Football clubs gamble their money on players and their wages in search of success. Small businesses gamble their family money to some extent. I realise that these are more controlled situations but they are all about putting money at risk in search of successful outcomes.

We live in a money driven society and I think the pressures on people every day to be a success can be immense. How we deal with those pressures can define who we are to ourselves and our families.

It's a tough world out there. Happiness, contentment and the guidance of my children are all I strive for these days. Sadly for years I was looking in the wrong place for it and for the last 5 1/2 months I have become wiser about that. Inspirational people like yourself and others on this site are teaching me that gambling has taken from me. It has never given me anything I could have got elsewhere but I don't hate the gambling industry. I hate myself for not having the inner strength and common sense to live my life a different way. I'm only 40 but I feel like I'm just starting to live my life the way I should have done at 20. I have a lot to catch up on but also a lot to be grateful for. I hope the coming years are the best of my life.

Have a great week.

G

afternoon diary

Thanks G, I really get the part were you say "I am shown what gambling took from me" as I believe with each days abstinence I do see what gambling took from me and that is MYSELF. I was like a shell with nothing inside, an empty lifeless shell, when gambling, when i lived for the eye of the storm nothing mattered except the punt. For me I would gamble on anything, of course the fobt my worst poison. Whilst playing the machine I would find myself with each spin becoming further detached from reality, I would literally beam off to another place, it would start off a place dreaming of what today's big win would bring and end in me formulating ways to lie my way out of these losses. Through abstinence I have made peace with those thoughts, I do still live in the eye of that storm, just today I choose to stare it right back in the eye. The temptation to destruct my life further through gambling does not excist, with each day i lay another brick in the defence wall.

Today I lay another.

NO BET today.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Hey Duncs,

Glad to see your doing great. Recovery for me is a feeling of being reborn again, giving myself back to me, I know I wouldn't have understood this in the mist of my addiction, but abstinence awakened me to what this disease did to me. I now join you and others to continue to remain abstinent and build our lives back up.

Chicagoguy

Glad your moving forward with everything. Something I need to do. Financial pressures are getting to me. Thanks very much for you post yesterday it was spot on and I'm happy to say I got through that day. ODAAT and all that. I need to do this. Thanks again for the support. Keep doing what your doing and I hope to follow your lead.

Evening diary.

I hope this weather is here to stay, it seems to bring out the best in even the grumpiest of souls.

Happy happy happy.

No bet today, why would a man cloudy those blue skys.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

evening diary.

the mac house is enjoying the rewards of this amazing gamble free streak its on, winning day on day never gets tiresome. today the hounds got a new bed each, which means we get the couch back!!!! lol. although hovis has snuck back on a couple of times we will win the couch war lol.

the health kick continues with great gusto, to which today i left a curry in to slow cook all day, amazing how good all the veg taste and our meat intake has lessened to a better level.

which means our shopping budget can be spent filling the fruit basket with treats.

so another glorious day. a gamble free delight.

happy happy happy.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Mornin Duncan

I read ur diary the other day and read the post bout choosing the chocolate bar think u chose bounty and ur son chose double decker , this made me smile and stuck with me that day , what a fantastic moment that must av been where the choice in ur life at that moment in time was a chocolate bar , to think where u were one day from losing the lot the toughest choice of ur life to making a choice over a chocolate bar , now that put a bigger smile on my face !

Castle2

Howdy Duncs,

Thanks for the post. Sending you endless wishes of sunny days and blue skies.

-joanxxxxx

Hey Duncs,

Hope your enjoying your weekend.The weather has been amazing over here. I've been catching up on all the fishing I missed out on when I was gambling. I don't even care if i catch a fish, I'am just glad to not fishing in that casino anymore. Wonderful how life is in abstinence. Glad your health kick is is going well for you and the family. Enjoy the fruits of your hard work and thanks for the support.

Chicagoguy

Just dropping in. Glad you've had a good weekend and things are going well. Enjoy the bank holiday - is that the sun outside on bank holiday monday??

Morning diary.

Bank holiday sun!!!

off today, was planning on a roast as the outlaws are coming for supper, but today just for today I will deviate from the healthly eating and return to my primal roots lol and break out the bbq, a new one just built(thanks mum wish you were here to enjoy it!!) I adore the smell of charcoal and a few spice rubs followed by a wheel barrow full of marshmallows!!!!!

Enjoy the sun one and all.

Gamble free of course!!!!

No bet today, it made it possible,

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Good to hear from you Dunc my old friend and that life is treating you well. Glad to hear you're taking things easy today with the barbie. Hope the sun keeps shining for you and you have a great day. You deserve it.

Steve

Oops read that too quickly, thought you said you were going to roast the outlaws.

Def a day for treats today, I had an ice cream and a lovely family day as I am sure you did too.

xxx