Abstain and maintain.Stepping forward never back.

Hi Dunc's... Interesting points you make. I agree that the similarity between the diaries and attendance at G.A is uncanny. The reality is that the majority of folk don't make it and live out their days as active C.G's.

My friend has been through the whole gambit of revolving door G.A attendance, twice through rehab only now to have given up completely trying to stop. He only doesn't gamble when he doesn't have any money.

I think as captain suggests that when we take destructive gambling away our health improves, because we start to care about our health. What C.G goes to the dentist for tooth ache when they are gambling there money away?

I hope your health continues to improve. Warm regards... S.A 🙂

DMac,

I hope your health issues clear up soon and 2014 finds you healthy and fit.

Finally taking a leaf out of your book and living for one day at a time. It seems to be working for me at the moment. I have lots to be grateful for and just needed to open my eyes to even the smallest things that I have always taken for granted.

I served salmon and prawns as one of two starters for new year dinner but I did not manage to make a salmon cornet. That is beyond my amateur status. That was too tricky for me. Anyway, I made the plate look real professional and fancy only to catch my father in law going round the table stealing prawns from others for his plate while getting rid of his smoked salmon because he claims to not like it. Liar - we have it at his house every year. He is slowly losing the plot. God help us all when we get old. Soup went down a treat.

As you pointed out the other day there is a lot of people leaving the forum. Each to their own but leaving the forum for prolonged periods of time has never done me any good. On the flip side to this there is a lot of newcomers to the forum. They will benefit from reading your diary.

Keep strong and moving forward.

Tomso.

Morning Diary

thanks fella's for the posts, a great deal of truth to found in all your words.

I have walked the hounds this morning between the hooligan of a storm and the next one, my Sarah has returned her class to prepare for the ankle biters return on monday lol, so I found time to make my way to the library, to find the 30 minute rule today does not apply to the use of the pc's, so like a gluton I have had a good couple of hours fill, no greater way to build my resolve.

two things stand out for me today whilst navigating my way around the forum.

There has been like last year a wave of new threads started, both from old and new authors, I summise that the 'new years resolutions' play a part and maybe like me January is a very sobering month.

In twenty days time I will have been here in recovery for 2 years, only to have gifted my addiction my continued abstinence some 60 odd days ago three hours gambling, if not I would have spent all that time in complete abstinence. My point of view is I can't change that, I can learn a great deal, I have changed my anniversary dates, I will rejoin the 3% years continued total abstinence club again on the 31/10/2014 a gift I will earn myself through more hard work and putting into practice what I have learnt. This journey is bespoke, I hope all the new/old authors take as much from this forum as is available. Don't be ashamed, be proud and lift every stone you find, recoveries gifts are there for the taking.

Finally I read a few threads again which the author says that being present on the forum feeds the gambling mind, makes them think about gambling, leads them to an unhealthy relationship through the forum.

for me I dont see this, my relationship with with this forum is solely about RECOVERY, when I read threads they gift my resolve more power, they feed my relentless drive to Abstain and Maintain.

Yes I have read posts that made me angry, frustrated, regarding the fact that i believed they glamourised gambling, but I have never left thiss forum after a reading session and thought 'I gotta have a punt'

For me the polar opposite.

Yes I confess and will continue to that previously I believed my way of recovery was the only way, this I today know is far from true, there are many recovery paths, it is the result that counts.

To rid the destruction that is the compulsion to gamble from our lives.

For me that means taking as much medicine as I can, through the forum and Ga as I can and for me total abstinence will be the result.

What a result. The best outcome, better tomorrow by making a choice today

My choice continued Recovery.

My name is Duncs I am a compulsive gambler No bet today

Stepping forward never back.

Still enjoy your posts. Yes, the New Year is likely spurring some action for many but for me, the seeds were planted a long while ago... and now I have to act more which will involve being a bit more selfish with my time. Just popping by to with you continued resolve in your fight! Oh yeah.... I hope you're doing the knee exercises! They are sure helping me and I suspect they work for most.

Hi Duncs,

Well that was an invaluable 3 hours of my time invested in reading the always relevant and remarkable endeavors of someone really taking control of this destructive addiction. I gather you prefer 'Hats off'.

I am sure you will find that balance with the whole diary debate, its a tricky one, all I know is that you should be immensely proud of what you have given back, you are at home here and everybody has something to learn from you. Asthma sufferers have to carry a pump around with them just in case of sudden danger, maybe us CG's need to have GC or GA by our sides, as like you say 'our medicine'. I hope the obvious need for your presence and influence here doesn't sway your decision, you have to do what you have to do, just make sure you keep us posted from time to time so we can continue to benefit from you. You'd be greatly missed.

Hmm.. what would you say to me regarding your potentially final blip? Maybe think of it as an investment? The final payment on that gift of a gamble free life. By the sounds of your most recent posts it doesn't sound like you need any advice from me, seems like you've got a hold on it already which shows true progress. I was astonished that since the moment you began your diary, that was it, you immediately clocked up over a year gamble free! Offering your wisdom and insight all the way. You dealt with it so incredibly well Duncs, I can't see how it would go any other way this time round, I feel your belief and passion and it is testament to the focus, time and energy that you have put into your recovery, you have certainly led the way! (Your wife sounds amazing too)!

I want to be in the 2014 Gamble free club with you Duncs, I made good progress last year and I know for sure that I stand in better stead with you close by. Thank you for everything that you have given me, directly or indirectly.

Alexis - Stepping forwards and never back!

Hi Duncs,

Well that was an invaluable 3 hours of my time invested in reading the always relevant and remarkable endeavors of someone really taking control of this destructive addiction. I gather you prefer 'Hats off'.

I am sure you will find that balance with the whole diary debate, its a tricky one, all I know is that you should be immensely proud of what you have given back, you are at home here and everybody has something to learn from you. Asthma sufferers have to carry a pump around with them just in case of sudden danger, maybe us CG's need to have GC or GA by our sides, as like you say 'our medicine'. I hope the obvious need for your presence and influence here doesn't sway your decision, you have to do what you have to do, just make sure you keep us posted from time to time so we can continue to benefit from you. You'd be greatly missed.

Hmm.. what would you say to me regarding your potentially final blip? Maybe think of it as an investment? The final payment on that gift of a gamble free life. By the sounds of your most recent posts it doesn't sound like you need any advice from me, seems like you've got a hold on it already which shows true progress. I was astonished that since the moment you began your diary, that was it, you immediately clocked up over a year gamble free! Offering your wisdom and insight all the way. You dealt with it so incredibly well Duncs, I can't see how it would go any other way this time round, I feel your belief and passion and it is testament to the focus, time and energy that you have put into your recovery, you have certainly led the way! (Your wife sounds amazing too)!

I want to be in the 2014 Gamble free club with you Duncs, I made good progress last year and I know for sure that I stand in better stead with you close by. Thank you for everything that you have given me, directly or indirectly.

Alexis - Stepping forwards and never back!

Morning diary

Thanks Carla, Alexis your words are truly humbling I am so proud if it gifts others in their own resolve to eradicate the destructive gambling then that is one huge objective under way.

The honourable rach said upon this thread

To recover truly you give recovery away.

For me that is without doubt true.

I take no credit for the recovery methods I write about they were through either GA or the forum gifted to me, for free unconditionally and as there guardian I relish the honour of passing them on.

Alexis I am not in a position to stop using the forum, I tried to go alone and that opened the door for addiction to creep back in.

I today fully understand the benefits of being here and the gift I get from it. Recovery.

I could gift this forum countless hours every week and it would still be less time than I gave my addiction, that was a 24/7 commitment that eventually gave nothing but misery in return .

I don't feel any anger towards the gambling industry, truthfully for me it would be wasted energy, regulating machines in my mind won't help compulsive gamblers in will just prolong the agony. I watch the endless stream of advertising on tv and find it amusing. It is for me a product of modern society, the want of something for little or no effort and in my mind the celebrities who front the adverts are just equally cashing in on easy money.

I could imagine if I got to sit with them and talk about their roles they might say ' gambling is a mugs game '

I would still love to see a gamcare advert.

One were a fella is feeding a machine whilst the bailiffs empty the contents of his house, or a fella gets sent down for stealing from his job, maybe a person in bed whilst their partner sleeps they empty the bank balance into a laptop.

This is not a direct pop at the industry, this for me addresses the balance. Like the drink drive ad campaign, not everyone drinks and drives but everyone is made aware of the multiple risks.

It would give balance.

There could be a slogan,

' look what you could have done '

The thing is a forum paid for by the gambling industry is hardly likely to get further funding through this method so as nice an idea it will unlikely happen.

So to end I am thankful that the gambling industry gifts me this forum to aid my recovery, for it I am grateful.

As said by the administrators of it, we the compulsive gamblers are it's guardians. Every single author of this forum has something amazing to give it. The reward is better than any win any punt will ever give.

What is on offer is recovery. Abstinence the top prize, the jackpot for any compulsive gambler.

Abstain and maintain.

So the rain still pours here, our kid brother is due to fly home from Canada this morning my thoughts are for his safe passage

No football for youngest, pompey got postponed yesterday, much to his disgust lol he said ' they should man up, I still have to do my paper round !!!'

Fa cup today, I hope to catch and enjoy some coverage for the entertainment of it, no fretting over scores, none count to much and in true style of the compulsive gambler I will cheer on the underdog.

I again won't be waging a single penny of my hard earnt.

Why would I

My name is duncs I am a compulsive gambler no bet today.

Stepping forward never back.

Morning Duncs

There's so much I want to say to you.......but I fear that we'd end up round a camp fire toasting marshmallows and singing k*m-ba-yah if I did.

Your encouragement of others, your advice and your honesty is what makes this forum so valuable for people like me, early in the journey, to look at, gain strength from, learn from and grow in confidence that this can be defeated.

I guess the easy thing is to say thanks, but also to tell you that you have made a huge difference in my life.

Mr Brightside

Duncs,

Strength and honour to you my friend!!

Inspiring as ever, thanx for sharing.

S x

Hey Duncs,

thanks so much for your unconditional support. And thanks for demonstrating every day that it is really possible to live happily without gambling. I am really going to try this year. -joanxxx

Hi Duncan,

Hope all is well with you - I love your descriptions of storms as hooligans....I think South Wales has had a whole gang of them over recent days and weeks. I'm inclined to agree with you about learning that I have to post on the forum, as every new slip has come as I have slowed or stopped posting for a period.

Hope your liver specialist can give you some good news, and that your health picks up for the coming year.

All the best

Ryan

Evening diary

Thanks Ryan, the rain and winds abated for a few hours

this morning I managed to give the hounds a really good run and then Sarah myself and our Joe hopped on a bus and went charity shop browsing, Joe got a lovely shirt for three quid and we found some water proof trousers in a sale. Then a sandwich each for the total sum of 28 pence courtesy of a voucher we had stowed away. So had a few hours of real quality time for less than a twenty pound note and that included a pitstop in my favourite Asian food store for a top up on spices, I can feel a tandoori week coming on lol.

Then home before the latest band of rain and wind struck.

Had chops and milky spuds for supper and I am full!!!

Full of life. My head and heart are in a great place.

I have to say it is the results of the rewards of abstinence.

Abstinence grants me an outlook that is honest and never ceases to amaze me what money can actually do when you respect it.

Because for me it is not in my pocket so it is not burning a hole in it!!!

My whole life has been spent before I even have possession of it. A life were you rob peter to pay Paul.

A life which left me foolishly thinking we never had enough, a life were I tried to cash in on some luck , well today I know the full meaning of "lucky in love" that's me!!!!!

So today the underdog won an fa cup tie, that raised a smile

I did not waste a single penny or minute formulating a punt

Why would I ??

My name is duncs I am a compulsive gambler no bet today

Stepping forward never back.

Hi Duncan

Mant thanks for the advice on my diary, appreciate that ! also well done for your continued abstinence and being in a whole lot better place. I know the feeling, i want to get back there soon. Keep going my friend.

Dark Place

Evening diary

Well the weather let up for a few hours today and now the wind is picking up again. I get the feeling more fences and trees will be down by morning. Glad to be wrapped up warm in bed.

I am glad to see many of the diaries recently started are

still going strong, consistency is a huge piece of armoury in the battle to maintain abstinence.

For me planning is the key to my success and continued winning streak. One were for me it is totally unacceptable to place a single penny on any form of gambling, because without doubt it will compromise my effort to better my life.

The next bet I place would have to the value of my entire family as without doubt that is what I would be putting at stake.

There simply is not enough money in the world.

They are priceless and that I know is what through that next bet I wage to lose.

So just for today.

My name is Duncan I am a compulsive gambler No bet today

Stepping forward never back.

So glad you are enjoying life and reaping the rewards of your continued efforts. I don't know that there is a single entry in your diary that I am unable to take something away with me to ponder. Thanks for the support on both mine and others diaries, but also right here!

Keep on winning!

All the best

Alexis