Abstain and maintain.Stepping forward never back.

Duncs

Thanks for your response and I appreciate and understand your history of gambling.

My own view is that based on what I have read of world research, all addicts of any type are filling a void in their life.

After abstaining from their addiction, they can choose to live happily without the addiction and not fill the void but nothing wrong in admitting this and not seeking to fill the void in another way. (Not suggesting this applies to you, just a general statement based on what I have read and it certainly applies to me).

Morning Diary

thanks for your imput Captain, I agree with gambling for a percentage being something that filled a void, not that I attach gambling addiction to any other addictions, as I believe the physical addictions are another beast so to speak.

Regards my void, I have as you all know a wife, three kids aged 19,17 and 15, through recovery two whippets and a kitchen to run, so I could do with a few more hours in my days lol.

I understand folks need to look into the past to understand why they gambled, but I do not wish to find a 'blame' for my own shortfalls, I want to deal with what is happening today and make plans for tomorrow rather than anaylise my past.

Regards reseach I have tended to avoid it, I myself enjoy the GA appraoch, the 3d meetings with likeminded folk who look you in the eye when they talk to you, and I also enjoyed my counselling sessions and hope to continue with the group cbt this year.

I still have a problem with folk who write books to make money out of recovering addicts being a recovered 'addict' themselves, for me why would you want to profit out of something that you know the affects of?? but hey that's just me, I would give it away

Recovery from the compulsion to gamble for me is free, it costs nothing but a mental choice, one that will gift me

A 100% payrise

A focus on actually living, rather than staring at a £500 dream breaking machine

A desire to help folk, rather than be a self centered tw#at of as bloke I was

An honest open book approach to life which leaves me never feeling alone and vunerable like my addiction did

It is all on offer, there are folk who gift the most amazing advice without even knowing it here, for that again today I take a healthy dose of resolve, a medicine that is not available in a chemist, it is gifted by like minded folk who just want the misery to cease.

I thank you all again,the profound affect you have on my life never fails to help in my relentless pursuit

Abstain and maintain

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

Stepping forward never back.

And we thank you fella - more than you will ever know. Amazing post......as usual.

Never back, always forward......together.

Mr Brightside

Morning diary.

So this morning i went into a shiny new all singing and dancing bookies. Why?

Self exclude.

The lad behind the counter recognised me, we exchanged pleasantaries and filled out the forms had a chuckle at my picture, i have hair now! He said the staff wont recognise you, i said i excluded for myself not them.

Great therapy, and i went about my business had to pick up curtain wire and a bulb from the hardware store.

So again all the local bookies are no go areas, i used my last picture from my cache in my wallet so will have more done in readiness for the next new shop to appear.

They can open as many doors as they like, me i will keep shutting them.

My name is duncan i am a compulsive gambler no bet today. Stepping forward never back.

Morning diary.

So this morning i went into a shiny new all singing and dancing bookies. Why?

Self exclude.

The lad behind the counter recognised me, we exchanged pleasantaries and filled out the forms had a chuckle at my picture, i have hair now! He said the staff wont recognise you, i said i excluded for myself not them.

Great therapy, and i went about my business had to pick up curtain wire and a bulb from the hardware store.

So again all the local bookies are no go areas, i used my last picture from my cache in my wallet so will have more done in readiness for the next new shop to appear.

They can open as many doors as they like, me i will keep shutting them.

My name is duncan i am a compulsive gambler no bet today. Stepping forward never back.

Lol that post is such good therapy gamcare posted it twice!

Gret work Dunc. I actually enjoy closing the door when a new one opens. It makes me feel like I'm in control and it shows I'm staying on track. I don't like entering the shops though because they upset me. I feel lucky because I know I have a problem and I'm trying to deal with it. Others aren't so fortunate.

Best wishes

Brad

Hi Dunc

I've never posted on your diary before but i always follow it, that and a few others. I see you as one of a few people on here who are a true inspiration to many folk myself included. It makes guys like me stick around here and keep making the right decisions each day and NOT GAMBLE. Good work re: the continued self exclusion!

I've self excluded from all my local bookies. My main problem was online gambling but i've got the blocking software all in place. We can never ever get complacent.

I think it was you who originally said "when we choose to stop gambling we give ourselves a 100% payrise" - i love that.. it is also so very true. I CHOOSE LIFE.

Cheers

Craig

Morning Dunc.

Hope this finds you well.

Good idea to self exclude. Bookies seem to be opening up EVERYWHERE these days.

Where i live, L have just taken over a lovely old building that used to be a bank!!!!!

gazza

morning Diary

Well it seems the healthy posts myself and captain exchanged the other day led to them having an affect on the forum in a negative way, funny because that was me six months ago, I was so one track minded that I felt that my way was the only way, that without arresting the problem for all compulsive gamblers I would simply fail in the task at hand, that led me to vent my spleen at anything that was not so and belittle it. Truth is today I know that is not the case, in my recovery the only person who I have to worry about the beliefs I hold is myself, again this is the one selfish act I will gift my life.

You learn things from the places where you never looked for them, the education of my mind today means I am not judgemental, yes if I think there is something wrong I will question it, recovery gifted me my soul back, but that old 'it's my way or the highway' attitude is gone.

In life today if someone starts a conversation with

I don't mean this to sound funny or with the greatest respect

I know what is coming, exactly that!!!

There really is no need to be in a competition where you have to see who can pi##ss the furthest, f**k I ***##ed on my own feet for twenty years, I know what is to not be right, I understand why I should listen before I open my mouth and actually from that I learn, in the hope that when I do speak it is rational, from the heart and honest.

It is I know hard enough fighting this addiction without making things harder for myself.

Sometimes I feel this forum suffers from folk reading one half of the story so to speak, they dont take the time to read all the relivant material and jump in feet first.

By our nature we react quickly to things, want instant results, f*****g hell for twenty years I have gone gung ho at pretty much everthing I do

The cavalier approach, a trait that rarely for me ended in success, more often I would spend more time repairing the damage rather than taking my time time to get it right.

This is my life a working progress

To abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back

No bet today.

Thanks for the post on my diary dunc,- ive just had a blip on my road to recovery,feel back on track today.

I take heart from people like yourself who have had a little hiccup along the way,only to make them stronger.

Thanks for your ever present contributions to this site,well done.

Keep stepping forward Dunc/

Thanks for the post Duncan, good summary of exchanges past and present.

And you are so right that neither of us could have predicted our (amicable) exchanges would result in a meltdown!

hey my comrade 🙂

Thank you for the post, and really insightful posts of urs.

This time ms Sandra being selfish and looking at her own recovery..not putting my nose where it don't belong lol...lesson learned last year..

keep it up, always by ur side soldier heh heh 🙂

Have a nice weekend!!

S x

I am honoured dear Duncs xx

Morning Duncs,

Well done on continuing to stay gamble free. Each step forward one further away from this addiction.

Just in response to your last post, I don't think we can offer to do much more than to be honest about our own recoveries and to share our opinions about what has and hasn't worked for us. There is no one way to deal with the addiction, and what works for one of us may not necessarily work for someone else. I haven't actually seen the discussion in question, but what can be asked of you but to share honest opinions?

All the best mate, hope you have a great weekend.

Ryan