Abstain and maintain.Stepping forward never back.

day 30.

GA tonight my 5th meeting i dont feel so aprehensive about these meetings any more i look forward to using them in helping in my recovery. My life in the last 30 days has changed immeasurably I used to think from behind those gambling goggles that i could not live without the chase of the gamble, a life which revoled solely around how i was going to fund my next punt and toward the end without any regard toward all those i love just a road to total destruction. Today i feel more in touch with my kids, my wife work collegues and pretty much all i meet i have found a new hunger to learn, to listen to have a balanced veiw. Rather than the bitterness i used to carry in a large chip upon my shoulder i now beleive in i can achieve what i set out to do and all because today NO BET! i can say with honesty i sincerly hope this is the same affect many others feel through the arresting of this one thing that damaged us so much gambling, and once again i thank gamcare and the facility it gives us and the ability to see through our determination we can remain gamble free

duncs one more step stick in hand.

DAY 6 no smokes!!

day 30.

GA tonight my 5th meeting i dont feel so aprehensive about these meetings any more i look forward to using them in helping in my recovery. My life in the last 30 days has changed immeasurably I used to think from behind those gambling goggles that i could not live without the chase of the gamble, a life which revoled solely around how i was going to fund my next punt and toward the end without any regard toward all those i love just a road to total destruction. Today i feel more in touch with my kids, my wife work collegues and pretty much all i meet i have found a new hunger to learn, to listen to have a balanced veiw. Rather than the bitterness i used to carry in a large chip upon my shoulder i now beleive in i can achieve what i set out to do and all because today NO BET! i can say with honesty i sincerly hope this is the same affect many others feel through the arresting of this one thing that damaged us so much gambling, and once again i thank gamcare and the facility it gives us and the ability to see through our determination we can remain gamble free

duncs one more step stick in hand.

DAY 6 no smokes!!

A joy to read this. Thanks for sharing

day 31

I attended my 5th GA meeting last night and recieved a very different medicene than from the previous meetings, there was 3 new members and 2 of which only 21 yrs old and i just pinned my ears back and had a night of inner reflection. That was me twenty years ago i sat there thinking and realized this addiction knows no bounds it does not discriminate through creed,gender and certainly not age! I thought that could be my eldest son he will be 18 in three weeks! I hope they return in the future and address there addiction as they have a chance to not waste 20 years like me in denial, But i know hindsight is a wonderful thing and i accept i cannot change the past but i will do my level best to make my future for myself and more so my family. I got some more literature from the meeting and will share this with my kids and i hope that in reading it they will be forarmed! forewarned!

Life is now mine for the taking and medication fully dosed, stick in hand I am ready to face today gamble free one more step forward duncs. 31 days no bet!

(day 7 no smokes gum in mouth!!)

Hi Duncan

I just want to say well done on staying away from gambling for 31 days now. If you were to tell a non CG this feat, they would probably laugh and say 'so what', but us fellow CG's recognise what a difficult thing this is to do.

I'm so pleased you are enjoying your meetings, they really are so powerful and i would recommend them to anyone who has a desire to stop gambling. Lets hope these 2 young boys give it a serious go at GA, I'm sure most of us on here wish we had kicked gambling into touch when we were only 21. I know i could be a home owner (with no mortgage), have a decent car and no criminal record. But we can't change the past, we can only look forward. Let me know if the guy that was on his 2nd week came back this week, i really hope he did.

Keep up the good work mate

All the best

Keith

thanks keith I do totally agree with your veiwpoint and I beleive by getting onboard the GA bus I can be self assured that I can follow this journey and not be alone at times when the ride gets bumpy and not be totally relliant on my family to support me solely, I feel after 5 meetings that i have an ever growing unit of support that I also dont want to let down in the fight to remain gamble free and I find myself as part of my recovery really for the first time genuinly caring for others rather than being my self centered/selfish previous self! and that is a life skill i will embrace throughout all i do

cheers duncs. one massive stride! stick in hand. Mark was back for week three looking like a new man! amazing what 14 days gamble free does to a mans soul!!!!

Thats great news about Mark, thanks for letting me know. Let him know i was asking over him and i am sending a big virtual round of applause at his next meeting.

Cheers

Keith

day 32 no bet.

The weekend is here again and I really am embrassing it with both hands, up with the larks spent two hours talking myself out of a cigarette or the gum replacement!! then up and at them been baking again, couple of loaf cakes,sausage rolls(which did not get cold before they got demolished!!) and more cookies(hidden from the tribe!!) now off to visit the outlaws and even happy about that. the father and brother inlaw have a punt on the football on saturdays and i can say today i feel strong enough to be around them talking about it as they are certainly not compulsive gamblers like me and i know it is my choice to abstain to continue the mantra NO BET TODAY AND DUNCS WINS!!! so off i go stick in hand ready to enjoy another gamble free weekend surrounded by the people i love.

note. day 8 no smokes!

Newsflash. our eldest son Joe has just yesterday been awarded the position of being Portsmouths first ever Young Poet Laureate. How proud and note to self.. You if you had not changed those goggles would have not been here for this and the view from the back of this train is WoW great!!!!

Duncs one step at a time moving forward.

Great news about your son's news.

Now make your son proud of you by continuing your gamble-free run!

Have a great weekend.

GT

Great stuff Dunc,

You must be so proud. Not too difficult a question is it...roulette ball spinning round or watching your eldest achieve this.

Its great you have found GA and have rediscovered your passion for life before it got too late. Have a good Sunday mate

Keith

day 33

Thanks keith for your support you are so right about GA helping me to get back on the correct ride again and I really do want this to stand proud infront of everyone and be able to say today NO BET,to be able to look myself in the mirror and actually be proud of what is looking back at me,and that has been too long in the waiting so today me and my boys have watched the local football, one of the fellowship was playing in his cup semi final which they won 6-0! now off to watch the two games on telly and enjoy a couple of shandys!!! day 8 no smokes

one more step forward today NO BET

duncs compulsive gambler.

day 34 NO BET!

Folks yesteday i did myself i said day 8 no smokes when it was day 9! i seem to be chomping on less gum already which is great due to the fact it tastes like an old ashtray! So today i am day 10 no smokes and a funny thing dawned on me in giving up smoking my mind has been taken away from any thoughts of gambling i have been so busy dealing with the erge to light up that the idea of having a punt is at present not even a distant one. Pay day is looming and amazingly there is still a few quid left from last month so the kid ology that used to be a constant on my mind to seek that non existant win has also been battered away! I actually dont need to gamble i have what i need,will continue to save for the things i desire and the debts i occurred through gambling will be paid at a sensible rate so i releave the burden of kid ology to continue my battle to abstain from this addiction that for too long blinded me from reality! I am feeling more comfortable in my skin today and hope to grow into it more tomorrow by stating TODAY NO BET

duncs compulsive gambler. 34 days no bet.

Hi Dunc, congratulations on your recovery, you are on 35 days which is fantastic. Keep at it, you can beat this forever. I look back on how stressed and sad gambling made me, remembering those dark times is what makes me determined to stay clean. All the best, Bessie.

Duncan I have to say I'm inspired by your story so far, your doing great and long may it continue! I took your advice and have planned to treat myself by taking the better half out this weekend for a nice meal.

Keep positive!

day35.

Woke up this morning with the devil upon my shoulder I kind of know why,sat down with the wife last night and worked out our march budget and march has always been a financially tight month due to the fact two of our 3 kids birthdays are this month and this year they will be 16 and 18! the big one coming of age for our eldest. We have worked out a budget to enable us to sort out gifts but that devil sat on my shoulder whispering "go on have a punt you could get them so much more" Well here is my message to you fella today NO BET! I have learnt so much in the last 35 days that i simply know that a short term goal is not what i want i want to share many more of my kids birthdays and having a punt would ensure that the possiblilities of that happening are roughly the same as my chances of forecasting next weeks weather!! not a cat in hells i think the saying goes. So i am again stick in hand and witts about me and today my choice is NO BET. and a big thankyou to warren and bessie I really want this to work and with all these shoulders to lean on I am winning the fight.

day11 no smoking!

duncs one more day!NO BET.