Another diary, final chance

Hi Laura, many congrats on completing 20 gamble free days.
Our story sounds quite similar. Turning 30 soon having spent most if not all of the 20s gambling and being buried in a massive debt.

219 days ago I said enough is enough and handed over all my finances including access to credit report to my girlfriend. She installed gamban on my phone, contacted broadband provider to restrict over 18 materials including gambling sites. Only she is authorised to amend them both. I only take cash when needed for food/fuel etc. and I keep receipts as evidence. These are extreme measures but so far working for me. I honestly can't say how happy I feel now that I've gone gamble free beyond 6 months. There was a time when I used to wait for my pay to drop at midnight just to lose everything in few hours and repeat the cycle. I used to scroll through the contacts list on my phone to see who I haven't borrowed money from and who's likely to lend me some money so that I can gamble and "win big". Sometimes I look back and say to myself that I literally wasted a decade just gambling, lying and hurting the people that love me the most. What an utter waste.

Money that we've lost is not coming back. However, this could be our biggest motivation to not gamble ever again and save money for the better future.

Let's kill this horrible illness for good. All the best.

Pras

Thanks for the support, I feel so much stronger thanks to this forum.

Annie, 160 days is awesome but I know you can do better than that 😉 Pras, our stories do sound similar indeed, here is to new beginnings!

Day 21 and it's a pretty poo kinda day. Still getting quite a few bills where I am behind on payments all thanks to gambling so I've got lots of anxious feelings right now. I know a few months from now if I carry on GF it should sort itself out because I have a pretty decent household income.

Riding out this storm and not tempted to gamble to try and win money back like I usually would.

Day 23. Friday has always been the day I was more prone to a gambling binge, not sure why that is. Today, I will not gamble.

It's just " Friday " the day some get paid , the end of the working week , the day you want a treat for being so good ?? .

It's just gambling trying to whisper sweet nothings in your ear to intice you back :(( .

But really it's just another day , so keep doing what's working and enjoy gamble free day 23 :))) .

Your doing great :))

Thanks for the support and you are absolutely right 🙂

Day 25 now, It's getting to the point where I am losing track of the days, gambling doesn't enter my head as much. This has to be a win!

I am keeping busy by working hard (I work online which is not great as a CG) so that I can pay off my debts and give my family a good Christmas!

Day 26...first real urges for a while today but I'm telling myself it's just a feeling, it will past and only I can choose to act on it (or NOT as the case may be.)

Day 27. The urges passed much easier and quicker than I thought yesterday, feeling good today.

Day 28 and ALREADY noticing a big difference in terms of finances and my mental health too of course. I paid a debt I was outstanding on earlier, did a nice big food shop for my family, I'm going out for sunday lunch this weekend with a friend....without having to count every single penny.

Why do we do this to ourselves when life is so much sweeter without gambling?

Day 30, feels good to be a month in already. Gambling is always in the back of my mind but I can conquer it!

Good to see that you are are in control, well done, keep going forward. Rainman

Thanks Rainman.

Day 33, still working on kicking the b**t of gambling into oblivion and so far, it's looking good!