Back to basics

Phil

fella gig,football,rugby fanbloodytastic!!!!!

No self loathing,no self gifted misery,no suicidal feelings,no lying,cheating yourself out of these things by feeding addiction.

Enough said!!!!

save for enjoy it!

abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back

Hi Phil,

Enjoy your weekend, you deserve everything that recovery gifts you,

Take care and have a great time

Suzanne xx

Thanks for the posts, I'm not going to the gig tonight, I'm under the weather and I've been unable to find tickets. So my Friday is going to be spent chilling out and relaxing ready for the football and a few beers tomorrow. Money is quite tight anyway, I can't wait till payday next week. Its brilliant to look back at what I have spent this month and see I really got the best out of my wages. The longer I get into my recovery the better and better life will become!

Feeling rotten today, but happy inside because I'm on 82 days without a bet. No bets today, no urges, I'm enjoying recovery too much!

Thanks Phil,

I know you will still enjoy your weekend, because you are enjoying recovery, every day we don't gamble is money in our pockets and not the addictions.

Take care and I hope you feel better sooner than soon.

Suzanne xxx

Day 83 and I am really feeling sorry for myself this morning. I still feel really ill and to make matters worse I bent over to pick something up and by back went so now I'm having to take things easy. I'm thinking about giving the match a miss today, but then if I don't go and we win I will be gutted, so maybe I will hobble along. Although the way we are playing its highly unlikely we will win. I'm really looking forward to the boxing tonight, two British underdogs going for world titles, Martin Murray is up against it but who knows what could happen and Paul Smith is due more luck this time round.

Still no urges, no bets today!

I hobbled along to the game and we won 2-1 so I feel so much better. Just had a couple to celebrate the win and am now heading home to chill and enjoy the boxing. There were 11 nervy minutes of added time to sit through, I'm so happy we did it! Before the game I went to a different pub to usual and they had the racing on the big screen, I tried my best to avoid it, not good for me to see that really. I won't be drinking there again. Now bring on the boxing.

Day 84 and a days holiday today as I'm off to the rugby tonight, I'm trying my best to be jolly but I'm ill and my backs killing me so its not easy. I will be keeping an eye out for Russel Crowe tonight, I'm in the same stand as him and would love to get a selfie. A win for Saints would certainly make me feel alot better but its going to be an incredibly tough game for us, I just hope we keep it close.

No urges today, I'm worth more than that and enjoying recovery too much!!!

Hi BA,

Hope you're enjoying a weekend of sport...as I type my boys are clinging on by their fingernails to a lead over Spurs, hopefully in a few minutes my blood pressure can drop back down to normal levels. Glad you enjoyed the football, and hope the weather doesn't have to much of an impact on the rugby tonight.

Keep plugging away in the right direction,

Ryan

Day 85 and boy was last nights game disappointing, the Aussies sure do know how to play rugby league, they were awesome, we didn't turn up or get any luck. On the bright side I got a cracking video on my phone of Russel Crowe as he walked straight past me on his way into the stadium.

Got a meeting in work today which isn't great as I'm still feeling ill and struggling with my back, I will be glad to get to get the next 4 days in work out the way. I'm looking forward to Friday as its payday and with it comes loads of opportunities to enjoy life, for too long payday only brought gambling tokens!

No bets today!

Hi Phil,

Thanks for your message yesterday.

85 days today my friend, well done.

Hope you feel better very soon, and very pleased to read how strong and positive you are now. and thst sure is a good place to be in.

Suzanne xxx

Day 86 and just when things are going good, wham it all comes crashing down. For 18 years I chose heavy gambling and cut myself off from the world, this left my life empty, not many interests and no friends. A few months back my rota changed in work and from being on 4 days in 2 days off which only gives one full weekend off every 7 weeks I was offered a 5 day rota and therefore every Friday and Saturday off. I could see this wouldn't work forever and may cause others to moan but my boss repeatedly reassured me that it was what he wanted me to do and it would be permanent. Well as I'm now doing so well with my recovery I've been able to go to the football every week and as a result have met loads of new people who I would call friends. After going years were nobody would ever text me to see how I was or invite me out I'm now getting contacted regularly to see if I fancy an awayday or a night out. It really has felt so good to feel I exist again and to have a social life. Well you know whats coming next, yesterday my boss told me I have to go back onto a 4 on 2 off rota. He did it just before he was leaving infront of all my colleagues, so I didn't really feel the time was right to tell him how I feel. No apology from him, despite him saying only last week that my rota was permanent. So I feel absolutely rock bottom, I've been enjoying life so much, I've had money and friends for the first time in 18 years, but now I have to go back to my empty world of random midweek days off with nothing to do. I've been loving going to the match every Saturday and now I only get two Saturdays off every 7 weeks. I will challenge him on Wednesday when hes back in, but as I've only just been promoted I feel I need to be careful just how I deal with this. Clearly I could find a new job and boy I would love a Monday to Friday job, but the ones I'm finding come with 8-10 grand pay cuts and I just can't afford that. So lifes took a major downturn, I'm not at all happy right now.

As for gambling, all good there, I'm staying strong, no bets today!

At least you are in a better position to deal with this mate, imagine being penniless with debts and lies up to your eyeballs on top of this.

Whilst it's not what you want, take each day as it comes and don't fear too much for the future. You still have your health and some income to support your life. You usually find that these events spur you on to improve your life. You might not have seen a job suitable yet but I'm sure more will come available. Be patient and postitive and things will go your way eventually.

Maybe if your boss can be flexible around the football if that is the main gripe? Surely it will only be every other week and then in Summer there is no football?

That's a big bummer Phil, but don't let it get to you, it may change again before you know it.

Stay strong and keep positive

Suzanne xxx

Keep strong mate & remember, these weekend friends may be up for the odd midweek game! Bosses suck sometimes 🙁

Thank you for your support, I'm just letting people know that I'm having a break so they don't feel abandoned!

You will find a way throught this if your boss won't budge! Keep strong - ODAAT

Thanks for the messages, I will sit down with my boss today and see where we can go from here!

Its day 87 and while I still feel strong and don't want that bet I need to now plan ahead as a testing time is about to begin! I get paid this Friday, Cheltenham is around the corner and the new member of my team in work starts on Sunday and will be desperate to get me gambling again. He knows I have a problem and I will tell him not to talk about gambling in the office when I'm around, he didn't listen last year but he will have to listen this year otherwise I will have to make it official. I think some problem gamblers need that crutch of someone to talk to about their bets and no doubt their bad luck stories, he won't be making me slip up, I don't want to know about his bets.

No bets today!