Back to basics

Thanks for your lovely message Phil.

99 red balloons today my friend, stay strong and positive and keep winning,

Have a good day.

Suzanne xxx

Day 99 and these Cheltenham adverts are really annoying me, I try my hardest to avoid knowledge of races, specifically horses that are running but its now unavoidable as a lot of ads are stating specific horses and money back if they don't win etc.... I'm just annoyed, not tempted, I have chosen recovery and I'm sticking with it. I have a holiday booked and I have money in the bank, I have money to date a nice girl, none of this would be possible without choosing recovery. I also look at this moron in work and I see my old self, I can see what a total loser I was! All he talks about is gambling, he has toilet break after toilet break to check his phone or place more bets, he always seems to win (never talks about losses), plays fruit machines on break and goes to the casino after work. He is a desperate, sad and very boring loser, I used to be that person and I don't want to choose that way of life again.

I'm choosing and enjoying the gift of recovery, no bets today!!!

Great times mate.

The football adverts with bet in play and new customer offers left right and centre all over the internet used to annoy me. Recently though I've found it quite easy to not take any notice.

I'm sure your colleague will start to fade into the background, he probably thinks gambling is the centre of the world and can't contemplate you aren't interested. I'm sure he'll get the hint that he is boring you and move onto someone else, that's if he doesnt hit rock bottom himself, doesn't sound like he has a healthy lifestyle.

Here's to 100 days tomorrow for you, which to me was unimaginable 101 days ago! Come a long way and you've already seen loads of positives!

Congratulations Phil on joining the century club, 100 days is a massive achievement be very proud,

Have a great day,

Suzanne xxx

Phil

Fella one hundred days ago you where at a crossroads, one way led to utter devastation, f**k my dear friend you stood at a motorway bridge considering gifting your own life to addiction.

But the good, honest, hard working, decent bloke inside hung on, you crossed the junction and embraced the new road ahead.

Each day addiction becomes less controlling, less able to steal your dreams and the real you grows.

Yes Cheltenham week will be difficult, the industry promoting itself wherever possible, but when addiction rears it's ugly head remember that crossroads 100 days ago.

The 2015 challenge is something for you to be very proud of, the old saying

'To truly recover you have to give your recovery away'

Couldn't be more apt.

Keep making the right choice for Phil, a choice which see's you winning in more ways than the outcome of any punt ever could.

I am very proud to share a wonderful journey by your side.

Never give up giving up.

Abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Welcome to the 100 club!

Keep up the excellent work and the next 100 will fly by!

How lovely to wake up on day 100 to those kind messages, it really does mean a lot. Its quite ironic that my day 100 falls on the first day of Cheltenham. I have no urge to gamble today, I quite simply want nothing to do with Cheltenham, I have no interest in it. In 100 days I have come a long way, but I am still a work in progress. I need to keep enjoying this gift that recovery gives me and I need to keep working on myself. I look back to last year and when I hit day 100 something changed, I was thinking once I hit day 100 something magic would happen and I would be cured, I also had a load more hidden debts, very quickly from nowhere the urges flooded back. This time round I'm in a much better place, there is no magic cure, I need to keep planning ahead and working hard on myself. Day by day I will continue to choose recovery and day by day I will reap the rewards.

Very happy to be a winner today, 100 days up and I'm saying no bets today!

Thanks Half-Life I've actually cracked the ad problem as I'm going to avoid watching Sky Sports this week as that has Cheltenham ads every 15 minutes. So music channels, movies and box sets for me this week.

Welcome to Club 100 soldier 🙂

This time, when the urges come you will be ready with the proverbial brick to smash them away!

Keep strong - ODAAT

Many congratulations on reaching Day 100! Keep up the good work and keep striding forward.

Day 101 and I'm pleased to be able to say that Cheltenham is causing me no issues at all. Despite feeling so strong it was a worry that this week the urges may come back, but they've not. Whilst I feel I have things in place to deal with my urges its a relief that I don't have to fight it this week. So today will be a chilled out day and then work this afternoon. Sadly I don't think its going to work out with the girl I met, but on the bright side it will save me forking out a fortune on dating.

No urges today and no bets today!

Day 102 and thankfully my last day in work before my two days off. Its been a boring week and I'm looking forward to rugby on Friday night and a few beers on Saturday. Not looking forward to the football that will probably ruin the beers on Saturday.

I have no urges to gamble, money in the bank, no knowledge of the events at Cheltenham, so things are good. No bets today!

Excellent news mate.

I've seen some Cheltenham results pop up and usually I'd look at the odds/jockey etc. I've not even felt the need to, just names to me now with no relevance to my life.

I'm actually on a stag do at Goodwood in August which I'm dubious about. I was thinking about betting with the plan of giving any winnings to charity. I think it would bring up bad feelings so decided to get drunk and have a laugh instead, I've been to the races before and my mates haven't gambled, I'll just be one of those guys!"

Hi Phil 102 days, very well done,

Onwards and upwards and keep winning.

Suzanne xxx

Day 103, very chilled so far, no urges at all and I'm just about to take my mum for an early mothers day lunch as I'm working on Sunday. Then I'm off to the rugby tonight so it will be a good day, certainly much better than the choices the old me would make.

Not much more to say today, no bets today!