Brand new thread for a brand new me..

@tazman thank you so much 

Just thought I would pop on & say I’m still gamble free and today marks 40 days. Another milestone reached. 
This time last year I was sat in a room full of family and friends on my phone gambling my money away, this year last night we hosted for all our family and friends in our own home. The change is mad, I cannot wait to see what this near year brings and to continue exploring a gamble free life. 
hope you’re all doing well!

@haystack0915 thats good to hear im still gamble free i am worried i dont get enticed to go back to gambling as am enjoying the finer things in life i am trying to not make habit as i had forgotten u could enjoy spending money which gives u pleasure gambling playing on my mind as am enjoying spending it as i have missed out alot on life which requires money so the tempation is still their however im going to put money to side each week to reward myself to combat these urgues as i am fully aware i dont want to go back to where i was before

@tazman hey, we’ll done on still being gamble free. That sounds good. 
I still think about me having low funds but then remind myself that if I gamble to try and ‘gain money’ all I’m actually going to do is be worse off. So steer clear from it. 
you’ve got this. 
stay strong and let’s head into the new year gamble free! 

I’m ending 2022 on 43 days gamble free and honestly never thought I’d be writing this after all those times back to day 1. Thank you all so much for the support this year and continuing into 2023☺️
Wishing you all a very happy, healthy & strong 2023. We can continue to beat this horrible addiction. 
take care & catch up next year! Lots of love. 
Hayley xx 

@haystack0915 we sure can lets hope we dont run into a diff addiction at the moment i have been eating out shopping spending £1000 a week i wont be able to maintain it long run i will have cut down on this and get back to reality in few weeks time ?

@tazman one battle and day at a time, that’s all it is. Try to reward yourself for each mini target rather than spending all the time. You’ve got this and are doing soo well. 

So all being well today will mark 45 days gamble free, honestly never thought I would get here but it isn’t without its battles. 
So yesterday I was sat with friends and family and two of them started playing online slots on their phone and had a big win, it honestly took so much out of me to walk into another room. But I did. I walked away. When I sat at home last night I had such an internal battle with myself over if to ‘try and win a little’ or not. 
I ignored this and the better me won, I went and did my lunch and ironing for work today. I did not gamble. I did not try to work round the blocks. 
I did not want to throw away the hard work I have done and be back to square one again. 
so here’s to a continued gamble free life. Here’s to saying no to those urges. Here’s to a stronger, and happier version of me. 
all the best everyone xx 

@haystack0915 well done for not gambling as we both no how it goes even if u did win it wont end their you would want to keep winning and let say you won every penny would u be able to stop their? This is the question that got me very few people actually walk away from gambling even when they make everything back and deep down you end up back to square one i know for a fact if they gave me everything back around 90k more then likely i would be even worse situation as i started do not let the tempation get u back to this mess it will not only cost u finanically it will cost u precious time no amount of money in the world can get u that back and thats one thing thats keeping me, i want my freedom gambling can put to u in prison kill families all we have to do is stand firm and say no each and every day

So I am 50 days gamble free and we have just booked a holiday - paid the deposit with my own money. Feel so good. Slightly stressed about paying for it and my debts etc. but one day at a time is the only way to do it. Time to get cracking into saving mode big style. 

@haystack0915 i got urges yesterday and today i wanted to buy something and i felt if i didnt relapse i could have paid for it and along comes the temptation mind paying trick as it got me thinking if i lose i will only lose few hundred but if i when i could get some of the money back and pay for the item and then stop which i know will never happen i have refused the temptation as i know how the story goes i feel abit stressed even though i still havent gambled why have i allowed my thoughts get the better off me it scary to think how close i was for the past two days for gambling to get the better off me, i need to some how forget this last loss and not have any thoughts about it the funny thing is the last loss also reminds me i shouldnt be doing it but then the brain thinks otherwise i need to remind myself on here on day to day basis

Well done for not giving in to the urges! I’m the same with paying for the holiday but just have to stop and remind myself a ‘big win’ isn’t gonna happen, and even if it did I would end up losing that and more by falling back into the trap. 

@haystack0915 well said game care a massive support for me and reading other people stories help us to prepare it could alot of diff reasons why end up back to gambling am feeling much better today and i feel it quite common for other people to relapse and i can see why, its not like any other type of addiction and u can easily be drawn back into it funny thing was i was reading someone else diary and he was far worse situation then me and i was just thinking if i carry on i could end up in similar situation and he still trying to make an effort to quit am very greatful for gamecare for offering this support

Struggling mentally and emotionally today, trying everything in my power to not fall back into the gambling trap but it really does come with its challenges & I’m feeling it today. 

Hey u need to hang in their i had urges for last few days and i been doing other things occupying my time i feel much better today and feel silly for even having these thoughts this is gambling playing tricks with your mind you need to let it pass with time it will improve, ive taken a note about another guy lossing his mother who wants the best for him i dont want to get to situation like that and he helped me not gamble also been listening to this song as it resonates with my gambling addiction and it help me through it by Miss You Song by Oliver Tree and Robin Schulz