Changing for the better

Hi Mrt,

Just wanted to pop in and say well done on your gambling free time. The regret about past behaviour does subside, but like all of this process, it takes time.

Keep going strong,

DT.

4 weeks today!

That makes me feel a bit better. Would have been one complete pay cycle if I had given up 2 days earlier.

Need to really make sure I have a grip on this over the coming months. Don't want to slip in anyway. Perhaps it has been too easy so far as funds have been somewhat lacking. Think the real acid test will be in 5 or 6 months time. Guess if I need to keep posting and reading all the diaries and advice on here then so be it.

Would much rather spend 20 minutes on here a day, catching up with everyone, than 2 or 3 hours gambling.

Take care all

M

Hi Mr T and well done on your gambling free time!

Keeping a grip on it one day at a time only is my thinking. Try not to be thinking too far ahead. I totally agree that...

"Would much rather spend 20 minutes on here a day, catching up with everyone, than 2 or 3 hours gambling."

This is exactly it and it does work.. even when it seems a bit boring or pointless. We do what we have to do to keep away from that next bet.. S.A 🙂

Morning Mrt,

Well done on the 4 weeks!! You seem really committed to this. Really well done and keep spending that time here rather than elsewhere. Something I've noticed is that coming on here doesn't cost f**k all, whereas gambling costs money and a whole lot more.

DT.

Another day passes gamble free. Been fairly fortunate of late that I haven't had time for any urges! Been so immersed in work and family that the old gambling problems don't even get a second thought.

Not going to be complacent though. Today was pay day. Money in pocket and money in bank. Not going to waste it. Would like to make sure the kids get a good Christmas, so thats where the spare cash will be heading.

Thanks for the posts earlier guys. Really does mean a great deal.

Take care all

M

Hi mrt,

Thnaks for your support and well done on the non-gambling. Great to read about the money going somewhere meaningful, kinda puts it into perspective what a waste of time our previous lifestyle was.

Good stuff and keep it going,

DT.

Day 32

Massive urge today! Probably as it's the start of the month and there is a bit of cash about. Didn't act on it. Took a detour to avoid temptation.

Came completely out of the blue, as others have warned. Pleased I did not gamble, yet frustrated to feel like that. Passed now so feeling a little happier with things. Just needed to post this as a reminder to myself.

Take care all

M

Day 34

No more urges since Monday. Feel more in control of a lot of things in my life now. Still a few issues to sort but one thing at a time.

Have found I have been able to concentrate on the important things with a lot more clarity in the last few weeks.

So for today, I will not gamble.

M

Hi mrt,

Not offended in any way by your post, thanks for your concern. I know that I'm feeling a bit stressed over this job, it just means so much at this time. Thoughts of gambling do enter my head, but they are just thoughts, i have no intention of acting on them. Even if i wanted to act on them, which I don't, I would have to mug someone in the street to get some cash. I'm not hard enough for that and I think I'm too lazy aswell.

Genuine thanks for your concern,

DT.

Hi Mr T

Thanks for your post on my dairy, hope you are ok, day 34 for you and your doing very well! Not easy is it?? but life's better without gambling we both know that!

Anyway take care, i will have to have a read of your diary, keep going mate... ands

5 weeks ago today was the last day that I gambled. I feel I need to put a note down as to how I finally decided enough was enough and found this site, if only for something for me to look back on as time goes on.

Just over 9 weeks ago, I had a win on an fobt of just over 4K in half an hour. Never experienced a run like that before and couldn't believe my luck. 4K, I thought, what a great Christmas we can have. Probably a nice holiday next year as well. Had good wins before, some a lot more than 4K, but where I was in my life at that point 4K was a lot of money. Couldn't pick the cash up that night as the bookies didn't have enough. Had to go back the next day to collect, which I did. Took the money, paid it into a couple of accounts I had. Sweet! Only kept a couple of hundred in cash on me and went back to work. That night, into a different bookies to have a go and lost £200. Oh well, didn't matter as I was gambling with their money. How pathetic and irresponsible. It was my money, not theirs. Over the next 6 days, I tried to repeat my fortune, only to give it all back and some. That 4K would have made such a difference.

So why put all that down then? A reminder to myself mainly, but also a stark wake up call to anyone who may read this who is in the same boat.

WE ARE COMPULSIVE GAMBLERS. ENOUGH WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH!

What's gone is gone and that's that. Concentrating now on making money "honestly" again. I'm in control of that and can do it.

Enough of my ramblings, today I will not gamble.

Good luck to all fellow recoverers, it's tough but worth it.

M

Morning mrt,

Your post was a stark reminder to me how money has no value to somebody in the depths of gambling despair. When you 'won' your 4k and put most of it in the bank, you mention putting only 200 quid in your wallet. 200 quid to me 6 months ago was an average sized bet, now it is a month's food. 4k was a week's stake money, now it would change my life completely.

Thanks for the reminder, I think we all need to remember what a massive change we are all trying to make.

Have a good day 'working'.

DT.

Will be 6 weeks free by the end of this week, think that's how I'm going to count from now on. Give myself a week at a time target.

Feeling good quite good about things at the moment. Spending a lot more time doing family stuff which I have let go in the past.

Good luck all

M

Morning mrt,

Thanks for the reassurance, it was just what i needed this morning. Feel a lot more positive as a result.

Keep up the good work,

DT.

Hi MRT,

I started gambling on the horses 18 years ago, just 50p hear 50p there then i got the BIG one £1500 for a £1 **. So I started betting bigger but the problem is Ihad a friend in the horse racing world who would get inside information. At first all of the tips where winning then of course they started losing.

Over the years I have had some BAD moments gambling and some good moments, I have been able to control it to a point but on Saturday I came home from work and started to watch the racing channel on sky (ATR), I do like to watch the racing, but I had some money in my bank, this was going to buy my sons xmas present(Wii), I decided to have a small bet on a horse. Of course everyone noes what is next, I lost the lot.

When my last bet lost I was so P***** off that I snapped at my son who was just sitting there waiting to use the computer. The next day at work I felt so bad, both losing the money and snapping at my son, I have decided to cancel all my betting accounts online and just go back to my controled betting and if I lose then its ok because it is money that I can afford to lose.

I am sick and tired of feeling like cr** and losing money, which affects my family, I will use this forum as someone to talk to and use when I want to bet because it is mianly boredom that starts it all.

THANKS AND GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE