day 1...I swear on my own life I will succeed this time

We also do the lottery mba and like you do not see it a problem. Put same numbers on each week and wife checks numbers so theres no buzz at all. To me a coupon of any sort would be a no go as if i won i would end up looking at more. Even looking at odds on a coupon sends my mind haywire and start thinking how much i would win if the team i fancy win. But understand everyones different and it affects people in different ways. Loved your post mate

It isnt out of your hands, you can cancel the dd. The lottery is gambling. For me when i blur the lines danger lies ahead. Recovery is a mindset so i need to tell myself the message i do not gamble.

We are all different.
As greggsboy says he and his wife do it without a problem as do myself and my wife.
If she decides to stop it we stop it. Its ttotally up to her.
We don't expect to win and it doesn't cost much at all. I used to spend hundreds weekly on sports betting so two lottery tickets a week which my wife wants to do is no way a problem.

My OH has a syndicate at work with the lottery, when I was gambling, I used to check his numbers every week, since I have abstained I have stopped checking his numbers, want nothing to do with it, but I would not tell him to stop, (my god they might win lol). If you don't see it as a problem then it's not, we are all different in how we go through our recoveries,

Suzanne xx

I'm happy I'm not the only one who still plays the l0ttery in their own way. If its no issue and never has been then then its not a problem.

84 days today and Its really good but its not even 3 months. My debts have hardly moved and it's very demoralising.
I know its still very early but I just want to start actually seeing my money and that won't happen for at least 2 years.
All I can do is keep counting the days and focus on this unknown date in the future when I will be debt free.

Hey mate,

I was going to mention scratch cards and say yes they are a big no no. They can be done at anytime which can lead to problems and its an immediate buzz.
Same story with the pointless 10p arcade fruit machines. I go to the arcades with my young daughters but its only games we play and they play the 2p machines. No slots whatever the price.

Basically all we do is the lottery and wouldn't even consider not taking part in a raffle. These are not what put me thousands in debt the sports betting online did so that's what I will not do but in saying that we only play the lottery nothing else.
I know there's a 99.99999999990% chance I won't win, unlike the other forms of gambling where we all believe we will win eventually which is why we lose because we don't.

Mba

Mark

fella firstly and most importantly well done on your continued recovery.

I read your thread with interest yesterday,I will be honest if you wound the clock back a year or so ago my reaction was one completely different,but I see that as progression on my part.

The reason being I had a one track view of how recovery should be,a black and white one size fits all the only way forward is complete abstinence,why?? because it worked for me and I could not see any other way working.

by you writing you are 'gamble free' but play the lottery would lead me to thinking recovery is compromised for me too,that the true value of saying you are gamble free is lost,I would simply see it as another victory for the gambling industry,I could see a spokesman saying 'see another problem gambler is cured,he can responsibly gamble'

It enraged me,I would privately rage,I would belittle your on journey,I would feel I had to so recovery could be preserved.

the truth is I was ignorant to the fact that it really does not matter if you gamble or not,whether you write about continued abstinence whilst gambling because the only person who matters in your recovery is you,you like me have to tailor a journey that suits you.

I cannot play the lottery because it justifies gambling in my life,it becomes a new outlet for feeding addiction,I would work on new systems to win,I would live for each draw,gambling in any form for me simply begins the cycle again,but through recovery Mark I know that is what I have to do.

So in a nut shell do what works for you and yours fella,today I know life is better through being less judgemental,today I try to live through my re education.

On that note I will say I am a recovering compulsive gambler,my father is still an active compulsive gambler,there is much talk about the link between the two,many folk believe there is a hereditary link.

I know those 'harmless' two penny one arm bandits were the place I first became fascinanted,the lure of 'free' money,the justifaction of gambling in the family used by my father through 'innocent' sunday visits to Southsea.

I did the same with my own children when I was an active gambler I used to encourage them to do a football coupon on a weekend,why?? to simply justify gambling in my life.

I today try to educate them about what gambling brought to my life, because if there is a link I will do my best to break it.

One thing I would not want is any of them to follow in my footsteps,like I did my own fathers.

Sorry to hijack your thread fella as I say I feel it is a journey of progression and re education.

Keep doing what works for you

Warmest regards

Duncs stepping forward never back

Hi Mba,

85 days today, is an amazing achievement, well done

Suzanne xx

Dunc,

Thanks for your post its very interesting.

Just to clarify we (my wife and I) play two lines on the l0ttery each Saturday.
Same numbers no strategies and it cost £4.
Now if I asked my wife or myself to stop the lottery and place a £3 football acca each week the answer would be no.
Why? Because I have a gambling addiction to football and it would mean opening up a betting account or going into a bookies. The lottery is something we do each week and don't even think about it.
That's it.
I am 85 days clean from bookmakers, casino's, online betting, slots and even scratchcards. Things that can cost me hundreds or thousands and I will not be going back to these.
Looking forward to payday Thursday to pay some more offf my credit card..woohoo...

Mba

And dunc you say southsea....southsea in Portsmouth England?
That's where i was on Sunday and I live in Portsmouth. ...

Do you live in the uk?

Evening mba

Fella as I wrote the decision to play the lottery is one that only you can decide, recovery has brought honesty to your life, embrace it, you do not have to justify your actions to me.

And yes I am a portsmouth boy, all my forty years on this planet it has been my home, even the many year's I spent working in other places, I have still called it home.

Southsea is where I work, paulsgrove my home.

You never know we may enjoy the pleasure of meeting up one day.

Lol you can't miss me, I am the one with the big fro!!!!

Keep making the right choice for you and yours.

Abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Morning pal,just a quick drop in to say keep up the good work,you were one of the posters who commented on my first day and it really helped,cheers pal,all the best!

Hey there,

Hope your doing well. I'll have a read of your diary later and leave you a message. Bit busy at work at the moment.

Mba

Day 89

No urges to gamble.
I have a busy weekend working, but have just booked two local holidays for our little family so the extra money will help us to enjoy ourselves. Not that you need money to enjoy spending time with your family!

Hope everyone has a fab weekend

Mba

Congrats on your 3 months 🙂

Think the family holidays are important but as you say, time with them costs nothing & actually when you think back to where you have been, it's actually saving money 🙂

Good to see the urges aren't battering you & you are keeping strong - ODAAT