Don't Turn Around

Morning Smashed. Congratulations on 90 Days GF. It is recognised as an important milestone in GA. You're through the foothills safely and now it's time to climb the mountain.

Thankyou for posting on my diary, much appreciated. No point my reflecting on past mistakes and bad decisions, it's in the past and I need to move on.

Thanks for all your comments, had a good weekend no gambling thoughts, and creeped over the 90 line and can see the 100 flag up ahead. My eyes are always open to how deceptive and twisted the Gambling Mind can be always on my guard, have been getting loads of calls from strange numbers I think most of them are casinos looking to lure back in past gamblers as Christmas is coming and they want to be as greedy as possible. I see a new FOBT is on its way to some of the major players a very sinister terminal with all the traps on there and all the latest tech to hook and lure. I see a lot of folks coming back from years gone by which is a stiff reminder to not get complacent about how far away you think youve got away from the clutches of addiction.

Hi Smashed,

Just popping in to your diary to see how you are getting on. It's great that you have racked up nearly 100 days, great stuff mate. Keep up the great work and let's both keep on our guard everyday. Once we achieve our century we need to focus on another target so we don't get complacent, whilst still approaching things ODAAT.

46 and Out

Day 95.

Less than a week to go to get to my 100, it seems like the 13/08/17 was a long time ago and want to keep getting further and further away from that date as I always want to remember it as the last day I gambled. My mobile banking app updated the other day and it now shows your loans so thats another reminder of what the addiction done to me, every time I log on I can see what it did and that I have nothing to show for it, I have to look at it as I count the days going up, I look at the payments taking those crazy loan spells going down. I think ive learned a lot about my own self since I finally decided enough is enough, I focus on myself and my daughter first and she is impressing me with her focus and I listen to her talk about what she wants to do, and I watch her do her coursework with passion and I internally feel proud of the young woman she is flowering into, she is very clued up and I look forward to seeing her find her place in the world. Thanks again to all the folk here a lot of your stories are very inspirational and keep me on track of my own battle against the Gambling Mind.

Day 98 or 3.22191 months

Two days to go to reach 100 days of keeping that pesky Gambling parasite at bay. He has come to see me many times but have been determined to get to the ton and beyond. Other parts of my life still seem caught in the mundane loop, but somehow can feel something is on the horizon, the stopping gambling has cleared the brain to think harder and find the avenues towards moving on. I did watch a couple of YouTube streamers the other day to try and analyse if they are addicts or just a business model but then thought there was no purpose to this and has no relevance to my life, my main focus is to get as far away as possible from gambling in my own head, and I know where watching streamers in the past took me so had to have a word with myself. I know how the gambling mind works I know it wants me back and sometimes it catches us off guard. Roll on Tuesday.

Hi Smashed, I can relate to many themes in your diary. Gambling had me fully gripped in it's hand, up to my eyeballs in debt and felt like there was no way out. But slowly, very slowly each day away from the last gamble things improve. Although some days it just feels like going through the motions. Like yourself I have a daughter who has got the world at her feet and I often tell her 'you can be anything you want to be' and I'm trying to live by that too.Take care S:)

You have made real progress on every front. Setting up a payment plan, seeing through the lies of the betting industry. Enjoying quality time with your family and sharing your story and wisdom with others.

The more we understand, the better we are equipped to deal with things. The mark of 100 days gf is nearly here for your good self, which represents the toughest part of the test!

Proud of you bud. Keep it up!
Martin

Thank you Martin & Sharon.

Day 99.

A Cold, Wet and Windy day, a definate I dont like Mondays morning.

I wrote a long post and it all dissapeared when I tried to post it argh.

I have not got time to type it all out again.

The long and the short of it was that my daugher and I was watching the new Jungle TV show yesterday and she wanted to download the app, but the app is created and sponsered by a major gaming site, so we got into the discussion of gambling. I said look at how every ad break we are watching spiders and snails playing slot games like its great fun, the app is bombarding you with adverts to join this particular site. Lets look at this company, they have 300 employees and they need to get paid every month and after all that they still have profits of 36 million a year. This is just one company sponsoring one show, where does all the money come from "People playing the games Dad" "Exactly, so most have to lose, right" "Yeah" I hope she learned something about how devious gambling is, my first post was all detailed but you get the idea.

I never knew W e t was a swear word. 🙂

Smashed wrote:

I never knew W e t was a swear word. 🙂

Hi Smashed, it's been removed from the filter list.

Forum Admin

CONGRATULATIONS - 100 days gamble free. You 'Smashed' it mate, well done you should be really proud of your achievement. Here's to the next 100 days gf. Keep up the great work.

46 and Out

Thanks.

100 Days.

I 100% would not of got to 100 days if I did not register and start my Gamble Free journey here, it's only getting to Stage 1 but it feels good to be distancing myself from what is an addiction not truly understood by the majority of people. And as said loads of times before we have to accept what happened, realise what it does to us, and start a war to defeat it, going into many battles with it usually everyday until it gets bored of us winning, will then visit once or twice a week, weekly and monthly, and we know for the rest of our lives we know that it will always leave a few of its parasites in us for when we feel down to always be ready when our guard slips. A Gamble Free life will give all the good things in your mind time to flourish, but we have to remember the Gambling Minds best freinds, doubt, selflessness, stress, hate, disrespect all work with him to take us back to his lair. Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me to stay focused, and I hope in some way I can help others and will always try to help out where ever I can as only someone who has been truly hooked by this addiction can understand the thought process of getting rid of it. And it's not easy there is no quick fix but feels good not being on that hook.

Congratulations on the 100 days GF and great post! You have provided some real gems within your diary which I have tried to use - thank you.

Keep winning those battles.

Muststop123

Well done smashed on reaching 100 days.
Great achievement!

Congratulations Smashed on 100 Days since your last bet. It definitely takes a lot of courage and patience to get your life back.. Your head seems to be in a good place, very positive and determined. Well done and keep going forward. Stephen