Congratulations on 30 days Dazza - your first month g.f 👏👏👏. Make sure you treat yourself for this - even if (just for now), it is buying your favourite chocolate bar to have with a cuppa!🍫☕️😋.
keep going 💪.
Pink Lady 🩷🍎.
Thanks Pink Lady! I absolutely did I booked tickets to watch Bat Out of Hell at the theatre with my step daughter and wife and am in really looking forward to it.
Not a bad week this week overall, my wife and I had a really harsh but needed conversation. An honest conversation. She's fighting every will to still walk away and leave because I've broken the one thing she held dear, our trust. Every day is a battle really but I don't want to lose them so all I can do is keep fighting it and trying to prove to her I will never break that trust again.
On a side note I've noticed an awful lot of gambling adverts on social media and even on tv this week. Since attending GA meetings regularly it feels like my social media has become floored with casino and slots adverts. Maybe it's total coincidence but I don't like it. I do my best to completely ignore all ideas of the old DaZZA so I hate seeing the drawl of adverts reminding me even teasing me.
Today is Day 35 gamble free and on I continue.
Day 40 gamble free 🎉 🥳
Had a decent weekend mixed with work and actually going out. Went to watch a show at the theatre and had a lovely family meal. Enjoyed some quality time with people I care about. A lot noticing I've lost a bit of weight too which made me feel good.
Regarding gambling I've hit a slight plateau for now I have no interest in gambling but I am missing gaming and the gaming community I was part of. There's no way I can go back because I will end up spend gambling because I can't help myself, so no choice but to continue the cold turkey approach.
Onto another GA meeting this week will be my sixth meeting in a row that I will have attended. The meetings are helping me lots just to listen to other people's problems and realised I'm not alone in this.
Hope your all well.
Day 42 gamble free and still moving on. Can't stop thinking about the four legged race starting next week and still have a few colleagues offering to bet for me. I've declined to all and said no thank you. I don't want to bet to be honest not one bit I know IL lose everything if I do and that's more important to me than anything else! Other than that I'm doing fine. Work for the next 3 days then ive 4 days off so looking forward to a small break then. Hope everybody reading is doing well and remember we are all only one hour away from gambling so keep the focus!
@dazza85 Lovely to read you are still progressing Dazza and politely saying “no” to your friends. A simple but very powerful word in my opinion! 😐💪.
Pink Lady 🩷🍎.
Well done on getting past your first month pal. Just spent the last half hour reading your diary and its clear to see you are really trying and putting the effort in!
Keep going 🙂
Thanks guys, really appreciate your words and it does help knowing someone reads this other than me! Today is day 46 gamble free I'm off all weekend and relaxing with my wife. Well she's doing some gardening and I'm watching Lord of the Rings to be exact but on a positive note this time last year I was elbow deep in statistics and tipster websites for the upcoming horse race! This year it actually feels refreshing to just let it go. No lost money this year!
Finances aren't amazing but we manage and with this continued focus I hope in a few years when the loans stop we won't be in this situation !
No real urge at all to gamble, or go mad on gaming. Just taking every day by day.
Day 49 gamble free and it's a horrible day. I'm off work today and can't get my head out of thoughts of Cheltenham. It's been at least 12 years I've bet plenty of money on Cheltenham every year. This will be my first day 1 no bet since god knows well.
Actually feel for the first time Im missing the research and the following chasing that illusive big win. I know logically I'm better off where I am today not wasting money, but it feels really strange to not be taking part.
I have friends messaging me asking what tips I have and of course I am not replying! GA tonight probably a good thing to keep my mind focused. It's going to be a hard week.
@dazza85 Hi Dazza. Hope you are still doing well and you managed to get through the whole of Cheltenham unscathed and remain g.f 🙏.
Hope you have a nice weekend.
Take care.
Pink Lady 🩷🍎.
Hi Pink Lady! Thanks for reaching out, it's really appreciated!! I smashed the week in the end no gamble and still gamble free for 52 days!
Focused on some healthy alternatives this week and kept myself busy in the end! I'm down 36 pounds in weight now since October last year and proud to say that's the only pounds I've been down this week 😂
Work today then an evening with my family and a day off tomorrow. Managed to get a small loan to help secure some of the past credit card debt on high interest so feeling quite positive even thought it's a 5 year loan there's an end sight!
Need to bin the credit now whilst it's 0!
A great read mate, and a great story so far. Huge congrats on getting through the dreaded horse racing week. Tough times, but you smashed it. So happy to hear you are still together as a family too. It's amazing to read. I read everyone's story on here and love to see people really getting a grip on this addiction. You clearly are focusing hard on doing everything to beat this and I really get the impression you are finding out how good life can be without gambling. Even something small like losing weight is massive. When we are stuck in the gambling cycle, we don't care about ourselves so this shows how much you are changing.
Congrats again mate, keep the posts coming. You don't understand how much it helps people at all stages of their recovery.
Stay strong 👍
Thanks so much guys! I'm determined and won't give in! I miss the online gaming but I know if I do it il spend spend spend on gamble boxes so it can't happen.
Today is 56 days gamble free edging towards my first 90 days which was my very first target I set myself. Attending GA tonight I've not missed a week since I started so that's positive! For the first time I can go tonight with nothing really to discuss!
Life is ticking along, my wife trusts me a touch for the first time since it all came out. Still a mountain to climb but baby steps and all that!
Gamble wise I'm feeling under good control. Financially we are managing but my debt keeps us pinned down more than I would like. All the bills are covered and we don't go without food! The weight loss continues whilst I use my spare time to calorie count etc. Im most certainly not 'cured' but this evening Im feeling ok!
Biggest thing for me to get to this stage is just to constantly remind myself. At every moment I remind myself im a compulsive gambler. At GA, around friends and family and of course in here.
My name is Dazza, I'm a compulsive gambler and the date of my last bet was 21St January this year. 💜
I feel proud today as I embark on my first ever 60 days gamble free! I wouldn't say it's been an easy 60 days but as I move towards 90 days next I do feel proud of myself. I have stayed true to myself for the first time in all these years. Even thought I need to continue to rebuild the trust with my wife I LOVE the fact nothing needs to be hidden now. It's a great feeling when she asks to check money for me to just do so without quick thinking excuses to explain gaps in the finances. I love her for sticking by me through this this far, and I made a promise to myself to not throw that back in her face, ever!
Besides Cheltenham week I do feel the handled things quite good. Maybe had a couple of thoughts of taking my dad to the casino and having fun but I can always take him to play pool instead which he loves just as much. I do miss my old gaming community, I wonder how they are doing and I miss the addictive little dynamics of the game I played, but I know I can never go back as I just can't play without spending to the moon.
Got a big holiday coming up in June and me not gambling 60 days has helped loosen the purse strings slightly for us. Financially still have five years at least ahead of debt repayments, but alas at least there's a line of sight for the end. Only thing now is stop needing more loans !
@dazza85 Lovel to read once more Dazza 👏👏👏👏👏. Keep up the great work and keep that lovely holiday at the forefront of your mind going forward 👌.
Have a lovely Sunday and take care.
Pink Lady 🩷🍎.
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