Fresh start, adapting to a gamble free life

Keep fighting mate, you done 100 days which is brilliant.

The help and support offered here is amazing, how good was it those 100 days of no gambling, try and do it again and yourll feel so proud!!

Good luck for tomorrow dude.

Day 3

Thanks Oly-B for your kind post. Needed that support on Friday, still feeling down but getting by ok.

Once i've gambled myself in to a hole, i find that i carry a lot of anger towards bookies and casino's and don't get many urges in the initial stages of abstinence.

Money issues hit me everyday but just got to try and enjoy life the best i can with the situation.

Positive posts to follow I promise!

Thanks for reading,

Jimbo

I agree, you feel total hate against them. I think we like to blame them when deep down its our own selves, we just dont admit it.

Its a cruel world aye.

Congrats for day 3. Keep it rolling.

Oly

Day 4

Thanks again for your support again Oly. I think the anger will remain for a while yet, which is good as it means the urges come and go.

Working all day today so too busy to think about gambling. Seem to be thinking about debt more than anything which i'm trying to manage.

Starting to feel a bit more positive today, family are noticing me being down which i don't like.

Got to appreciate what I have, onwards and upwards, thanks for reading,

Jimbo

Well done Jimbo

You have done it before, so you can do it again.

100 days was amazing. We have to stop looking back and look towards the future!

All the best

Dickyo

Hey Jimbo, you haven't given up giving up and thats the main thing. You have done it before and you can most certainly do it again. I have been round in circles trying to stop for years so you are not alone.

I have noticed that buying scratch cards etc does give me little triggers, and I tend to buy more when I am not gambling so not going to buy them either, I don't think the lottery would do that for me though but everyone is different see how you feel and if you think they start to become a problem or make you feel like gambling then go T total, best of luck 🙂

Day 5

Thanks a million Dickyo and Jillfe, some great advice. It is very easy to dwell on mistakes in the past, especially so soon after a relapse. I've also had a good think about the scratch cards, lottery etc and i've decided to go absolutely t-total. I think this will ensure I'm not tempted to go bigger.

Another long day at work so I've been busy which is good for my recovery. One big thing that I'm proud of today was going in to town to get my girlfriend a birthday card and avoided the massive urges to go in to the many bookies on offer. Kept very strong and this is something i've not managed to do recently. Big step forward!

Thanks for reading kind people, keep strong

Jimbo

Jumbo,

Something someone said to be on here helped me on my road. "Cash out for the final time, what gone has gone, cashing out now means you will be winning every day from now on"

I think the thought of cashing out and accepting what has gone has gone means I then could start concentrating on my recovery. I'm 80 days in with no target at all. If I set a target I would become complacent once I hit it. I am focusing on how much life improves without gambling, you must have realised this in your 100 day spell. Don't aim for 101 this time, aim for life.

I think the only way it has worked for me is completely stopping all forms of gambling. Scratch cards, 2p machine and lottery....Everything!

Have a positive evening and well done so far mate.

Onwards and upwards,

Hanz

Hi Jimbo,

It may have been a while but we both find ourselves back at the same situation again. I know what you mean, the small bets that seem almost trivial aren't really trivial for us, and like you I can't stop it from escalating into something much bigger and nastier. Like hanz said, its about aiming for being gamble free for life, and though I've fallen off the wagon so many times I'm surprised I don't have any broken bones, there's nothing to do but to keep plugging away.

Keep your chin up and keep working for the future, the past is exactly that and can't be helped.

All the best,

Ryan

Hi Jimbo

Well done mate. Your doing really good! Doesn't life seem so much better without gambling? More time on your hands, not that dreaded sense of guilt and shame,more money in your pocket and the sense of achievement now you are on your way to recovery.

All the best Jimbo

Dickyo

Day 6

Thank you so much Hanz, Ryan and Dickyo! Such kind and thoughtful posts and some fantastic advice.

I think you're right about not focussing on a particular amount of time. Once 100 days is reached i'd feel like i've won the battle but this is something that is for life like you say. I've been thinking about this a lot today and how I'm going to have to adjust my lifestyle to suite a non-gambling life. This ultimately means filling in the voids and keeping busy.

Had a good day today, been working on my house with my mum and dad and worked really hard. This is my only day off this week but it feels good to be busy and doing something of use.

Got to cash a cheque in tomorrow in town, have to take my bank card but will leave any cash at home and stay focused.

Thanks for reading and thanks for the support and advice

Jimboo

Exactly Jimbooo...focus on a set amount of time and you will win the battle but not the war. I'm not a believer in you battle this for ever and you have to live without. Change you lifestyle, thoughts, triggers and urges and you can forget about gambling and move on. You don't have to battle the urges for ever. If you don't change the above then you are in recovery as you will be living in the same lifestyle as gambling you. These people should be very different.

Urges get weaker and weaker as you get stronger and stronger. Cash out for the final time, learn to deal with the urges, reduce the lifestyle that enabled you to gble and leave this in the past. You can recover and not always be in recovery.

There is an end and it is not to far away, stay strong positive and on the right track.

Onwards and upwards mate,

Hanz

Keep it mate your doing so well!

I think the urge will always be there but hopefully it will get weaker.

Dickyo

Day 7

Thanks again Hanz and Dickyo for your ongoing support.

Had a few errands this morning and one included going to town to cash a cheque in. My bank is conveniently next door to a bookies! Knowing this I took positive action and took my Dad along for the ride 🙂 It's a shame i have to do this but if it means I won't gamble today then it's worth it.

In work tonight on a night shift 🙁 but will keep me from gambling this weekend.

Thanks for reading and writing on my diary

Jimbo