Going to keep this thread now!

Freda (K)

Thanks for the post and for being around, keeping an eye on my diary, and especially for being one of the first people to give me encouragement in my new, permanent, non gambling life.

I am not going to let you down.

I am also on your case keeping an eye on your diary and you are not going to let me down either!

I know that this time we are going to do it and hopefully inspire others by showing it can be done.. One day at a time is all it takes as we know.

David xx

Thanks for the message Freda,i'm pleased to see that all is going well for you re the gambling:),hope you get the flat all signed up soon.

Seano.

Freda (K)

Hope all is well with you. Drop a post to let us know how you are doing.

I'm now on day 59, trying to catch up with you, but never will because this time your resolve will mean that I'll always be trying to catch up.

One day at a time, it works!

Hope you have had a great weekend.

David

Yep,

Just a quick note to say day 82, still being good!

Well done. Hope it is getting easier the longer you are away from the bet.

Glad to read of your continued progress freda...Dont worry about me i ll be ok,just finding my personal life difficult just now...take care we can and are doing this 🙂

Day 84 - 12 weeks clean. I did not bet today.

I had a follow-up counselling appointment yesterday, and was talking about how I don't have much energy for recovery at the moment. I've reached that slump, where its been a few months and reality sets in.

This may be controversial, but I find recovery so boring! Being good, being sensible. I'm still not gambling, but I'm not really putting much energy into staying stopped. I feel as if I'm not bothered if I gamble again, but its 'best if I don't'. I just feel apathetic about it all.

I really wanted to play the lotto tonight, but I didn't. I am feeling slightly resentful of depriving myself of a fix. I know it's the right thing to do, I'm still a compulsive gambler, but I'm just in a place where I wish I wasn't. I wish I could just go ahead and enjoy myself.

Anyway, ramble over! I will try to stay strong.

Well Done on 12 weeks my girl.

Now then...You get your positive head on and go get 'em.

I felt like that early on in my recovery. I felt a lot of resentment and thought...why can't I ever gamble again...I thought, maybe one day I can go and have a laugh with the girls at Bingo again or put the odd lottery ticket on.

Only... then I learnt about recovery and about changing the way I think, sort of get re-wired in my head....

Now I think...it's ok that I can't go to Bingo and I can't do the lottery..because I CAN do loads and loads of other things.

For me recovery wasn't boring, it was scary and exciting at the same time...

Scary because I had to really look at me for the first time in my life... and then, later on my recovery became exciting because I can actually change things about me... go figure... I have the power to change things...how cool is that...

So my girl..go and change things and enjoy them.

Lots of love an dhugs.

God Bless

Sabine x

Thank you Sabine,

I'm fine. Guess I feel a little guilty about whining on, and that I'm not taking my recovery seriously during this phase.

However, something is still stopping me from placing those bets. Perhaps this is just something I have to go through. A period of acceptance.

Anyways, today is day 86 and today I will not gamble.

Hi Freda (K)

Please don't feel apathetic about your recovery. Feel Proud about your achievement!!

You are going to do it this time on a lifetime basis, but just one day at a time!

We try so hard, some of us succomd to the demon a few times, but as long as we learn we are stronger.

You have learned and have got the message, the penny has dropped and you will keep going and have a much better life.

David

Hi Freda

Thanks for the post on my diary. hope you are well, glad to read how your racking them days up nicely!

Agree with david's post, you should be proud of yourself for your continued progress, um be 90 days now, maths not great, lol!

Take care freda and thanks again for all your support. ands xx

Thanks David and ands,

I am on day 3 again now as I gambled on Sunday. Stupid. Wasted £35 which is conservative for me, so for that I am grateful.

I have had really good success in changing my lifestyle, and putting an end to regular gambling, but I still haven't got the knack of complete and utter abstinence. 99% of the time I resist the urges and stay strong. I just really, really wanted to gamble on Sunday. I enjoyed it, Im not going to lie.

I know Im a compulsive gambler, and that sometimes when I start I can't stop. Nothing has changed. Im as addicted as ever. I don't see the point in beating myself up though. I made a mistake, I weakened, Im human.

I had my debit card on me for a few hours, which enabled me to gamble as much as £35 usually I have access to much less. I didn't keep going until there was no more to come out of the cash machine, I could have spent more. Apparently this is a good sign when you don't spend every last pound you can get your hands on.

Anyway, there it is. Im still making mistakes, but thankfully they are getting smaller and further apart. I wish I was as strong and resolute as others (ands springs to mind) but Im not.

I have always taken time to accept things and let go fully. Looks like this is more of the same. Im confident that I will get there in the end.

Freda (K)

A brave post from you. I know how it feels to lapse and it's always difficult to pick yourself up afer having one.

It's not good as you know but it is thankfully a minor blip. The important thing is that you stopped before you did serious damage and came back here to re-affirm your commitment to beat the disease!

You have supported me a lot and I would like to do he same for you. So now I will be keeping an eye on your diary every day and hope to see some really positive posts from you!

Keep your chin up.

David

Hi f..

.. your doing just fine.. 🙂 as you say yourself its about progress not perfection. The reality as i see it is that perhaps only 5% of people who identify themselves as having a "gambling problem" stop gambling and then 5 years later are still completely stopped but thats not to say that the other 95% of folks (myself very much included) are not "working at it" in some way, shape or form.

For me am not saying that its ok to have a gamble every now and again ( I continue to work at the complete abstinence model )but the bottom line for all of us I think is simply trying to lead our lives in an open and honest manner (which you most certainly are) and being true to ourselves and hopefully becoming happier human beings. keep working at it and thanks for your continued support... your a star..S.A 🙂

Freda (K)

Thanks for your post on my diary.

Good to see you are taking the blip phylosophically, don't beat yourself up.

It was a moment of madness that we are all vulnerable to and as you know I have had many.

I am not ahead of you as far as I am concerned, this is no competition!

Yes, I am now on 70 days, but the only way I have succeeded is by ensuring in a totally watertight way I have no access to money without asking my sister to get it out of her bank (all my money is in there now, what little there is) for day to day needs.

Get the positive head back on, one day at a time is the way to go as you know, and this time you will do it.

Your friend

David