Going to keep this thread now!

Hi Freda.

Sorry you have not had the best of days today. On the plus side though you did not let having a bad day provide you with an excuse to gamble.

I'm a bit of a comfort eater myself but i've given the fridge and freezer a spring clean as i am determined to get fit over the next couple of months.

Hope you have a better day tomorrow!

Hey my girl. Thanks for the hug. Am sending a ((((((((hug)))))))))) right back at ya.

You know, it is ok to feel a bit low every now and then. It wouldn't be normal, not to.

I think, now we are observing ourselves very closely, we sometimes don't give ourselves enough space and credit.

I am my worse enemy at times. I am practising to just feel at the moment. I try not to analyse my feelings, just feel them.

If I feel sad, lonely, lost, I let my tears flow, then I dry my tears, wash my face, look in the mirror and smile at me and say...It is ok for you to feel this way... You're ok.

Like I said in my own post. Tears(sad or happy) for me is like washing my soul. 🙂

I have no logical reason to feel all of the above but I do, so I just let it happen....

Sending lots of love and hugs your way well done on 4 weeks...

God Bless

Sabine xx

Thanks Curly and Sabine,

Am feeling more upbeat today, it comes and goes. I knew it was nothing serious.

You know when something wonderful happens to a person, their sense of happiness goes up a lot for a while but then it tends to level back out again to the 'norm'. I think this is true of someone experiencing a loss, like in recovery when you feel flat and miss the buzz. At first you feel really flat and have 'low' times, but hopefully after a while my sense of happiness will level off and go back up to the norm again.

I remember my first stab at recovery - I managed about 5 months of total abstinence before losing my way a little. Im sure I felt quite happy in myself after a couple of months, and so I look forward to returning back to this stage in a few weeks.

Hi Freda--glad to see you have bounced back to positivity quickly. I am convinced that when not gambling we are able to handle highs and lows much better than when we are gambling. I beliebve that gambling induces us to crave highs similar to a drug addict. When we win we are high but we soon come down when we lose-which we always do-and then bang the depth of our lows are terrible and we struggle to cope with them. People who do not gamble treat highs and lows as short term things that will quickly return to ' normal'.

Four weeks is a great effort and too long to let go of. Onwards and upwards.

All the best

Stumper x

Thanks stumper!

Just checking in to say its day 32, today I will not gamble. Ive had some fleeting 'thoughts' re gambling, but worked through them and concluded that its not a good idea. Just asking myself why I want to gamble, and if it will help me in any way, and I always get the right result this way - NO!

Shall I gamble today--NO

Tomorrow--NO

Every Day to come---NO

You've cracked it Freda if you stick to that.

Blimey--it really is that simple is'nt it.

Did you see that film 'The Yes Man' I think it was called. Perhaps we should bring out a film 'The No Woman' about how you can always say no to gambling.

Keep going Freda

All the best

Stumper x

Like you, I have had those fleeting thoughts but when they happen it seems far, far easier to say 'NO' to them.

It's just when those awful big urges come. They really are a battle but they will be battles that we will all WIN!

Have a great gamble-free weekend.

GT

Hi Freda.. like you say, gambling is never the answer, but its keeping that fresh in ones mind 100% of the time. I think thats the cruel thing with this addiction is that it only takes one "moment of madness" to take us straight back to how things were when gambling ruled. I am a current example of this.. but fighting back. Thanks for your thoughts as always.. they help thats for sure.. S.A 🙂

Hi Freda

Just having a read through your diary and its good to see you going so well.I see you answered your own Question of will gambling ever help,and we all know the answer to that,but like SA says keep it fresh in our minds.Stay strong Jeff.

thanks Stumper, SA and Jeff

Got myself really stressed out yesterday over daft little things. Thankfully I was able to pause and take a few deep breaths, and have a word with myself.

All too often we just go with our thoughts unquestioningly, without pausing to check that our mental chatter isn't a load of sh*te! thats what got me into gambling problematically, and thats what got me into a tizz yesterday.

Tomorrow is day 35, but deal with that then - today I will not gamble.

I used to get as far as on... when I stopped to count to ten so well done in having a word with yourself. The main thing is that you did not use the situation as an excuse to go off and have a gamble. You really are doing fantastically at the minute Freda and should be really proud of the effort that you are putting in.

5 weeks without a bet tomorrow is a fantastic achievement.

All the best

Stumper x

Five weeks bet-free. Come on!

Only 6 more days to 6 weeks Freda. As each day passes I am sure you are finding that not gambling is becoming the norm for you rather than gambling.

Keep going--no turning back now.

Stumper x

Cheers Stumper.

Day 37 for me today. Feeling ok really, quite peaceful. I was chewed about whether or not to go for a more challenging job last week. Its not that I think I can't do a job like that, but not sure if I can do a job like that right now while I am still finding my feet again.

Application got sent monday, and for now I have just let it go. Might not even get an interview, so will deal with it if and when.

Going to pics tonight with a friend, and plenty money left in my purse thanks to my recent gambling sobriety.

You go girl!!!!

Thanks for always popping in and seeing how I am doing.

Whatever life throws at you from now on, step back, feel it. If it feels right, go for it, if it doesn't; step back and say out loud...No thank you, this is not for me at this moment in time....

Sending heaps of love to you my friend. I'm proud of you. Keep going....

God Bless

Sabine xx