Going to keep this thread now!

Hi freda,

just popped by to say hello,sounds as if your doing well. more power to you 🙂

have a onderful weekend.

Take care

love W xxx

Thanks W 🙂

Today is day 34. 5 weeks tomorrow! I have been doing this thing where every week, I divide the amount I blew by the number of weeks since. In some ways maybe its not good, because it makes it seem less than it was. I am finding, it is a good reminder of the huge waste of money it was though, as 5 weeks on its still the equivalent of £15 a week!!!

Day 34 is brilliant!

Well done and keep it up!

GT

x

Hiya.. and a big thanks for your support. You have this uncanny nack of saying just what i need to hear at any given time. You helps me to realise that I need to ease up on myself and acknowledge everything that has gone on for me over the last 2 or 3 months... and do my best to get back to a steady rhythm in life.. which is what suits me best.

Am with you in that i am fed up of having periodic slips ups with the gambling.. there is no reason for them really.. other than a self-wounding exercise and i don't want to self-wound anymore.

As Gt says 34 days is brill.. well done and keep it up! .. S.A 🙂

Hi Freda.

Well done on excluding yourself.Thats a big step forward.Anything that makes it harder for us to gamble is only a good thing.As for slip ups freda...i know that if i hadn't my blocks in place the temptation for me would be too strong...even today.Thats why i'll keep them there.

Big congrats on your 5 weeks gamble free.Thats brill.

All my best.We can beat this!

Viggo.

glad to read of your prob near 6 week bet free by now Freda and even better reading of your exclusions. The more barriers the better in beating this. Keep working at it we can do this 🙂

Day 39 and all is well. Passing thoughts of putting a lotto ticket on, but kicked them into touch.

Have sorted out some regular spiritual guidance, just up the road. This is awesome, as I used to have to travel 20 miles. It is something I have neglected of late, so is good to get back on track.

Been struggling with mild to moderate anxiety, but I do feel this is gradually lessening.

Looking forward to hitting 6 weeks Tuesday night 🙂

Hi Freda and well done on your gambling free time. I know whhat you mean about "passing thoughts" of the lotto, but thats just it I think.. letting them "pass on by".

The spiritual guidance is great for mind, body and soul and sure. I think i would benefit from something like that.

I hope your anxiety continues to settle. Do you still swim, run a bit? I took one of my clients to see a David Lloyd leisure club the other day.. it was a heavenly oasis of calm. Too expensive of course. If I was to join it would be £63 pounds a month.. way too much for me.

Anyway you know yourself your doing just fine. Thanks for your support as always.. S.A 🙂

Thanks SA

Yeah, I think lack of exercise is partly to blame with the anxiety. I don't run anymore, because truth be told I'm just not fit enough! My fitness levels were getting close, but have dropped again now.

Funny you should mention swimming, as that is my plan this afternoon. For some weird reason, no one in my city seems to go swimming on a Sunday afternoon, so I can often get a lane to myself. I had some pretty unpleasant heart palpitations a couple of weeks ago, and have been reluctant to swim because of them. It was a bit scary! I was having about 20-25 extra beats a minute (where you have 2 smaller, quicker, beats together instead of one normal one) for about 5 minutes. I know most peoples hearts do splutter from time to time, but when it happens for several minutes it isn't nice. Anyway that's probably only the second time ever that they have lasted that long, but wanted to stay away from exercising in deep water for a while! lol.

I had palpitations once in the middle of swimming a lane, and it really freaked me out. I'm just gonna take it easy this afternoon, not push too hard.

I have been struggling with feelings of depression this week too. A combination of factors I think. However, I am optimistic about the new spiritual guidance that has come into my life. I'm not a religious fanatic or anything, but have adopted a different outlook to the traditional Western one over the past 2 years or so. It has been enormously beneficial to me, but not many people have the same outlook, and it can feel lonely. It will be nice to have a like-minded and much wiser influence around me, nudging me in the right direction.

These recent riots just highlight the mentality I want to distance myself from. There is such a sense of entitlement amongst people these days. The belief that if you want something, you should be able to have it. People get angry when they don't get what they want, but that is life! Suffering is normal, and if it's good enough for millions of Africans, what makes us think that we should be exempt? Are our lives more precious, more special than anyone elses? Why is it ok for other people to suffer, as long as it isn't us? This doesn't mean that we should not protest about things that are wrong, but we shouldn't feel entitled to everything going right for us. It's a difficult thing to get the hang of, and I'm still working at it myself, but the benefits are enormous.

Just need a little moan! Had a really bad panic attack last night, while out with friends. Didn't sleep very well due to anxiety as well.

I really struggle with anxiety at times, even in spite of doing the right things like meditation, exercise, and taking my medication.

I just feel fed up. It really affects your confidence when you can't stay calm! For me, I don't even have to feel stressed or upset, I still get anxiety.

I will get over it, because you have to. Just feeling frustrated and discouraged.

However, gambling is the last thing on my mind.

Had a good cry, lots of hugs off my hubby and a good sleep - and I'm a new woman!

6 weeks ago today, I blew loads of money in my last gambling sesh. It feels like a lifetime ago.

For anyone reading this who is thinking of self excluding, but is too scared DO IT!!! its the best thing I have done in ages. I can now walk home from the supermarket, without having the will I? won't I? conversation in my head. I can just get on with my life 🙂

Hi.. no waffling from me today.. just to say well done.. keep going!.. S.A 🙂

Hi Freda.

Glad your feeling better after your anxiety.I know how that feels....i'm not so bad these days but when i gambled my head was running in all directions.

Excluding yourself is a great thing.Like you said yourself...no more what ifs?

Well done on the six weeks,and you know deep down you can beat this forever.Keep going forward Freda...we're all behind you!

Have a great weekend.

Viggo.

Thanks Sa and Viggo,

not had much to say on the gambling front. Have genuinely had very few thoughts or urges. Lotto is probably the most common one. £1 is that funny amount of money, where you often spend it without really thinking - poundland have built a whole empire on this basis, lol! So talking myself out of this one is slightly trickier..

However, I try to focus not on the pound I'm thinking of spending, but on the winking scratchcards on the counter, and the fact there are about 10 draws per week these days it seems. This way it reminds me that it may not remain just a £1 habit, but could grow to £20 pounds per week or more. That is also when my gambling brain looks for new modes of gambling to try. So too risky, no thanks, I will stick to what is in my purse.

Stick struggling with anxiety, however had a great sleep last night and feeling great for it.

Hi f... yes your right, the gambling monster within doesn't care where it gets its fix and weve all red the stories of Cg's moving from one form of gambling to another and with the same pre-dictable results. I know what you mean when you say "its just a pound"... but for me its how it changes my thinking.

Once ive gambled that pound it makes it so much easier to gambling another pound... and so the gambling then starts to escalate.. sometimes slowly and insidiously over a period of weeks or months or more than likely (for the likes of me) suddenly and dramatically. Its not worth it. I bought a bunch of bannas for £1.

Glad you had a good nights sleep. Am due for a long and deep sleep. I haven;t had one of those for months now. Have a good day.. S.A 🙂