Help

Thanks Sars, appreciate that.

Hope all is going good for you.

Day 284,

Weekend ahead is going to be a good one. I have a cinema date later, then tomorrow get out in the garden and continue making a house a home!

Saturday eve I am out celebrating a friend's birthday and my good news! Something tells me I may end up rather intoxicated, bantering and dancing the night away. The guys I am going out with are in their early 20's so I will be showing them how to do it 🙂

Stay stong everyone, my journey proves that a gamble free life can lead to something good. It's hard but boy it is worth it.

Matt

x

Hey buddy thanks for the advice . You're journey made a massive impact towards my recovery. Enjoy the parrrrrrttttteeyyyy ! Show them the moves and whos the boss lol

Sars

Day 287

Thanks Sars, I am really pleased to know that my journey has helped others in some way. It is a horrible illness but one we can recover from. Keep going mate.

Had a great weekend. Friday went to the cinema with a girl I have had a few dates with. So far so good, she is lovely but don't want to tempt fate just yet, baby steps and all that.

Saturday tidied the house, mowed the lawn front and back and then got down with the kids in the evening. It was a really fun night. Yesterday spent the day chilling out. All in all a perfect weekend, even if it did go too fast.

Had to give myself a pat on the back, I watched most of Wimbledon, enjoyed it and never felt any temptation for any kind of bet. Quite a statement as I used to bet heavily on tennis.

Anyway, stay strong all...Happy Monday 🙂

Matt

Dear Matt,

day 287!! That's brilliant work. And sounds like your life is continuing to change for the better without gambling. Thanks for continuing to share your success!

DAY 289

BIG NEWS

I have a completion date of this Friday. The house will finally be mine legally!! I sense this weekend is going to be fun 🙂

Finally the end of the nightmare chapter!

Whoooooooop!!!! Best news ever, so pleased for you #messyweekend S:)

Thanks Sharon,

I don't think I can quite believe it is all over for good and life can really begin now! Traumatic, chaotic, frustrating, sad, heartbreaking have been some good words to describe the last 9 or so months of my life. However now I would say happiness and relief are the main words that spring to mind. Oh and of course a big f#ck you to my ex and gambling, neither of which can hurt me anymore.

Thanks again to everyone's invaluable support on here, I will be forever grateful.

Dear Matt,

that's great news (I read your story previously). Time for your new life to really spread its wings, a reward for your hard work and suffering, well-earned!

Thanks Lightsout, long read hey?!

Appreciate you following it though and your kind words

Amazing stuff Matt well done.

Matt Thanks for posting on my diary, your journey has been one of my inspirations on this forum, considering what you have been through whilst battling addiction and recovery is off the scale. I'm so thrilled for you that today is the day you get some closure and can finally move on.The inner strength and understand you have gained is something I'm working on everyday. So have a fantasticm carefree and enjoyable weekend, no one deserves it more than you S:)

Sharon that is really kind of you to say, the reason I have been able to continue and document my journey is through the support and positive feedback I have received here.

So on my 291st day of being gamble free, I have just received THE E-MAIL. The nightmare is over, The equity transfer is complete and I am now the legal owner of my house and no one can ever take that away from me. The new adventure really does start today. Wow what a feeling, indescribable really. Just 6 months ago I was borderline suicidal, rock bottom. Somehow I took that first step, picked myself back up. I couldn't go under it, I couldn't go over it so I went through it. I am battle scarred, I have been beaten emotionally black and blue but look at me now....you cannot keep a good man down.

Thanks again to everyone who has followed me, supported me and encouraged me. I never believed back then I would ever bounce back.

Love and all the very best wishes to everyone.

Matt

So pleased for you Matt...enjoy your weekend.

Day 294 drawing to a close.

I have had a weekend of serious reflection of where I have been, what I have been through and where I currently stand.

Friday I played badminton with a friend after work, one of the two amazing people who put me up in their house right in the middle of the worst period of my life. He was so pleased with my news and the completion of the buyout, he said I deserve some happiness now, heart felt words.

Friday evening I went for some beers locally, nothing too major. Saturday a friend came and picked me up and we went for lunch and a catch up. He's suffering with some anxiety issues but he was happy to get out and was good to see him. Saturday evening I just chilled out and took it all in, I am now officially a home owner on my own and life officially starts here.

I sent a text to my ex, maybe a stupid move but it was my way of closing the chapter. It was a screen shot of my 292 days gambling clock on my profile and a message that said "I think we both agree now that everything happens for a reason. I wish you, your daughter, your new partner and his daughter all the very best for the future, whatever that will bring. Thank you for saving my life and I am sorry for the pain we all suffered". I havent had a reply, nor do I expect one but I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't send a final goodbye now that it is all over. This horrific period was my rock bottom and what I needed to address my issues and finally end my gambling days for good. I will always treasure some of the memories and the love I felt for her and in particular her daughter. The time spent with them has given me that window of what I want from my future.

I hope one day I am writing updates on here of marriage, my first child's birth and their first day at school. Right now though it's all about continuing to build the foundations of what has already begun.

I am less than a week away from day 300 and when I reach that day I am closing in on a whole year gamble free. What a year that will have been. I hope anyone who has followed my story can use it as an example. Abstaining and living a gamble free life truly is the only way to realising who you should have always been.

Stay strong

Matt