i absolutely love..... ....not gambling

gt and sa

many thanks for your posts,

I have to say that having had a read around some other diaries tonight, I am very pleased to be discussing my gambling addiction - which is what I come on here for!

still I have broken through the 10 week barrier and am now hunting down my 100 days free badge

a door of opportunity has been opened for me, I've chosen to go through it.

I cannot win because I cannot stop

another day done, just told a good mate that I would not be participating in any more poker matches, he was laughing at me but I just said that I would not be spending a single pound more on gambling.

This was about ten minutes after I saw one of the managers from a local bookmakers in the supermarket, I said hello to which he said something about not seeing me for a while, I just told him that I have given up,

ah fair play, was his instant response

I have to say its very empowering, this choosing to give up

11 weeks tomorrow, still feels good

Well done on your 11 weeks!... 🙂

hi, thanks for the comments, been a very busy few days but going away for a short break with the wife, with a bit more counselling on the friday afternoon....

stay strong everyone.... and well done to andrewdp who is surely about to reach 100 days.....

Just sat in a coffee shop, hard life an all that, thinking about how my life has change over the last few months, which led to thinking that this Thursday will be my three month marker, I would love to be able to say that I've cracked it, but I'm not naive enough to think that, what I can say though is that I feel so much more relaxed, I still get angry and frustrated at silly things but not in the irrational way I may have done a few month ago.

I wish everybody using this website could truly understand what I mean, I wish that the obstacles that are out there weren't so big or captive, ease of gambling, banking practises that allow multiple gaming transactions but block the more ordinary purchases.

I'm also really proud of myself to be in the position I am now, I never want to go back, I'm getting to the stage of not even really wanting to think about gambling really. As I've said in previous posts though, one thing I've learned about myself is that I will always be fighting this addiction, I will always have to take the total abstinance route, never again can I place a cheeky bet on the national, but so what I have a life in front of me, a life that I win to live. A life that I wish to share.

I could not win, because I could never stop,

I will not lose, because I will not start.

I, 100percent, absolutely love.....

....not gambling.

still loving it.....

...not gambling that is

Hi Dan, how are you doing? I miss you thoughtful posts. I hope all is well with you fella and that you are still loving not gambling. Russ

Russ,

Many thanks for your post, In all honesty I just got lambasted in an email by my mother for not replying to you before......

so please accept my apologies, I am indeed still loving my life away from gambling, I am now over 100 days and have another counselling session booked in for next week

I am not sure exactly why I stopped posting on here as it had been such a great help in my early stages of trying to break the gambling cycle, I think I just got a tad irratated by some of the conversations I was reading and even contributing to. I would stress that I direct that last sentence in no one individuals direction, I merely refer to how my mindset was.

Do I think that I am 'cured', 'recovered' - no absolutely not, far from it in fact, I have just actively found ways to fill my time with other things, many chores or work related events but I have also gone for a drink with friends midweek just becuase I can and because I can withdraw £10 without feering what I will actually spend the money on

My biggest issue is still around not controlling my money effectively, I still have long standing habits of spending money on wasteful things, nothing expensive but £2/£3 here and there that all adds up if you do it daily, ideally every pound I can earn should be reducing my debt but right now I happy with trying to tackle the gambling issue and will try and lead my counselling sessions in such a way that i end up looking at wasy I can control my spending across my everyday life.

Especially as I have also had more time recently to think about who I am and what I want from life, my ultimate dream is to bascially build my own house or possible renovate a wreck, a total wreck, into a house that I can be proud of. Sadly I could probably have been doing this already had I not wasted so much money, so for now this will have to be a dream but I have spend more than a few hours trawling through websites, looking at auction houses, looking at land for sale - it may be out of reach for now but if I can one day close the front door on my own dream home, I will look back at this post and pour myself a nice cold beer!

I hope everyone is doing well in their own battles....

dan

Hi Dan.

Thanks for the post on my diary.

It is good to hear an update from you and to see that you are still doing so well. I really like your dream for the future and i know for sure that every day you go without gambling will bring you a step closer to realising your dream.

Keep it going Dan.

Still no gambles... More counselling this week!

Keep it up Dan!

still no gambles... life is so much better without it... just wish i had either never started or at least stopped gambling sooner

BUT

the best time to stop, has to be right now

well just had a quick look through my debts, one credit card was £7000 just before christmas, now down to just over £1000 so have made some great progress, only because I haven't bet a penny in that time but quite a sobering thought that I am today still paying for my previous bets

I've been gamble free for 150 days now

its a long slow road, but the scenary is certainly more inspiring on this road than the previous ones ive been on

if there are any lessons from my early stages of recovery, it's all about one day at a time, I still think I've made my last bet, and that was to back myself to never gamble again

I cannot win because I cannot stop,

I cannot lose, If I don't start

give it up everybody, life really is more enjoyable without it!