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

Almost a year....... still have some urges/thoughts...guess I'm stuck with those for life but It's so rewarding to not give in.

I've just read your reply to 'James23', which I wanted to say was super-duper, thorough and direct. I hope he continues to post.

and, congrats on nearly a year!

Thanks for some really practical advice. Yes, it is hard being alone. I'm not a natural computer sort either, I'm an outdoor type and it's strange for me to spend so much time here. However, I am getting strength from it, so I'm determined to keep it up.

I answered your 3 v helpful Qs on my diary.

finally, you have just 2 days to go before the big one. Stay strong - you just can't gamble til Saturday at least!!

this time one year ago I will in a right mess.

This time tomorrow I will be abe to claim a year of no gambling - I can't quite believe it but I do know that its absolutely fantastic, to think how much my life has changed

It scares me how often gambling still comes into my life, the increase in adverts. the junk email offers, the number of bookmakers on the highstreet, the coverage of poker tournaments on tv but all that has been there for the last year as well. and I have chosen not to gamble, I just need to carry on doing the same, day by day, urge by urge

great post and well done Dan 🙂 onto the 2nd year we march. The urges are always there but are much easier to push away 🙂 keep it going friend like you say how much easier is life without it. Top man 🙂

Looking forward to your post tomorrow mate. I will type more on your special day, hope you have a treat planned.

GT

I believe today is the day?

cpngratulations!

Get in there! I can't quite believe it but today marks 365 days since I last gambled, from where I was one year ago, my life has changed as dramatically as I could of hoped,

I still have gambling thoughts and sometimes urges but I am so much more in control of my feelings/emotions as far as gambling is concerned that I simply refuse to give in.

I am truly indebted to my wife, my family and also gamcare and its posters for helping me reach this point.

In the simplest of terms I do think the main reason to date has been an absolute determination on my part to change my mindset from 'I have a problem with gambling' to 'I no longer gamble'

Its obviously not quite that easy and as before I have been fortunate to recieve tremendous help and support - yet as good as that is, you have times when you are alone - in those times I have found the hardest tests and challenges, I could have gambled and no-one would have known, except for me.

That is not something I am prepared to live with anymore. I am not prepared to lie and decieve those around me any longer, those people that when I was in need, came to my side

I have said before I don't sgree with everything gamcare does and says but I do recognise that it has provided me with a fantastic platform to sort through my troubled mind! - It's annonymous, I have been able to completely offload/download with total security that who I am remains private, I can expose my inner workings and suffer no illeffects, in fact quite the opposite, I have been privaliged to recieve and read some wonderful advice

I have also been reassured that as a compulsive gambler I am not part of some reclusive, degernerate sub-section of society - I am just one of many who has sadly given in to the temptations of greed, I wanted lots of reward for very little pain, I wanted to double my months salary in just a few seconds, I wanted to take money away from someone else, yet in return I was going to do nothing for them,

Through these forums, I have seen some of the better traits in my fellow CG, I have seen the likes of GT, who constantly post and support others, I read constantly the battle CG's go through alone, as they try hard to avoid upset to their loved ones.

I wish, really wish I had a magic wand to wave, a magic solution to pass on so that none of us using this forum would ever fall back into our gambling ways, as it is we must all fight our own battles, we must all make the decisions that are best for us. I have reached one milestone, that you might gather I am really proud to have done, yet I still face a lot of challenges, I still face a long long battle to not fall backwards, I know I can never again afford to gamble,

so have I cracked it? No absolutely not but just for today, I am proud, I am happy - no 'win' I ever had made me feel this good

Wherever you are in your own battle, I wish you well, I thank those with whom I have shared stories and those whose diaries I might read and gain inspiration from

Today is a good day.

Dan

Hello Dan,

I intend to read your whole diary when I next get a day off work! A big well done to you, what an amazing achievement and you deserve a celebration for it. I know I can follow the path too and wish I could celebrate with you. DAN THE MAN. YOU WIN, GAMBLING LOSES. All the best for the future and hears to another year, one day at a time. IanB.

A big CONGRATULATIONS on a big milestone and i lift a virtual drink to you and your obviously wonderful family heres to another year.Its people like you who give us beginners the inspiration to know that this addiction can be overcome.

Once again CONGRATULATIONS.x

A very happy afternoon to you Dan!

Wow! You have provided me with my highlight of today with your post on my diary and the one on yours.

You really do tell the truth. Yes, today you say that you feel incredibly proud and so you jolly well should. One whole year gamble free is an incredible achievement and I for one know how very difficult that is to achieve.

We all have our extremely challenging days when those evil gambling urges return to haunt us and try to entice us back into the evil gambling world.

But you have shown us all that it is possible to stay gamble free for a whole year despite those challenges.

I am also so, so pleased to see that you fully admit that you are nowhere to being out of the woods just yet. Your fight goes on. Those urges will still be there.

I am sure that you have done this already but have you compared how you felt a year ago to how you feel today?

Now just imagine fast forwarding to December 4th 2012.

How do you hope to feel then?

This is still a very long journey for all of us on here but you have shown all of us that IT CAN BE DONE!

Now make sure that you treat yourself today, you deserve it!

GT

A huge congratulations Dan. It's all been said by our peers on here. Strong work fella, very strong. Russ

Wow Dan

Well done. The last thing I posted on my diary was feeling like my hubby would never get there so it is so so so brilliant to read you have hit the 1 year mark.

I want to thank you for keeping it real for me by seeing a gambler admiting it is still a long journey.

Thanks you and well done.

x

Congratulations Dan. Nothing to add other than to keep going as you are... and to thank you for your kind words in my diary. Nice one fella.. S.A 🙂

Congratulations Dan....A whole year is a phenomonal acheivement well done mate and keep up the great work.

Best Wishes

Andrew