day 31 GF feeling ok, another testing night in the pub tonight with machines flashing at me and half P****d with pockets full of change but I shall overcome. today / tonight i will not gamble.
good luck to all , shake the disease and keep on keeping on.
day 32 GF the pub test was passed with no issuesI cannot let my guard down at all.
GF35 no real issues over the weekend , need to get running but was ill back end of last week and now left ankle is sore, got 12 weeks to get marathon fit. getting a bit down on the fact ive not been running and feeling the pressure as the weeks count down. these are the times i could easily have gambled to take my mind off it but thanks to gamstop this cant happen
37 days GF. think this is the longest i have ever gone for about 30 years!!!!! I was at home yesterday couple of idle thoughts towards gambling but not what i would class as an urge. Only option available to me now is the FOBT in the bookies which ive done before but not really my thing and im too far down the line now. come on 50.
keep strong everyone , life is sweet when you throw the gambling monkey off your back. take the power back - and keep on keeping on.
day 38 Gamble Free feels good. On my own for a couple of nights and away this weekend on a messy stag do , last couple of nights alone would have been a nailed on slots marathon with all the stress self loathing and misery that goes with it, instead ive cooked a bit, watched a bit of tv (stath sells flats, proper funny, channel 4 check it out - my partner hates it but it just cracks me up). Will be skint end of the month especially after this stag do but wont owe anybody anything and it'll be a happy skint because ive spent it on my kids, my house, going away, my partner is a bit short this month so ive helped her out loads. when your head is finally in the right place - Spending money on material things that you need and on the people that you love is as much a buzz as paying to watch cartoon reels spin round endlessly.
6 months ago when I was in at the deep end this couldnt have happened and i would have casually handed large amounts to exploitative, greedy corporations that feed on people's misery like vultures . so i couldnt be happier right now,
today i have taken the power back and will not gamble.
keep on keeping on
day 42 GF - today I will not gamble. messy stag do at the weekend , tired and rough today. had a bit of time saturday on my own wandering around as I didnt do all the activities. the place we were was packed with bookies and casinos and I could easily have wandered in one especially with the alcohol element but stood firm didnt really consider it as i really want to get to GF50 which isnt too far off now and id be gutted if i did something stupid now as i reckon i was probably 16 years old the last time i went 50 days without any form of gambling.
anyway keep strong brothers and sisters - take the power back and keep on keeping on
day 43 GF and today i will not gamble, busy week this week , couple of nights out and im working Saturday and Sunday so im on a mammoth 12 days in a row in work but 'the devil makes work for idle hands to do' and staying busy has been a big element of getting this far up to now. pay day friday and despite a heavy month of spending theres money left over and nothing on the CC, there would be a lot more if i hadnt had my silly season at the start of the year but cant get it back so no point giving it too much thought - its gone. as a football manager once said - dont get caught up on things you cant control , worry about what you can control - control the controllables
keep on keeping on , take the power back
44 days GF and today i will not gamble, had a random gambling dream last night - had a few of these lately. in this one my partner and i were playing an FOBT together (which is something weve never done and never would) - massive win, there's always a massive win - i even remember the amount we won £4,300. anyone else had this ? is the dream my subconscious mind still wanting to gamble ? anyway im not going to , I'm six days off the big hawaii 5-0 and nothings gonna stop me getting there.
stay strong - take the power back - and keep on keeping on
45 days GF and today I will not gamble life is sweet when the gambling monkey if off your back and back up his tree. Just need to make sure he stays there.
best wishes to all, keep on keeping on
day 46 GF and today I will not gamble, busy weekend working both days
take care all, keep on keeping on
day 47 and today i will not gamble.
Thanks for the post on my diary, I can really relate to your opening post. The amount of times I have searched for a new sports book and either lost a fortune or experienced the nonsense you described regarding getting a payout. And by the time I was paid out I would end up losing it on a new sorts book. Life is so much easier right now. No stress and I can be myself around my family. I can also relate to the dreams, I too had a dream last week about a winning trip to the bookies, I’ve no idea why this happens but as long as they stay dreams then that’s ok with me. Keep up the fight and get that half century!
cheers WhereIsMyMind day 48, just over halfway through a 12 consecutive days work marathon but its P****ng down out there so not missing much - its a miserable wet Sunday- the football doesnt start until next week, its a sterotypical day where historically i would have fancied a bet or a few spins just to liven things up. Not anymore ive taken the power back.
2 days to the hawaii '5-0' stay strong folks, keep on keeping on .
day 49 GF and today I will not gamble ,cant remember who said it on here but its interesting - they said that the cg has extraordinary penny pinching skills because they are used to living hand to mouth with long periods of no money waiting for payday when theyve blown all their money. I can totally relate to that - never a truer word - even when you take the power back and arent gambling any more you still are constantly looking for ways to make your money go further and you are good at it. Its probably the only actual benefit that comes out of the whole miserable process.
keep on keeping on
Half Century GF day 50 !!!!! and today I will not gamble. As the football starts on Saturday theres all sorts of score predictions, fantasy league etc. going around at work that you get put under pressure to join, thought about it and decided I wont do any of it this season as it just feels like a really small step in the wrong direction I suppose. Made up to get to 50 days GF , Ive just stayed busy and committed and the days have mounted up quickly. No complacency here, the gambling monkey is off my back but still hanging round my waist.Im in no way saying Ive cracked it or anything and Ive read loads on here where people with far greater resolve than me have reached hundreds of days and relapsed spectacuarly to worse depths than they were before.
Couple of points on Gamstop. I have praised it relentlessly on here as 75% of the way to my 50 days, the rest was resolve and self control. Of course I could continue to gamble regardless of gamstop if i really wanted to. For me my issue was 99% online slots, sports betting was never massively my thing apart from a few coupons and the odd horse and ive never been into hanging around in the bookies all day on FOBTs. My issue was hanging about at home on my phone playing slots and now that outlet has been taken away by Gamstop. I'm not advocating gamstop as the catch-all cure for everybodys issues on here it just so happens that in my particular set of circumstances it has been a game changer,
keep on keeping on
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