Life With Sports Bets Only

Hi Captain,

Just checking in on ya mate. Well done on 50 and pay day with a bit of cash left over. I agree with Jas n Jeff. Have a little treat.

Stay Strong

Steve

Jas/Curly/Yorkie, thanks for posts.

re treating myself, I dont think so - all the money I have left ( or 'spare Wonga' as you put in Jas - great term that! ) goes towards debts.

And re getting a more up to date phone Jas - I only spend about a fiver a month on pay as you go so there's no contract type justifiable!

( Of course I used to spend much more on calls to place bets on telephone accounts but those are long since closed down.)

Paying off debts is a great way to treat yourself and makes you feel good too.

Stumper

Day 54

Today I pop in to the bookies to get a weekend football coupon. All the usual random rubbish is going on.

I think back to days gone by and feel physically sick at the thought of times when I regularly wasted hundreds of pounds in a day on random bets. I remember the days when I went to bed feeling full of remorse and regret at having lost a large sum, but then woke up the next day with a raging need for it to be 11.00 to get back to the bookies and try and recoup some losses, starting with the 1st dog race of the day.

The time between when I got up and 11.00 really dragged. I was so desperate to bet. When I placed that first bet the relief just poured out of my body and my anxiety and stress disappeared immediately. Just the feeling of having say £100 on a dog to try and win £400 was all that mattered at that moment.

Yesterday's losses had been forgotten. If I walked out in profit that day, the world would be a better place, onwards and upwards, I would never have another bad losing day when I lost everything available I would tell myself. But of course I did, sooner rather than later.

Those days and those feelings seem like so long ago and over the course of the last few years the episodes like that were definitely less frequent but after only 54 days on here I just now find myself in a state of disbelief as to how someone could have behaved that way and who that person was. It definitely wasnt the real me.

hi capt.

It is unbelievable what we did...i find it hard to understand what i have done...my life should be so different now.And there was very little joy in gambling.I hope you stay strong.

best Wishes

micheal42

£5 per month pay as you go.....geez C, that's impressively economical!

When all your gambling debts are out of the way you are going to be loaded. I hope you will hang around here long enough so we can have some sort of virtual party to celebrate our financial freedom.

"When you are in Love with a beautiful Woman"

Jas x

8 weeks random gambling free and an all correct football bet today puts me in a **** **** ****since I joined Gamcare.

This is what I've wanted to do for a long time, just bet sports in advance and nothing else, with stakes I can afford to lose, its a hobby, but I know if I just stick to what I know I wont lose money anyway.

Over the 8 weeks, urges have reduced considerably, I have trained my brain that I dont do random any more, I now drive straight home from work naturally and debts have reduced by more than the minimum amount. I can now enter bookmakers and just read the paper and get a football coupon without gambling on anything. I had money left at the end of the month, and I have met some great people on here.

Long may this continue.

Congratulations on your 4 figure profit mate and it is nice to hear that you are currently winning.

Please post when you do lose a bet because I for one would like to hear about it or else I may start to think that I can always win as well and I may be tempted to start betting again.

All the best

Stumper

Hello Captain,

Good for you! A four figure profit in 8 weeks without random gambling. That's pretty impressive I must say. If that makes you happy then that is all that matters...if your hobby is turning a profit then you have literally hit the jackpot.

I did feel a little uncomfortable reading this actually....as a friend of yours on here C. I have lost a six figure sum over the years you see and I guess I was just a tad jealous you have been able to make it work for you...when I had failed to spectacularly.

Long may your winning run continue C but if it all goes a bit wrong then us lot are here for you, remember that.

Jas xx

"Will You Love me Tomorrow?"

Captain I know this probably sounds hypocritical but I agree with Jas. Hearing you made a 4 figure profit really irritates me and I think It would do for others as well who are trying to stop. Its the kind of thing that could convince people who think they should stop that they can control they're gambling like you. These people could end up destroying their lives. I don't think it is supportive to a compulsive gambler to be bragging about your profits.. I know I've done the same. For some reason I think Mentioning how much I've lost can show people the opposite and it might stop them going back. If you are winning just think about saying its going well but be honest and talk about losses and feelings around that as well, not just the wins otherwise it gives a false impression of things.

Stumper / Jas / Chipper - thanks for posts - apologies re posting an amount won and to anyone else who doesnt want to read that either.

Those who have read my diary in full will know that I have posted when I have had difficult days in the last 8 weeks including frustrations at mistakes and losses. The current position is just a summary.

I have lost an awful lot of money in the last 20 odd years and it will take many years to pay back my debts.

My current short term success due to at last being able to rid myself of random gambling is small change in comparison but it is a symbol of my current progress.

Well Cheltenham is almost upon us...who will resist it and who will give in to the temptation?

From my previous experience, if you get involved in Cheltenham, you are in for a long spell, you cant simply do a bit of Cheltenham then stop again. The excitement and buzz from it are so high, you enter a different life.

Hope all ex horse racing gamblers are putting all the usual blocks and some extra in place.

Phone in work sick and lock yourself in the house with no access to cash by any means if thats what it takes, it will be worth it in the long run.

I am so glad I am over Horse Racing and over Cheltenham but I still remember the great anticipation and then the terrible feelings after huge losses followed by an inability to focus on work afterwards for a long time, but a continuing thirst for gambling on horse racing.

If you are quick to criticise you should always be quicker to praise somebody.

Great last post mate.

All the best

Stumper

Evening Captain,

Great post mate and i totally agree. Cheltenham is all or nothing. I know if i took an interest today i would be itching to go back in for more tomorrow. Best to abstain completely and thankfully everyone seems to be doing fine.

As i type Chelsea are on the way out. I remember you fancied Inter in the first leg. Hope you kept faith with them tonight.

Keep up the good work mate.

I'm quitting on that 5km in 23mins challenge by the way. I'm down to 12stone here and yet i cannot get near that time. I guess i wasn't built for speed!

Day 60 and I wake with a very strong urge to gamble. This has been brought upon by Cheltenham. My days of genuine interest in Horse Racing and Cheltenham in particular are long gone, however the high level of publicity surrounding the event has reminded me of the positive buzz gambling can give you and at the moment my body wants that.

I logged on to chat on Monday night and asked to talk about Cheltenham but my request was denied without response and another topic put on the Agenda and accepted.

I read diaries on here last night and I find to my disgust other members watching Cheltenham, naming winners and prices but thinking they have escaped from it because they didnt actually bet on it, however they are predicting winners, aware of bets of others, counting potential winnings and losses. They are really deluding themselves and need to wake up - they are not handing over money but they are virtually gambling and going through all the same emotions so it is only a matter of time before they gamble for real. They seem not to recognise this.

So after this site being supportive for 58 days the last 2 days have not been good for me and have led to this very strong urge to gamble on anything.

I will leave for work with £40 but no bank card or credit card so I will get through the day. Through various means I am however aware I have access to over £5000 and I am concerned that from tonight onwards I am in big danger of random gambling.