Life With Sports Bets Only

Hi Captain.

Well done on 2 weeks without gambling mate. I'd agree with you that i do miss the buzz of gambling but i can sure do without the stress, headaches and financial hardship.

Keep it up pal.

well done captain, keep up all the hard work mate, we are all there daily wanting you to keep fighting

Thanks for the support guys, I've done 3 weeks now, still miss the buzz, still feel flat and dunno if anyone else has experienced this one but the lack of 'buzz' makes my stomach bloated...(seriously) - I do lots of exercise, always have, have never let gambling stop me from keeping fit, I'm not overweight by any means, but my stomach misses the excitement...

Some people may genuinely feel happier without gambling, some may have long lost the 'buzz', congrats on the three weeks and for being honest about your own feelings, just dont agree with your party line quip, I have no line to follow, just think my life is far better without gambling

Thanks for post Dan and reference this and Brian's post on DaveP's diary, I acknowledge and applaud those who feel that life is better without the 'buzz'. For me it isnt. Life is better financially but without the buzz I'm not the same person. I believe I'm in the (large) category of people who need some sort of lift or buzz to keep their life going. This is not a depression thing, I'm not sad or down, just need something to look forward to and without the buzz I remain flat. I had a big urge at lunchtime today, managed to avoid it, hope I can get home safe tonight then I will be ok until at least Monday and the weekend gives me space and time to re-focus and stay on track. This is all purely for financial benefit, nothing else.

I understand that post a bit more captain....you leave the door open to getting your buzz from elsewhere....

I started fishing again last year, truthfully I probably can't really afford to do it but I enjoy it, it gives me something to focus on and it still gives me a small 'escape' from daily troubles....

the minnows ive caught so far might not give me a 'buzz' but I'll get a monster one day....

take care

Back gambling again., Enough said, only lasted 3 and a half weeks, I cant cope.

Hi Captain.

I feel for you mate as i think you are having a harder task that any of us in giving up or controlling your gambling. By my reckoning the main reason for this is that you do not want to stop gambling, you just want to stop losing.

I'll level with you Captain. I miss the buzz of gambling so much. My life feels like it has a big empty hole in it at the moment. I'm spending hours of an evening or on a weekend just not knowing what to do with myself. I'd love to nip out to the bookies for an hour now if truth be told. There is just no point though. Honestly i would give myself 10 minutes before i would be betting £50 on a dog or on a virtual race. I'll settle for sitting at home bored rather than put myself through all that again.

There is no point telling you to put blocks in place or to take it one day at a time because it isn't working for you mate. I don't think anything is going to work for you until you make the decision that you really want to stop as opposed to you simply wanting to stop losing.

I hope you get there in the end though Captain as life is too precious to waste it gambling.

Captain.,

sorry to read your update.

I think Curly has it spot on, I daren't even think about how many times I 'gave up' - often making a few days, a week maybe, occassionally a few weeks, I just never did, I always found something else to gamble on.

In hindsight, as Curly say I just wanted to stop losing. I realised yesterday that I could have brought the 'realistic' house of my dreams, I could actually afford a house the right size, location, in the right state of disrepair that I could rectify myself, over time - which is what I would love to do. I could of had that to, had I only given up gambling sooner.

You have choices right now, no matter how hard it feels, you can choose now to quit, once and for all, no sports bets nothing, you can choose to try and at least control your spending whilst you get further help, you can choose to gamble.....

whichever you do choose, I wish you well and I personally hope you can go another three and a half weeks without gambling, take care

regards

dan

Curly / Dan, thanks for comments and support, appreciated, can't argue with anything you say, you are spot-on.

just read bifftannon's???? update, sounds like he has used bike riding as a distraction....I've used fishing (cos I'm boring!)...many others have used running....

I know in december when I first started reposting, I also used this website for hours each day, whatever it took for me to not gamble.....

I'm only just over 150 days so have a long time to go before I can speak with any authority, but as my counsellor said to me, The one thing gambling has shown me is that I can get addicted to things.....and there are far more useful things to be addicted to than gambling...

will leave you alone now but maybe a random hobby would help you right now....

Thanks for post Dan. Ironically I dont need a time filling hobby - in years gone by I spent every lunchtime, most nights and virtually all weekend gambling. However I have worked hard to do other things in recent years. The weekends and evenings are now not a problem, only lunchtimes are, but the trouble is, when I go without gambling for a week or two, it all just builds up and then I can lose a huge amount in half an hour on a given lunchtime. So I know people are going to say I need to find something to fill my lunchtime, thats obvious, but believe me I have been trying to do this for years and its not easy. Wandering aimlessly and browsing the same shops every day is difficult when I have been used to having a 'lift' and a 'buzz' at lunchtime. ( I dont need this away from work but I need it to get through the day some days, or at least I've been conditioned like that for many years. )

Captain,

Brief reply.... you are big and bold enough to hear it straight.

Your choice is whether to gamble and pretty much guarantee further deterioration, or whether to stop and choose a new way of life. Simple as. Once you hurt enough and when gambling brings you low, I mean really low, the "buzz" makes you shudder and you can see it as a ticket back to those lows.

Time to take it serious captain. You either have a problem or you don't. If you do, you will do anything to fix it. Have you been to GA ?

Brian

Hi Brian

Thanks for post. you probably dont know me that well and havent read my diary in full which I can full appreciate. I do have massive problems and have been trying to tackle them for 6 years now and made a lot of progress from where I was.

However I have never wanted to completely stop, always wanted to restrict myself to Sports only, which I have successfully achieved over anything up to 7 month periods.

I have tried GA twice and would never go back, I dont feel their cult based approach suits me although I appreciate thousands have found it beneficial. I have had counselling but have gained most help from this Forum.

Hi Capn

Cheers for the post on my diary (even though it was about a week back!). Actually agree with you that its the enormous debt that is holding me back in recovery. Without that I would be able to fill the void left byu gambling as I could afford to do things. but as it is I can't. Not gambling just leaving a great big hole in my life which I cannot afford to fill. i know you of all people understand this.

And so sorry to hear of your slip up, not going to give you advice as you know it all and have heard it a thousand times before. I also agree with you about GA, and although their approach works for a lot of people its not for me either.

All the best mate.

Dave