Life With Sports Bets Only

Captain, that's an interesting point, why would you rather be gambling? Is it the game playing or the risk?

Captain, it amazes me that people are still trying to offer advice to you, as it's clear to me that you will do this in your own time & in your own way. Maybe everbody sees a little bit of you in themselves, in that you admit that you enjoy gambling, which is why we all got started on this road in the first place, and we all want to control what we are doing.

This is obviously the hard part.

Anyways good to hear that your not gambling at the moment, I know the weekends aren't a problem for you, so if you could get to Monday gamble free, it would be good.

Paul

Dan/Paul, thanks for posts.

re still wishing I was gambling even when I am making an effort to control, the 'fix' has been my weakness. When I have sports bets on the go that keeps me going, when I cant identify when the next sports bet will be (i.e. particularly this time of year at end of football season ), I struggle without a regular fix or buzz, so I go to the cashpoint and take out money and gamble on anything that moves. If I win, I'm satisfied and I walk back to work happy, if I dont I go and withdraw more, until I get a winner. I may go back to work having lost money but I have achieved the aim - getting the buzz of a winner. I need to learn to live without the need for this.

( The worst times have of course been when I have lost and lost and not got a winner at all till I lose all money I can get hold of that day. )

Based on blocks in place and weekend coming up the next possible chance for me to fall off the rails is Monday,

I'll be fine till then but I'd rather be gambling.

from where I currently view things, the one type of gambling I can understand is what I would call just for fun, I used to love an evening out, finishing up in casino with a sensible amount, for me about £30/40, which I used to place about £3-4 of bets on the roulette, if I won I won, if I lost, I'd had a couple of hours of fun and probably spent less then if I'd hit a nightclub. I, not often, also had a few times where I placed a few pounds on a sports game and yes it added to the enjpyment of watching the game.

I just simply lost control, thankfully (imo) I also lost any buzz from a winner, I was flat, win or lose, because I got to a point where it mattered not, even if I 'won' I knew in my heart I would not use the money wisely, at best I'd keep hold of it for a few days before giving it back.

I really dont envy you at all captain, I get why you miss it, it must be a darn sight easier for me, I now have a very bold line, I know I can't afford to cross.

Thanks for your replies, I really do find it interesting learning about other peoples challenges, it makes me consider my own thoughts/ beliefs. I'm by no means 'cured' and I want to make sure I continue my understanding of gambling and its side affects, so that I may indeed never gamble again.

I'll leave you alone now but will continue to read about your progress and wish you all the best

regards

dan

Hi captain, i'm not going to give you advice as you have been here long enough....I'm just going to give you my own view. I do miss the buzz of betting. I used to love it, the banter with mates, the bets, the chase, the winnings etc. That's why I started at the age of 15 and carried on for 18 years. I loved it. The only problem was my constant lying, hiding the truth, being a total b*****d, being selfish, changing my wife's opinion of me, spending less time with my children, hating myself, feeling constant guilt. The buzz and banter with mates was great but not better than being a good father and husband to my family. Russ

captain. .You quoted on another diary that some on here want to cause trouble and are only here to boost their egos. I ve read over many diaries on here but Cant seem to find the ones your on about. Maybe you could enlighten us because from what i ve read these people have really had enough of gambling and its dangers and only want to better their lives. .I seem to recall you claiming on your diary that people wanted you to fail. .again total nonsense. People on here are only tryin to help you but your attitude towards defeating this does nt seem or want to change.. For years upon years i was EXACTLY the same as yourself but something had to give. .Same old same old captain the only person that can change from all this is YOU. . Best of strength to you mate one day you WILL do this 😉

Russ/wp, thanks for posts , appreciated.

Russ - thanks for admitting you miss the buzz, I'm sure most do but some dont admit it and put it across as gambling being all evil and with no up side. I reckon learning to live without gambling is the crux, those who claim they dont miss it are deluding themselves.

wp - our opinions differ re some people on the site, for me most are in the same boat and give good advice and support each other. Unfortunately some just have the opinion that their way is the only way and cant see that there are many ways to skin a cat and that preaching the same s**t and criticising others for not following their advice to the letter isnt going to help.

Those who have stopped for a long period and just come on here and scoff at others who are either finding things difficult or taking a different approach, those are the guys who for me should just go away and get on with their gamble free lives, they are not adding value.

Day 3 of no gambling...

At work with some change in my pocket but no notes. Feel flat, demotivated as would be expected. Under performing at work.

I'll be ok till at least Monday now. I'd rather be gambling but I cant.

their way is not the only way but its working for them. Maybe you should take some of their advice instead of thinking they are preaching s * i t. You came back on here asking for help and when others have advised you take it as criticism ?? At the end of the day we come on here to beat gambling as for most of us its brought us to our knees. .i do recall Seano recommending a site for you to control your gambling. .I take it that never worked either. .by the way im one of those buzz missers you go on about but like i said something had to give or id be in the gutter. . If you really want to stop do something about it and NO im not scoffing as you put it as most over the past 18 months have appreciated my input !

ok captain point taken im glad you feel you are making progress and yes its not the 1st time ive been frustrated by your diary so least we agree on something..heres a little story of mine that id like to share with you...before i joined this site i was getting councelling to the extent that i wanted to control my gambling habits and have sports bets on a saturday only..the councellor reluctantly agreed to this so week in week out i went there giving it the old im in control routine lying to myself as deep down i was still gambling...it got to the stage where i frustrated my councellor (and she knew i was lying) so much that i got an outburst of what the hell am i doing there then...strong words they were in fact i was brought to my knees and then found this place...i havent looked back since and still managed my councelling lessons that gamcare provided until the end of the course..who knows maybe you can talk to gamcare and take councelling limiting your bets...take care mate one day the penny will drop for you as it did with me on that frustrating day with my councellor 😉

Home from work, 3 days of no gambling. Watching golf. See how I get on, I would normally watch with aim of identifying who to bet on at halfway stage but as I'm not gambling I won't be doing that. Mcilroy looks like he has it won anyway. Can I get any enjoyment out of watching without a bet, doubt it very much but it will pass the time.

Hi Captain, I can see why people get frustrated with you because you don't fit into their categories, or maybe we do fit into all their categories, but are not ready to take the same steps they have. The denial stage/we can control stage I think is where we are at.

But no telling us that their way is the way forward, is going to make us change, we really do need to find out for ourselves.

Your diary is one of the most honest diaries I have read, as you tell things as they are, not that I doubt anybody elses, but it will always lead to criticism because you won't abstain completely.

Hope you enjoy the sport over the weekend, I'd be looking to lay Mcilroy if I wasn't self excluded from the exchanges, I backed G Macdowell last year at 60/1, told the missus, gave her part of the winnings and gambled ALL of the winnings as well. Brilliant

Thanks for post Paul. Great story re mcdowell winnings, I've been in that position many times myself,won through careful and time consuming analysis on sport, got great satisfaction from it and then blown it all within a week on rubbish cartoon and dog racing.

Tried watching golf at weekend but no interest without a bet and even for a non-gambler not much excitement with mcilroy winning easily.

Thought for today - people get credit on here for putting barriers in place like betfilter and self exclusion and rightly so for taking that step if that helps them. But if someone has all the stops in place such that they simply can't gamble, why do they still get credit and praise for staying clean for 6 months or whatever? If you have stopped yourself from doing something then there's no challenge to it. Ok I guess you could deinstall betfilter or still make an attempt to enter an establishment from which you are excluded but it's highly unlikely the longer time goes on.

For me those who still have the means to gamble without completely shutting off options deserve more credit from long term abstinence. They are doing it out of determination and desire, not through locking all the doors.

Just a point for discussion, not at all criticising those who self exclude, just thinking that by choosing that path and being congratulated 6 months down the line, all that is really happening is someone saying 'congratulations on what you did 6 months ago' over and over again.

Pretty poor statement there Captain. I think you like a good argument....and I expect you will get one! If you get to 6 months through having barriers or not as the case may be, I'll give you credit either way. It's not a competition.....

captain,

i see where your coming from but if it helps people not gamble then fair play your competing with yourself and no one else at the end of the day its down to yourself and no one else these sites are for support we are not competing who can go the longest but trying to help each other on the daily struggle and if someone goes 6 months clean i take my hat off to them and when i get there (hopefully) i would expect some congratulations mainly coming from myself. 6 months is a huge step in the right direction. Not criticising you just adding my thoughts.

good luck in your battle

people get credit on here for trying to stop an illness that has gone completely out of control . .whether it be 1 day 1 month or 6 months as you put it. . A wee bit encouragement and pointers in the right directions can make the world of difference to someones recovery. I am at where i am today without self excluding/bet filter etc but because gambling ruined my life !!. As has been said This site is not a competition !!