Life With Sports Bets Only

Note that I put on someone else's diary re list of things I've come across myself or been advised of; happy for it to be added to:

Read Overcoming Gambling by Philip Mawer

Spend lots of time on here

Attend GA (hate it myself but appreciate it works well for others)

Dont carry cards and cash

Cut up credit cards

Seek financial assistance re debts

Get someone to look after your money

Self Exclude from shops / establishments and put Betfilters and blockers on line

Find new pastimes

Develop new routines

Exercise more

Dont look at literature re gambling in papers / online etc.

Review and analyse your past and note all the trouble gambling has got you in, financial, emotional, otherwise

Train your brain to live without the buzz

Think that every day without gambling is a win

Get counselling

Sign up to an in-house residential therapy centre

I liked Overcoming Gambling by Philip Mawer would recommend. I am finding GA okay I don't want to get lost in it but okay. I agree with that list not as easy as it sounds. How you doing?

Hi Captain,

Thanks for your post, very much appreciated.

I posted on your diary many times in the past when I had my previous recovery diary. I have followed your story from the start, so I know that not everyone has always agreed with your stance on recovery and points of view on what addiction and compulsion is all about.

I do though thing we are similar in many ways.

Keep strong my friend.

I really do hope that you take all that advice on your list and find your own path to recovery. I will look for that book you mention and hopefully find a new direction in my recovery. I have been trying for nigh on 5 years to stop.

all the best

MW

Hi Captain.

I'm not having that your betting on the dogs is not addictive behaviour. I suspect that what you really mean is that your betting on the dogs is sometimes profitable and therefore by labelling it non-addictive it gives you an 'out' to continue with it.

Let me ask you this. When you bet on the dogs do you study the form carefully and make your selections before you enter the bookies? Or do you simply have a brief scan of the form before each and EVERY race before then throwing down a large wager in EVERY race irrespective of whether you have a definite fancy or not. Maybe sometimes the race is due to go off before you have a chance to study the form so to hell with it you throw down your large wager just by taking a quick scan at the odds on the screen? Got to get your money down before the bell after all.

Any man or woman who bets haphazardly on virtual racing is an addict. You (and I) are betting on a cartoon with a pre-determined outcome for f***''s sake!

An addict is an addict Captain simple as. The only way for you is complete abstinence. Stay strong my friend.

Your description re my sporadic betting on dogs is spot on Curly - hands up you got me.

Captain - as you say... I think Curly's speaking some sense there.

I remember when I first got into gambling properly; I was working in the betting shop on my gap year before Uni. I remember a bloke who was going through a real 'purple patch'; one day, he was betting on every horse/dog race, picking a load of winners - and making what seemed like a fortune.

I turned to my boss and said - "that guy's doing well - he must be making a packet?" But my boss turned round and said - "No way... he bets on EVERY race. No matter how good you think you are, if you bet on every race - you're bound to lose money". Sure enough - he was completely right.

But lo and behold... I eventually became that guy. Rushing up to the counter to place my dog bet just at the bell - not having even looked at the form, just quickly scribbling a number based on how the odds looked on a screen.

I know now that I cannot bet like that... Moreover, I know I cannot bet at all. because I'm a compulsive gambler... and however I start, that's what I always become.

Good luck my friend

D123

Great post D123.

That guy betting on each and every single race is me to a tee. You as well Captain. Classic compulsive gambling. I do miss the 112, 114, 119, 124, 127, 133, 135, 137, 144 lunchtime buzz but I'm in a better place mentally and financially.

I hope you keep posting Captain as I always find interest in your entries.

Curly / D123 - thanks for posts.

Today's recovery status: ( some of this has been said already but for my own benefit and for the comment of others:

I have not had a bet on Snooker, Tennis, Golf or Horses in advance now for a long time and this will not change - 100%.

I have not bought the RP since last summer -this will not change - 100%.

I closed all telephone accounts a long time ago. I've never bet online. This wont change - 100%.

I have gone 2 days without any random gambling on virtual/dogs etc. in bookies - there will definitely be none tonight or at the weekend so that will be 4 days. I need to keep that going.

I will continue to bet on football until the end of the UK domestic season. I have never completed a football bet in a hurry - all bets are placed having studied and decided what to do and with affordable stakes. My first ever bet in a bookies was on football and if I'd never bet anything else I wouldnt be a CG and wouldnt have a problem.

At the end of the football season I will abstain from all gambling at least until the new football season begins.

Thought for today - there are people working in bookmakers shops who I have experienced just stand and shake their heads in amazement at the body language and highs and lows of the punters. There are staff who are all wide-eyed and shocked at punters putting hundreds of pounds on cartoon virtual races.

I used to think - these people dont understand, they dont experience the highs and lows, they dont know what its like to feel the buzz and win. But they also dont experience the loss of all of their money and the debt.

Their reactions were spot on. We have been silly betting high amounts of money on random outcomes.

The only sensible thing I can say about betting on virtual racing is that having done it for years I have worked out that not all the races are new. Just like cartoons on TV, they screen repeats. And I have been able to (and sad enough to) remember the outcome of certain races whenever I see the line-up and odds and on those cases I have been getting 'money for nothing'. But of course they are the minority and the majority ends up in loss through out of control gambling on anything that moves where the putcome is far from predictable.

Hi Captain,

Thanks for your post on my diary.

I take your comments on board and kind of see what you mean.

What works for one, doesn't necessarily work for another with this recovery lark.

When I mention about getting through "one day at a time". I am basically saying that sometimes it is far better for me personally to set a smaller goal with regards to not gambling.

If I were to say, "right that's it I'm not going to gamble again", I know that this is highly unlikely - given my track record over the last 4 years of recovery.

That's why for me, just getting through one day is a small success, one that is quite rewarding at the end of the day (if you pardon the pun!).

I find some days easier than others and personally this actually puts less pressure on me and my recovery in the long term.

I look at Gazza as a great example of beating this addiction on a daily basis. He has got through each day for over a year now, and his days have mounted up in no time.

Sometimes we need to change the way we think about recovery to find our own fit. I am no expert as I am only 9 days into my current abstinence. I did however manage 4 months without a bet last year before I drifted back to gambling. It was a great time for me, putting together 120 odd bet free days. If I can get close to that again, it will be well worth it, so for me I will work towards getting through Day 10 tomorrow.

Keep strong my friend

MW

9 days without any unplanned random gambling now. How long can I keep this going for? Every time I am in this mode I hope it will last forever........

Captain,

Its probably been a couple of years since I posted on your diary. It stilltroubles me. Lol.

Thing is, and i wanted to post this as caution for others, that your diary reads to me as a gambling strategy discussion. I'm from the GA camp that says no gambling period. Each to their own I guess but the gambler brain in me started to drift about being able to gamble normally.

I wish you allthe best.

Brian

to Brian

sorry I browsed a number of pages and couldnt find your diary, maybe you havent updated for a while and I dont think there is a search facility on here to enable me to find it.

Thanks for your post, good to hear from you after such a while. As you know I am not a GA fan but respect how much good they do and how they have helped countless others.

I'd say my diary is about recovery strategies not gambling strategy ( I dont give out details of selections which have won and lost lol !). My recovery strategy is about learning to live without different types of gambling comfortably without too much force and restraint. I have managed to do this in terms of removal of telephone betting and removal of betting on horses, golf and snooker. I dont miss not betting on these things at all now. I only need to *** living without random and football. I have gone 9 days without random and dont miss it yet, see how long that lasts. I have currently no desire to give up football betting. In periods of complete abstinence I have found that not being 'involved' has a negative effect on me as a person, all that benefits is the financial side. However I hope to remove random completely, concentrate solely on football and see where that takes me.

I think there are many different recovery and coping strategies and complete abstinence doesnt work for all. I read many diaries on here where people are living a much better life through not gambling and good luck to them, I'm pleased for them, but I also read many where people are struggling to abstain each day - I think for some they shouIdnt put themselves under pressure to not bet every day, consider different approaches. e.g. only betting 2 days a week or 5 days a month or whatever is still progress for someone who used to bet every day. Reducing and managing types and frequencies has its merits.

Hope you respect my opinions.

Best Wishes

Captain

Hi

I don't disagree with you on many different strategies to giving up gambling. I have a problem with horses I bet on other things but the horses are the catalyst for everything else. I have decided to knock all forms of gambling on the head as I don't trust myself. I go to GA but I use it differently I just use it to check in like I do here. I do think you are living dangerously but thats your choice. If it works for you who am I to argue. I would of thought I would be more jealous than I am. I do prefer a world without gambling.

Michael

Hi captain on the first day of your diary you said you do sports betting ok but struggle and end up losing on Other stuff that to me seems the problem most compulsive gamblers have I don't think we can gamble ok if I do one day a week eventually over the next six months I will be betting every day again fair play to you if you can we are all different I guess.

The bear