Life With Sports Bets Only

Hi Captain... tough it out if you can. Mindless random gambling only relieves the stress while your actually mindlessly randomly gambling. Once you stop the act of mindlessly randomly gambling then the stress will then return together with any new financial problems you may have just created.

You know all this of course and I understand how difficult it is not to do it anyway.. but whatever happens, keep posting. I relate to how you see things... S.A

Thanks Sandra and SA and I cannot argue with you.

I think I can get through this week Monday to Friday, I dont foresee any stressful moments at work and have an established if boring nighttime routine.

From next Saturday to January 5th, without work to take up any of my time and more importantly my mind, I am not so sure at all. Anything I do during this period does not require my concentration like work does and so my thoughts will inevitably become downbeat and negative too often until the festive period is over.

I keep saying 'I cant have another festive period like this one' but then every year comes around and it hasnt changed.

Feel like I have from now until Saturday to identify a mechanism for dealing with stress daily for the following 16 days. If I dont identify something then the chances of random gambling playing a role are high.

Captain

fella I read your last posts with interest, I admire your honesty, I will say that the only person who has the answers to your questions is you.

You post alot about wanting to give up the compulsion to gamble, that you have to be ready, for next to nearly the last six months you have in your words abstained from the random gambling that reaped havoc upon your life.

So ask yourself, what have you done since this time last year to address those issues in your life?? the ones that only you can change.

Captain I gave in to my addiction for the potential of an immediate gain, a way to resolve a situation, purely a financial one.

All it did was mentally beat me up, and dig a bigger hole financially, there are no positives in me feeding my addiction.

You said much the same on my thread, that stopping gambling is simply not enough.

This I took as a huge lesson, why?

Because you were right fella.

So can you change the immediate future, there is a multitude of soup kitchens out there who need support at this time of the year, there are always cheap flights to countries that don't big up xmas like here, after all you gift youself £250 pounds a week to yourself, why not use it for another purpose?? £500 notes can go a long way.

Bottom line is captain, as many have said here wisely many times nothing changes if nothing changes.

You have been so proud of the last 6 months, is it worth waging away??

Maybe ask yourself the question.

What would I write if the question was on another thread??

I just hope the choice gifts YOU what you want.

Regards Duncs

Morning captain

Still always reading with great interest, your diary gives such a different output to any other, for me personally it keeps me balanced on this site

The stress of xmas coming up and for yourself some time off work which is always difficult as our daily routine goes out of the window, I just had ten days off and found it tough managed to get through it but only by reverting to one day at a time making that choice each day, but should it really be that hard surely when were off work we should enjoy it out av urges knocking at the door

I'm sure u will work this one out and do it ur way most importantly keep posting through it judge yourself at the end of it all, normality will return in Jan

Castle2

Thanks Duncan and Castle, appreciate your support.

Duncan - for whatever reason I dont like change. When brought about by others it is of course unavoidable but with regard changing my own life it took me years to admit I even had a gambling problem. I have made changes in instalments over 5 years with all th changes focused on addressing the gambling issues. Despite other issues in my life being greater than gambling in all but financial terms, I dont know how quickly I can make them, whether for the festive period or permament changes. It is hard for a loner to engage in anything whether it be part-time, a one-off or whatever. Even harder for a loner without any relevant conversation. I will look to make changes I just dont know what and how quickly.

Castle - you are right all will be back to normal in January,

Tomsos return to the tune of losing £4k in 8 days is a sharp reminder of what could happen to me if I returned to random. I just have to try and avoid the thought that for the next few weeks that everyone else is at the party and I havent got an invite.

Or if I do think that way then find ways to deal with it other than random gambling.

Captain

Fella some very honest and sobering words have been written by your good self today.

As you say a sharp reminder this morning of the destruction our compulsion can bring.

I hope it gifts you the ability to make a choice that suits you.

Regards duncs.

Two weeks of holidays now. Lots of spare time. Have written a list of things to do. Need to get balance right between relaxing and doing things. No inclination at present to random gamble and not putting myself under pressure to do all the things on the list but the list is there to fill my time so that boredom or the stress of the season and my lack of festive involvement don't put my head in a bad place.

Hi Captain... I hope you find that balance. Having a list of stuff to do sounds good. Sometimes I find that just going for a walk in the countryside or a park can help shift my thinking to something better when I feel in a bit of a funk. Take care mate... S.A 🙂

Captain

fella glad to see you have worked through those emotions you were having, for it I hope you take some solice and reward.

Thought of you earlier when I read a thread about a bet going south.

The author said his bet went down because an 'unknown' player beat his man.

Well made me think I am a huge darts fan, never have bet on it, so still enjoy it with the same vigour I did twenty years ago, I watch all the tournaments and keep up to date with the rankings, even have a few friends in those rankings and to say the fella was 'unknown' is way off the mark, he is the world junior champion and is in the world champs for a very good reason, so you are probally thinking why is he rambling on my thread lol.

Because fella I can see were you may use your education of a sport to gamble on a sporting outcome, if you don't like the author of today's post surely this constitutes nothing other than random gambling, sort of a lottery bet???

As I said many times captain and will again, for me it is not the fault of the gambling industry but the individual's compulsion to gamble, for me I simply cant stop myself, when i go at it.

For you I know different, I hope you take my point, and hope to think your gambling as I think far more educated than the above mentioned.

Regards Duncs.

Thanks for the posts of support SA and Duncan.

Dunc - yes I get what you say totally about that Darts result. Darts was one of many sports which I have removed from my gambling over the years. Unfortunately it falls in the category of not having an interest in watching it without a bet. Used to watch Bristow and Lowe and Wilson back in the days before gambling, now I take little interest other than newspaper headlines.

I am starting to think of my abstinence from random akin to a death in the family, maybe a family member with some great memories but a character who you couldn't stand at times as well. Based on this I think getting through a whole year ( to June 2014 ) would be a fine achievement as I'd have tackled all the regular feelings, stresses and strains which come around at the same times in the calendar without the crutch of random gambling to help. Does this make sense to others who have abstained for a year or more?

For me feels more like the end of a relationship than a death, when every day you walk down the street you just might bump into that person and all the old feelings might well up again as you just remember the good times and the fun you had.

For me that's why I have to run like mad if I spot that person as I have made the mistake of going back many times both in relationships and gambling only to realise my mistake too late.

Have spent several lovely holidays with my ex partner since we split but this year just didn't work which I guess is a bit like your controlled gambling and as with much on here an unknown quantity as to how long it will work for you with temptation so close by.

I am thinking as the months go by you really need to remember that although you used it as a crutch it then led to the bad times, as the mind can play tricks when misremembering as in the past when I have managed long periods of time it has been false memories of a comfort blanket that have drawn me back in.

You said that there are repairs to your house that need doing so also wondering if you have a diy friend that could help over the Christmas break and kill two birds with one stone by keeping you occupied and saving money.

xxx

Have to find more things to do to add to my holiday list as I've done half of them in past 2 days. Memory tells me daytimes are better than night for me finding things to do. Nights at this time of year I just feel I should be out partying somewhere but lifes circumstances don't offer me that opportunity at the moment.

Remembering years gone by when bookmakers were closed Christmas Eve. I was always in up to closing time on the 23rd as the thought was I then had to somehow get by without a bet for 2 whole days.

Couldn't have imagined coping for almost 6 months at that point.

Hi captain

Stay strong over the next two weeks, hope xmas goes ok for you and lets hope more of the continued success for 2014 thanks for all your support throughout the year

Castle2

Got in touch with 3 people I haven't seen for years to ask about meeting up with them. One hasn't replied, another says could meet up in January but I don't believe him, the third says he will check the family calendar and let me know when he's free. Doubt anything will come of that either. But at least I'm trying.

This was the same years ago. Guys have wives and families and never have time to meet up regular. Meeting somebody once every 6 months with a couple of texts inbetween does nothing for me.

My list of things to do will cover me till Friday. The weekend I'll just treat as a normal weekend.

From next Monday I could really struggle.

Best wishes and Merry Christmas to all who read my diary and support me.

Hang in Captain, You have done well this year keep it going been skint is an issue you can do without. I love your diary and look forward to reading it in the New Year.