Looking forward to taking control again!

Hi martin,

Well done for getting the support you need on here and live chats and for also making to day 3.

The lesson learned here is that no matter how much time you work on being gamble free and for how long we always need to work on some sort of recovery and not to get complacent.

I remember going 3 years without gambling and deviated basically into another form of it in which I realized and let go of it and reset my days.

Some recovering compulsive gamblers have to understand if it's a form of gambling it's gambling like the lottery... We had one chap who used to come to meetings but thought it was ok to just play the lottery as it wasn't much, after months he realized it was and made him go into slots again.

My best advice is to clear house and be honest with yourself in which it looks like you are. If you get a chance or if it's local try a GA meeting for just as support help and perspective.

Dave101

Always find it incredible how much money people can spend on slot machines

Spins on physical machines are capped at what 1-2 quid ?

so to go through 2 grand must have taken a full day of non stop play ? 

Did you not get fed up at any stage ? even when I was in my prime online jumping between slots , roulette and blackjack after 2-3 hours I would of had a gutsful of it because its so mind numbing 

Not judging but just genuinely find it fascinating how one is able to spend so long gambling in one session 

Hi Martin,

Interesting post, crazy to hear you got introduced to slots at such a young age but you should take courage from the fact you stopped for such a long time before, it means you have the ability to do it again.

One thing I would point out is if you truly want to stop, I would recommend completely stopping all gambling, setting a budget may work for a short period of time but more than likely this approach will fail and only lead to more gambling with larger amounts of money as you chase that dopamine hit.

Danny

Hello All, and thanks to the members who took the time to interact with my post.

The main point I have taken from you all is not to let any other form of gambling to creep in and then potentially lead me back to the slots. I could spend all day on the slots and not get bored, it really just does take me away into another world.

Looking back though, when I was gamble free for over a year, it was a much better, I fact amazing, life in general. I always had money, I didn’t use as much credit cards etc and I felt like I had achieved something that was for me. Looking forward to going back to those days.

Thanks

Martin

Good luck martin, keep reading and coming back here 

Hi Martin, Well done for taking back control, hope all is well. How did Day 5 and now 6 go?

Hello All,

Thanks for reaching out, it is really helping me to stay on track. Still gamble free, on day 6 today. Still waiting for the peer support email to get me started, but keeping positive. Hope you all are having a good day, TGIF! 

Martin

Hi Martin

Thank you for your sharing your honesty with us.

That indicates your fears are reduced.

Yes by reading though forums is a kind of sharing.

Live meetings with therapies helped me a lot.

Any clean time you have earned is not lost.

You are 39 and me aged 77 years not much in it.

Yes Fruit machines were my escape as a kid in England going to the coast as well.

Brighton sometimes on the piers

Once I was really in to meetings with therapies lead to me going to 11 Counsellors.

I was asked when do you know you are ready for going to Counsellors, I think it is once you reduce your fears in to single figures.

Yes reading though forums you get to understand more about yourself and others.

Humbling my self to be an equal to all in the recovery program no matter when my last bet was.

The question what is money.

In recovery it represents how many hours weeks months and years it took me to earn that money.

In effect I was working for nothing at certain times in my addiction.

The recovery meetings are life saving and pain saving times.

The more meetings the more time I do my steps the more I get out of it.

Some people think that you get successful by being rich.

No by being healthy in your actions and your words is what my success is based up on today.

A rich man in his mansion I asked him are your happy and reached your goals by being rich and having a nice home.

He laughed at me and asked me did I think his goal in life was to be rich.

He said my gool in life was to be successful, and in being successful I earn more money.

Money was never my goal.

That was a very healthy powerful light bulb moment for me.

A healthy sponsor will not preach to a person.

A healthy sponsor will be nurturing and encouraging in your recovery.

A healthy sponsor will never take any responsibility for your success in your recovery.

A healthy sponsor will help you name your fears and help you reduce your fears.

It is important to not procrastinate in my recovery.

It is important to not rush at doing things but to take your time.

One Saturday morning in England my wife asked how I was feeling.

Well Saturday morning was dog time then after noon was horses.

So on this Saturday I told my wife I was feeling very vulnerable.

Having been living in fear of Saturdays seemed my only choice.

My wife told me to put on my jacket and that we were going out.

Where to I asked, she said we will know where we get there.

We got in the car and finished up at a bowling Alley with our son.

Well after that Saturday morning every week we went ten pin bowling and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Did I live in fear of Saturdays after that. NO. 

We took one unhealthy habit and replaced with a healthy habit. 

We are not cured but we are less emotionally vulnerable.

The recovery program is a life saver.

Healing Love and Peace to everyone.

Dave L

AKA Dave of Beckenham

Hello all,

I unfortunately had a slip up on Thursday and am now back to day 4. I am disappointed, but I know I have the support just round the corner and I really need to give it a go. I know I am not thinking straight but as my peer support hadn’t started I think in the heat of the moment, (I was at a planned birthday day out in the pubs and my friends were also gambling) I just thought I will have a small gamble now and then start again when I am talking with someone.

i really don’t want to waste anyone’s time, but I felt if I didn’t come back and write I could easily go back the way.

Hope you all had a good day.

M

Good evening all,

Day 6 today, and it was payday! Managed to not gamble and had a good day. Another day down. 🥳

Well done Martin, great work. Payday is always the best day of the month ahah. Just make sure its your money and not the bookies 😉 Good luck

hi everyone,

31 days today. I now have peer to peer support and took up the 4 sessions of extra help calls. It is really helping, urges still somewhat strong.

just got to keep on going.

hope everyone has a great Christmas.

M