my betting diary

Hi wp.

Thanks for your post.

If you feel like going to G.A...then why not.

I know you'd be an asset to anywhere for recovering gamblers.And especially if it helps you.

It is weird how we are so different in gambling termes.

Some people dread the thought of upcoming horse racing events and others dread casinos,my case online....!

But we do all have this in common...no matter what sort of gambling brought us here we are in this together and we all have the same goal.

wp wishing you a great weekend and going to give you a cyber handshake back.

All the best.

Viggo.

Hi wp.

Your last post on my diary really put a smile on my face.As for expensive in Norway....you bet it is!

Thats why we always got tanked up(in the days gone by) before we went out.

Honestly though if you ever feel like coming over here to viking land let me know!

Put you up no probs.

Viggo.

Hi wp.. Just to comment on your recent thoughts. Ive been going to Ga on and off for years. All I would say is that everyone is made welcome whether they gambled 20 minutes b4 the meeting or if there last gamble was 6728 days ago. One of the interesting things i find about Ga meetings is it brings together folk who would otherwise never normally meet like say a business man with huge gambling debt to a homeless person whose main reason for being there might be because its warm. Other peoples lives fascinate me and help me to reflect upon my own. If you feel inclined to check out a meeting then go with an open mind.

Also maybe just don't think about a life time of abstinence.. just carry on as you are... living life. I went for over 1000 days without a gamble and then stepped back into it and it felt like i'd never been away. As you know from my recent experinces to gamble again is straight back to the deep end... its not back to when it was a bit of fun. Anyways you don't need me to say these things... thanks for your support.. as alwasy it helps.. S.A 🙂

Hi wp.

Cheers for the post pal.

I saw the same interview you referred to about the football pro coming to the end of his career with little or nothing to show for it. There was another lad playing in Scotland now who did an interview the other day telling of his own troubles. He said that he could name a player from every Scottish Premier League Club that has a major gambling problem.

It's hardly surprising that young lads with money to burn and time on their hands after training fall into the same trap that the likes of you and I did. Let's hope their stories have the same happy endings that yours and mine will pal.

Enjoy your weekend wp.

hi wp,

how are you ?

I see you were thinking of going to G.A.

as a former attendee myself, i say give it a go - its not everyones cup of tea, but i got an enormous amount out of it, and reached 2 years gamble free, whilst attending the meetings, and do not worry in the slightest about being off gambling for over 400 days - in my group we had someone who had gone 30 years since having his last bet, and he attended week in week out, knowing even after all that time, that he would lose everything if he ever gambled again.

Give it a go wp, and if you don't like it or its not your thing, at least you can say you tried it.

tommi

Hi wp,

just wanted to give you a high five!!!!

Take care,

f x

Thanks for the support wp. I too thought about a lifetime of abstinence and to be honest my reaction was, I cant do it. But 6 months ago, my reaction was , I cant give up gambling, well that is going against the grain at this moment in time. Dont set yourself such targets, just dont gamble today and the rest will follow mate

Keep up the good work

Blues

Well said blues. I agree 100%.

wp, in terms of the other stuff regarding multiple aliases... its a pity and shows great disrespect for this forum. Can't let that get in the way of your recovery though.

Have you got plans to deal with Cheltenham? I know I'm mentioning the unmentionable here but being prepared may help. I know you are in 'horsie' circles , or 'trainer/jockey' circles so I can't imagine the struggle it will be. In Dublin, it's all over the tv, papers, conversations etc..for weeks beforehand so I know I cannot avoid it. God knows what it must be like for you.

How about a Cheltenham Thread on the Gamcare recovery diaries, where we pre-arrange to be here from 2-5:30 on each of the race days ? Help each other through it?

Keep strong,

Brian

Post I think you are in the same place as I was 12 months ago. If you recall I could not see a life with no interest in horse racing and in particular point to point. I attended Cheltenham because I have met the same friends once a year since the late 70's and I also attended a point to point meeting around May. Neither of these times encouraged me to go back to my bad old days although as you know I slipped in September by going back into the bookies and that led me back to the fobt's. I know that I must not even think about going into bookies as I cannot control my gambling when I am there. I know in my mind that the races are different. I never had a problem when I went last year. I enjoyed meeting my friends at Cheltenham and the atmosphere and also enjoyed walking the course at the point to point. I have managed to completely seperate gambling and watching horses and have no worries whatsoever that one will control the other ever again.

I appreciate that the above will not meet with the agreeance of many others but it is just my take on the matter. I do not need to punish myself for having given up the gambling side of the sport and I can still enjoy the spectacle if I chose to do so.

All the best

Stumper

Hi wp.

Thanks for your post mate.

Just popping on to say i'm keeping an eye out for any Viking boats on there way to the UK!

Lol.

Hope alls well with you and have a great week!

Viggo.

Many thanks,sabine,s.a,viggo,tommi,blues.brian,freda,curly and stumper...most appreciated...brian,cheltenham on here i think would be a great idea..unfortunately it didnt go down too well last year but it didnt stop me talking aboot it on my diary as i feel it helped my recovery...stumper,i think any type of gambling,whether its pennies or pounds just plays with the comp gamblers mind..i did,however,manage a fantastic " bet free" day amongst many friends at kelso races in november (thanks to russ on here) who managed something very similar...the reason being,i told them ALL of my constant battle against the demons and felt sharing this with them helped me along the way..however,i wouldnt recommend this to anyone unless 100 % confident it wont damage recovery....i have had a very stressful week on the personal front to which i wont go into detail on here as my confidence in gamcare is ever decreasing...in fact just yesterday i emailed the staff requesting how i could go about removing my diary as this site just doesnt feel "secure" anymore...such a shame,as you all know my life has turned big style since coming here but again many of you know im not computer literate so it doesnt fill me with confidence,..there are many great people on these pages,and for your contributions i cant thank you enough..this is by no means a farewell but until i am satisfied with what i am reading i may post a lot less...hope this comes across as understanding...again my grammar has never been my strong point but today i wont bet tomorrow i wont bet...best of luck my friends,this can be done 😉

Hi wp.. sorry to hear you don't feel so secure on here at the moment. Ive felt similar at times. In reality though I find that every time i put my diary down I find myself picking it up again. So thats my thought to you, let it gather dust for a while if you want to but remember that you can pick it up at any time. Its your "rock" in recovery. Highest regards as always.. S.A 🙂

P.s your grammer is fine 😉

Winning Post-

Hows it going fella? long time no speak, thanks very much for your kind words on my diary mate.

Just been catching up on your diary, i see that you had a few disagreements, mate do not ever stop on these diaries because your support and advice is invaluable to members.

Still no gambling i see, well done mate. Im glad your doing excellent.

Have a lovely weekend with your loved ones mate, take care.

ditto to everything SA said.

Best wishes to you and congrats on your continued success.

Brian

Hi wp,i understand how your feeling at the present time,SA is spot on,just put your diary in the closet for a while if you feel a little unsure about things.Who knows in a wee while you may have a burning desire to use your diary to either assist your recovery ,or share some valuable insight with others:).As always,best wishes.

Seano.