My Diary

Hi fighter, this is a brilliant place to start.I have just managed 1 week gamble free which I don't think I have ever managed before either it feels good, take baby steps, tell yourself "just for today I won't gamble" and the days will begin to pass and you can feel stronger in yourself.I am around the same age as yourself, I will pop by and keep an eye on your updates.Keep strong, if you need any support I'll help you anyway I can.

Hi Astra,

Thank you for the quick repsonse and the encouraging words.

I am looking at it exactly that way. Nice and slow and tick each day off as it goes. I am also looking into ways to keep occupied and motivated in my personal life.

I can't believe how long it took me to discover this forum. It's refreshing to see I am not alone and I hope it can help me to free myself from the cycle I found myself in.

I look forward to the day when my wages are mine!

You are most definitely not alone, gambling is the work of the devil and I know it's a horrendous addiction at any age but we are far to young to be doing this for the rest of our lives, nip it in the bud now and we can learn a lesson and move on from it. onwards and upwards!!I will feel like a millionaire with my wages, they have never been mine for around 3 years and I reckon I owe around the same as you.It will feel so good to have money in the bank all month!!

Hi fighter1,

I was in £12,000 of debt 4 years back mostly down too gambling an continued to gamble in stages throu it. Start stop start stop stuff an now debt free so it is achievable but av still replapsed in several occassion some bad some real bad. I have too give up for good cause I am scared I end up going back down that dark road again no end too the loses lending from friends family an chasing all my loses to crazy lengths. Keep posting an supporting others cause it seriously does help. We are all in this together an must support each other. Well done to being here an admitting that problem. It will get easier cause as the debt goes down. Stay strong an focused good luck

I am now nearly 48 hours gamble free and to be honest I have not been tempted once really. I watched the footie last night and thought about what I may have considered betting on but then remembered the anxious feelings I'd get if I lost and completely forgot about that side and just watched.

I've now taken the steps to unfollow / unlike anything gamble related on social media sites and concentrate on more important things in life.

I have found a great therapy in these early stages by reading the family section of this forum and in particular reading accounts from those who have been hurt by the selfish and destructive actions of the gambler.

It's almost heartbreaking to think that I will be well on the way to that path if I start gambling again. Let's hope these feelings stay as I couldn't bear to cause my wife that kind of pain.

So as day 3 draws to a close I am still not faced with any temptation right now to gamble.

Would normally be getting stuck in to Friday night footie but instead settling down to a film with the missus.

Imagining the thought of being debt free maybe a year from now.

Feeling strong, feeling determined. First weekend since stopping could be the first real test, we shall see

So as day 3 draws to a close I am still not faced with any temptation right now to gamble.

Would normally be getting stuck in to Friday night footie but instead settling down to a film with the missus.

Imagining the thought of being debt free maybe a year from now.

Feeling strong, feeling determined. First weekend since stopping could be the first real test, we shall see

Hey Fighter,

Well done on taking those first steps to freedom away from gambling. Keep strong through this first weekend, and the following weekends will start to seem better without the stress of gambling, and will quickly become routine.

You will know what your triggers are, and what will send you thinking and starting to contemplate taking a bet. By avoiding and preventing those, then you will be on the way to recovering from this horrible addiction. Keep that debt free image in your mind, and keep working towards it.

All the best

Ryan

Well done fighter 1

Keep focused like you said you are watching the football relaxed an not hoping an praying for that last minute goal too get your coupon up. Life's too short an you need too make the Most of it for you an your family. Keep busy keep posting an helping other people stay gamble free. Good luck keep posting

Thank you both for the encouraging words. I really feel I can do this! I have tried a few times before but ultimately I don't think I was ready, not really wanted to stop!

It's opening my eyes up to a new world already not constantly checking my phone for scores or streaming some obscure tennis match to get my fix.

Appreciating sport is a refreshing feeling!

Onwards and upwards

Day 5

My first weekend draws to a close and I have not even thought about a gamble at all.

I kept a lose eye on the scores yesterday and have watched a few live sporting events..again it's so good watching from a non biased view willing a certain amount of corners / a certain amount of goals.

In some fairly dire short term cash problems but a brighter future spurs me on

Well done on your first gamble free weekend. You just have too take every day as it comes an your right it's good to watch an enjoy sport for what it is an not what you need the result too be too get your coupon up. Your cash problems will get easier as your debt gets less. Been there big time an I am now debt free. You just have too stay gamble free an focused on your future. A watch the scores coming through now an when a see the big teams getting turned over a think am glad av not got coupon on lol

Thanks Ally!

I look forward to being able to say the same about being debt free! It must have been an amazing feeling!

I am definitely taking little steps but each days feels like I've climbed a mountain so I want to keep that feeling.

And you are not wrong about that feeling. Looking back it must have been so embarassing for my wife to he out with me on a Saturday afternoon as my phone was constantly on checking scores!

Hopefully my love of sport will be back too

Nice one for getting through the weekend Fighter1. Challenging to break the associations over weekends. But I'm getting some enjoyment out of being able to watch Match of the Day without knowing the scores as I am steering clear of keeping up to date on a Sat afternoon (like you I'd always be checking scores). I'd stopped watching MOTD for ages as I didn't want to see the controversial incident that had inevitably blown my bet.

If only it was just Saturday afternoons I had to avoid football betting on, but obviously once I'm through that there's a whole plethora of others. No doubt there was a whole raft of u21 and reserve games on certain sites today, and the Aus Open starting etc, so I have to stay alert to avoiding that. But glad you're doing so well on this though, I'm sure it will get easier soon.