MY DIARY - 2ND DAY GAMBLE FREE...TO BE CONTINUED.

o*g, don't let the red & white cans suck you in...Caffeine is the devil's own additive!

Congrats on 85 days 🙂

Keep winning - ODAAT

Hi ODAAT

How are you doing?

I hope your ok and gamble free??

89 days now for me and still going strong.

Found the no drinking to be hard but not unachievable and also been drinking mainly milk so put half a stone on nearly and that is amazing as have gained zero weight since 16 years of age so that a first for me.

nearly 30 now lol

Coke costs a fortune in the pub but asking for milk is too weird lol

Tee hee, I know all about gaining weight having been a 9 stone weakling all my life until now...Lucky, I'm still in the healthy range, I trust you are too?

I guess G & a slimline T not manly enough in the pub 😉 It's wrong that soft drinks are soooo expensive!

Massive congratulations on your 3 winning months mate 🙂

Nearly 30, how I remember those days (wouldn't go back mind)! Keep winning - ODAAT

ha ha only just in the lower end of bmi lol

treating myself to 30 laps high speed karting to celebrate 3rd month ..........gamble free

98 days today nearly at the century!!!!!

so far so good.

117 DAYS GAMBLE FREE

Great stuff Wayne 117 days and going strong.

Suzanne xx

Thanks Suzanne x

Hope your doing well too - best of luck as always x

Update on situation (161 days Gamble Free) just over 5 months

Debt down from £28,500 to £25,100 ish

My triggers of boredom and lonliness still very much exist - i am both of these often yet still not gave in to the triggers as have lots of barriers in place and force my self to go out as much as possible even though i still haven't met anyone special to spend life with i ensure i get exposure even if i often just want to stay home depressed.

Gambling has put a massive hold on my life - even after abstaining 161 days it still has consequences finaincially and means plans have to be put on some hold for a fair few years to come.

This causes confidence and social blocks that mean even during normal conversations - in the back of your mind is a black cloud of debt and worry how long you can keep clean when you read some of the best abstainers have slipped temporarily....

slipping even once is terrifying to me...........it would undue everything in a blink.

I don't want to gamble as i once did............however i often feel destructive and frustrated at being alone that i could reach a point where i would be tempted again to escape..........hence my barriers being strong and my circle of friends being part of my count --- doing an update like above is useful to see it making a fair improvement to my financial situation even if i haven't properly found the answer to the boredom and especially the lonliness..

That me rounded up for now anyhow.

179 days gamble free - although i had a dream about gambling online and winning spins and the spins were 70 free super spins and i watched upto 15 spins played and my winninings were showing £2000 something and in the dream i closed down the window and then reopened it a while later and my balance was £3047 (random i know) then i remember feeling annoyed that it wasn't more out the remaining spins i'd expected a massive win and i felt like i begrudged suddenly family was with me watching so i knew i had to collect all £3047 and not try to play any of it - which i resented for a moment but once i withdrew i felt better as at least it was another bill helped with once cleared.

then i woke up and realised it was just a dream - and was annoyed then that i hadn't won and didn't have £3047 coming.

Then i felt like gambling on waking to actually see if it was an omen and i was going to win it! (but i fought through this and didn't give in - mainly as i have just been made unemployed as temp contract finished and mainly because no bloody dream is going to sway me as i at 180 days tomorrow!)

strange how the brain works in dreams........

LIFE IS HARD BUT STILL GAMBLE FREE - 211 DAYS TO DATE....ROLL ON ONE YEAR MILESTONE!!

Hey stranger, how lovely to see you back safe & sound 🙂 Great work on over 30 weeks 🙂

Don't stress over being single, I know it can be a lonely life but better to be alone than hooked up with someone just for the sake of it! I didn't meet Mr Loverman (bah, made myself laugh) until a few years ago (when I was nearly 40) & I'd trade all the good times in my other relationships (Mr Gamble included) for a day in his company (don't tell him though)! Like you, I am a complete night owl & 3/4/5 o'clock in the morning when I truly come alive, the rest of the world (pretty much) is @ peace so good on you for getting out there!

Sorry to hear another job has come to an end & hope you have the same focus you had before in recognising that gambling is only something for people with money not us!

Recovery is not just about fixing our debts, it's about finding ourselves & even if you are not quite there yet, you're looking & fighting. Don't let the 'best abstainers' slipping affect your journey, learn from them & make sure your barriers are strong enough to prevent it! We control our recovery - ODAAT

ODAAT wrote:

Hey stranger, how lovely to see you back safe & sound 🙂 Great work on over 30 weeks 🙂

Don't stress over being single, I know it can be a lonely life but better to be alone than hooked up with someone just for the sake of it! I didn't meet Mr Loverman (bah, made myself laugh) until a few years ago (when I was nearly 40) & I'd trade all the good times in my other relationships (Mr Gamble included) for a day in his company (don't tell him though)! Like you, I am a complete night owl & 3/4/5 o'clock in the morning when I truly come alive, the rest of the world (pretty much) is @ peace so good on you for getting out there!

Sorry to hear another job has come to an end & hope you have the same focus you had before in recognising that gambling is only something for people with money not us!

Recovery is not just about fixing our debts, it's about finding ourselves & even if you are not quite there yet, you're looking & fighting. Don't let the 'best abstainers' slipping affect your journey, learn from them & make sure your barriers are strong enough to prevent it! We control our recovery - ODAAT

Hi ODAAT

Thank you for taking the time to post - much appreciated.

I find i don't log in as often as i used too and it can jump 20 days - but i think often of updating my count and always end up side tracked - luckily not by gambling - although would be nice if i was side tracked by a nice looking female lol

I hope things are going well for you and abstaining from gambling is second nature?

Yes i certainly do read the posts and use the tips and armour myself from possible downfalls.

Work or lack of it can really push you back but i'm managing to keep afloat.

233 days gamble free (most important thing even if happiness is a close second)

Take care and thanks again

Wayne (LEST-WE-FORGET)

Emily82 wrote:

This is amazing! I am so proud of you Lest! I remember you signing up to Gamcare like it was yesterday. I remember talking you through the steps to take, reassuring you that "you can do it" but presumed like most Compulsive gamblers you would struggle for the first few months! Hell have you proved me wrong, not a single slip you warrior you!! I recently had a no gamble streak of about 3 months and it was so easy... The minute I thought I was ok and could enjoy one little bet, things have spiralled out of control so much that I can barely remember it starting. Thank you so very much for your kind encouraging post on my diary Lest.. I will take your rope and climb and climb and climb.. This time round I hope to be your student that will make you just as proud as you've made me.

Keep up the great work...

I'm right behind you

You're friend and Ally

Em x

Hi Again Emily

I have only just seen this post - thank you for the positive praise x

The reason i think i haven't fell (yet at least) is because when i first joined this site it was a new method of help that suits me well.

Never been great on phone - prefer to write things down and have the ability to recall exact info - feels more permanent.

So when i joined here i had already had all the slips and failures beforehand as i had been trying to give up for years before and even had extreme plans of finishing myself if i gambled again - even that didn't stop me before.

not even the promise to tatoo myself with obsene words if i gambled again - just didn't happen - promises all broken.

Until i found this site and a community of people with the same issues - when i gambled before it felt like everyone else in the casino or on the slots had no addiction and i felt it was just me whom was out of control.

Now i see the truth and hope we can all find a way to stop. Today onwards is better than the day after tomorrow for anyone but yes i'm so glad i haven't fell and 233 days is a count i'm equally proud of- one year will be my next real target!

Hope we can both learn from each other..........give your life and business the chance it deserves and keep on abstaining!

xxx

LEST-WE-FORGET 258 DAYS GAMBLE FREE.

Had a massive urge to go casino last week but had to shut the thought down with daggers to eliminate it.

Few friends had let me down as we was supposed to be going out and i still wanted to still go out but alone is s h i t

so i thought of casino as old behaviour repeats but then i thought sod it going out alone is better than the ruin casino would result in and i am not losing my 258 days longest run of my life since the addiction started.

In the end i got used to being on my tod lol wasn't a bad night after all.

another win for me!

Work not paying me correct contributed aswell to the urge to get more money fast - yet i resisted - but these things don't blodd y help at all - a dodgy week but kept on the right side of the fence luckily!!!

Congratulations on 37 weeks of winning Wayne 🙂

Nice swerve last week! Remember, you got much more chance of finding Mrs Right out on the town than you ever have gambling & as for getting rich qwik, we all tried that, we all ended up here!

Keep working through the tough times - ODAAT