My diary, gambling free from 1st Dec 2016

Sure have some advice Hchale. Give any significant other / trusted relative your card. Tell the same people you've got a problem and you need their support. Get counselling free via this site. You'll get 13 one-hour weekly appointments. Go to every one. At the first one, look the counsellor in the eye and say you're not going to gamble for all 13 sessions. Stick to it ; you've made a pledge. Just a few ideas off the top of my head 🙂

Great support for each other Mixer and Katiecoo - keep going and keep working hard to get over this addiciton. It's the only way to get back into living life.

Katiecoo wrote: Good luck for tomorrow

thanks Katiecoo, will let you know how I get on. Good luck with your Day 6!

Change wrote:

Great support for each other Mixer and Katiecoo - keep going and keep working hard to get over this addiciton. It's the only way to get back into living life.

Thanks change, appreciate that. It's all or nothing this, not in the mood anymore for half measures.

No probs Mixer - I'm up and down all the time and need some better focus myself so just put in place a 20 week plan with some rough targets of things to do, money to save, objectives to achieve etc. Constantly need to come up with a plan to avoid gambling and I need to keep it different as so easy to forget the pain.

Hi Change, My preference is for a simple plan with one short term goal; not to gamble for 3 months. I'm going to try to do this in 2 ways. 1. Going for counselling (free, from this site) for 13 weeks. Tomorrow is my first visit and I'm going to say to the counsellor I'm not going to gamble and stick to my pledge. 2. I've met some determined people on here who also want to stop and we're trying to together.

Now, this approach might suit you, might not, but I will stay your plan's a bit tricky if you say you're losing track. Simpler is better, one target at a time, in my opinion. All the best 🙂

Good luck with counselling tomorrow mixer. I hope it goes well for you.

I'm hoping to start next week when off work.

Hi KP82

Good morning; I'm just off to work with a 4hr commute (2hrs each direction). I'm thinking, do I really want to do this, day in, day out, and give my hard-earned earnings to an electronic flashing box?

We're both not stupid, KP, yet that's exactly what we've both been doing!

It's madness.

In your shoes, I would arrange counselling today, at a regular time that suits you. Don't wait. It will give you something to look forward to and hold off the urges to gamble.

Trust me. I know what I am talking about and am helping you because I have faith in you. You have pledged to me that you won't gamble. Don't let me down KP.

I'm not here for tea and sympathy because I've had a bad gambling result or whatever and nor are you. I'm serious when I say we stop now, and permanently. With me?

Hi KP82

Good morning; I'm just off to work with a 4hr commute (2hrs each direction?. I'm thinking, do I really want to do this, day in, day out, and give my hard-earned earnings to an electronic flashing box?

I would arrange counselling today, at a regular time that suits you. Don't wait. It will give you something to look forward to and hold off the urges to gamble.

Trust me. I know what I am talking about and am helping you because I have faith in you. You have pledged to me that you won't gamble. Don't let me down KP.

Morning Mixer.

Thanks for the post on my diary.

I was a similar gambler to yourself by the sounds of it, large amounts in a big binge. You sound fully committed...I'd just advise to keep yourself busy, you'll soon find you've done a month without really noticing. Feel so much better to be out of it all, clearer head, happier person. Keep going, all the best.

Thanks Mixer. Break it to the wife tonight and give cards over.

I like the short term goals/targets to work to.

Day 1 over nearly. Good to talk and read other comments on here.

Hope the commute has been ok... I've had roughly the same journey today. Still it beats gambling... keep going with your diary as it's a good read.

Thank you Brandon, Hchale and Change; I very much appreciate your supportive comments. It's a real pleasure conversing with people that genuinely want to stop and actively proving it can be done.

I had my first appointment with the counsellor today and the first thing I said was: I am not going to gamble whilst on counselling. I have made a promise.

She said that if I do relapse, to tell her, be honest.

But I tell you what. I will be honest but I am not going to relapse.

However, to make doubly sure, I am going to carry out the following actions tomorrow.

1. Ban myself from every bookies; the phone no. is 0800 294 2060. You'll need to scan a picture of yourself and this is transmitted to all bookies in the area(s) you nominate.

2. Ban myself from every online bookies. There's a site called Betfilter.

I won't go into my counselling experience in detail because it is, by its nature, personal and I need to consider my counsellor, who, I have to say, is brilliant.

I recommend it to anyone. I had preconceptions there would be a "there there" approach as I wallowed on some leather couch (OK, I exaggerate for effect).

The actuality is different: it's designed to help you stop gambling. If you truly want to stop and want to be taken seriously and are prepared to put in the hard work and determination, do it.

Jeez, I'm on Week 1 and I feel very positive. I know it's going to get harder before it gets easier but it's all about sharing your problem, and building up your support network, which crucially includes the good people here on these forums.

Hchale, I will be handing over my card to my mum (not my wife, because the card is still "in reach").

Do I care that my mum is looking after my card, after all I am 47 years old?!

No. Because I'll do anything that stops my gambling. And if my mum has to always look after my card, and give me money to spend, then I'll do it. The rewards, how I'll feel, and importantly how my wife, son and mum feels, is worth it.

Sorry to ramble, but had to get all this off my chest.

Take a look at Gamban as well - i use that and it's free. I believe it was created by a problem gambler who wanted to help other problem gamblers so didn't want to charge. There is a link to it through this site. It's worth a look but by all means go for Betfilter if you've heard good reviews. It blocks gambling sites and also any pop ups.

Thanks Change, I'm going to activate both tomorrow (the 6th Dec to placate those who say tomorrow comes!)