My Diary - Time to stop gambling for good.

Hi Dazz,

Such a lovely and inspiring post! Your determination and strength shines through and only you can make recovery possible..you're surely on the right track, and strong foundation is well and truly laid. Well done!

Also stopped by to leave ya a nudge to remind you about checking in on the challenge ☺

Have a good and safe weekend, you deserve it

Sandra x

Today is 112 days or 16 weeks gamble free, another week has passed without the urge to gamble. I have had no dreams fantasising about winning on roulette or blackjack. Even through tough times my first thought is not to go gamble as a release, my mindset is slowly changing, I know I am accepting my recovery and changing my habits and patterns.

In a few weeks I will be in unchartered territory, as 4 months is my longest period gamble free for the last 15 years. I have relapsed before, I know what mistakes I made and barriers not put in place, now I am determined to create new records (I am competitive and counting days helps as it focuses my mind on short and long term goals).

Another brick added to my gamble free house this week, the new build is in progress 🙂

I have channelled my focus and addictive personality onto less destructive hobbies such as golf running and more time for my business. Gone are the pay day loans, this week is payday and for the 3rd month running I still have money on my Account.

Today is a good day, today is a gamble free day.

Congrats Dazz for your journey....be strong for you and for all of us struggling to follow your footsteps....we need succes stories! Yeah miracles do happen _:)))

Hi Phoenix

Sad to read your post, but I know the only person who can stop gambling ultimately is you, I hope in time you will give it another go and not put as much pressure on yourself to go 100 days or not at all.

I am.determined to fight this addiction with everything I have, my will is strong, I am greatly Appreciative of your advice support as with others and hope in time we can be gamble free together.

Wish you all the best but as you know gambling only brings you and countless others pain and hurt, stop chasing and accept recovery.

Thanks Sandra and Fred for popping by, remaining gamble free is hard but like anything the success of recovery far outweighs gambling. You have to change your selfish ways, once you get to grips with this you understand what a misery of a life you have made for others around you.

Keep fighting everyone, it's not a miracle it is a choice.

119 days (17 weeks) gamble free today 🙂

Hello diary, another week has passed without frequenting a casino or bookies, payday has passed without the need to instantly go and gamble in the faint hope of recouping previous losses, another month has passed without the need to pay off a payday loan or take out another loan, another week has passed without the need to lie to satisfy my gambling demons, another week has passed where I have not dreaded the postman coming when I'm not at home, another week has passed where I slowly pay off my debt, another week has passed where I try and rebuild by relationship which very nearly ended due to gambling, another week has passed where I have spent quality time with my kids without the need to check footy scores, racing accumulators etc.

Over the next few weeks I am getting into unchartered territory, this will soon be my longest time gamble free in 15 years. But as stated previously I embrace it, today I add another brick to my gamble free house.

Today is a good day, today is a gamble free day.

Hi,

Thanks for popping by and posting on my diary.

Well done on 119 days. Reading your diary entry above it is going well. Keep up the good work!!

Best wishes

Hello diary 18 weeks gamble free today!

Today was another test passed, I got paid a large amount in cash and didn't end up in the casino. My gambling brain was in full swing, as been feeling a bit down recently, but pleased to say I didn't get sucked back in.

Prior to today I did feel the urges were reducing and my barriers strong, but today has been a big wake up call and I need to try and avoid cash payments for the time being as this will take away am element of my triangle.

This week I have been rather cynical towards gambling, I received an email saying it's good to gamble and fun, as if. I wish gambling could be regulated better as there are so many things the companies get away with, it wouldn't happen in the tobacco and alcohol industry. At times I feel this country is stuck in the 80's with the way gambling is associated with mental health and debt. One day hopefully soon FOBT's will be limited to one per shop and a max spend on £100 per person per day. They are just so lethel, I have seen people lose thousands in under and hour, how can that be right , at the end of the say us gamblers are very vulnerable when we are gambling, we need to be protected better.

Anyway back to point, I've just laid another brick to my gamble free house, today is a good day, today is a gamble free day.

Well done on 18 weeks !

Can understand you feeling like you don't need to count the days anymore, but please don't fall into the trap of being complacent.

I made it to 120 days earlier this year and I let my guard down. Moved thoughts away from the site and thought I didn't need to use it so much. I was wrong.

We are all here fighting for the same thing and there's strength to be found here from the support on our diarys etc. Counting days just serves to make you think twice before giving in to any future urges as it is a pain/shame to start again.

Best wishes to you and keep going you're doing great.

Clare

Well done Dazz on 18 weeks, keep going with your guard tightly up and keep winning.

Suzanne xxx

Hi Clare

Thank for your input, if you remember I commented on your diary in my early days the last time you fell off the wagon so to speak, you raise some good points and for now I will keep a daily count, once I get further down the line I can reevaluate. I am certainly not getting complacent as this is at the same time as I had a massive relapse last year, staying strong, staying gamble free.

Day 134 gamble free.

Over the last few weeks the old gambling urges have been coming back on strong, mainly due to two factors, I have had more what could be classed as disposable income and I had a near miss when I got paid a job in cash. These two coupled with the fact I am now in the realms of my longest stint gamble free in 15 Years have led me to analyse my gambling traits even further.

I'm taking extra steps and keeping a card with me with limited money on and staying busy, experience has taught me this is just a phase, I just need to knuckle down and let the urges subside (which they will).

I have come too far to give in now, I did that last year, I have also seen others relapse when over 100 days, this is q lifelong recovery and I am dealing with it that way.

Today is a good day, today is a gamble free day.

Post 100 and day 147 gamble free.

Over the past few weeks I have spent less time on this site as my recovery continues, I really have been that busy!

I have found that a mixture of quality family time, golf , exercise and being open and honest has flamed my gambling urges. I still get them from time to time usually when I am thinking about money or my debts, but I know it is a phase so break the triangle and get through it.

At the end of this week I will hit 5 months gamble free, which will be new territory but I embrace it and hope the strides I have made lead to a gamble free existence.

Today is a good day, today is a gamble free day.

Day 150 gamble free another milestone reached, onwards and upwards, I've just added the first layer of bricks to my gamble free home. The big bad wolf (gambling) can huff and P***s all it wants but it won't knock it down!

Today is a good day, today is a gamble free day.

Hi,

Congratulations on 150 days. A fantastic achievement

Best wishes