My journey

Hello chris london

Congratulations on your 4th day gambling free, you sound motivated and determined to continue on this way. It sounds like a good strategy you have used to restrict your money available as you have done. Not having immediate access to money when you have thoughts of gambling is a positive block to stopping gambling. Another strategy that can help can be to keep busy with new projects or interests as this can help with distracting from gambling thoughts and can lead to enjoying other interests.

If you would like to talk to someone about other strategies that could help or would like information on support available such as free one to one counselling or joining a group such as gamblers anonymous or maybe the gamcare forum you can contact gamcare advisors on 0808 80 20133 or on our netline http://www.gamcare.org.uk/support-and-counselling/frontline-services/netline#.VlI0LnbhAdU who can give you further infomation.

The helpline is open 8am until midnight everyday.

Keep posting chris london we are here to support you .

Caroline

Good choice i reckon Chris. Stay away from that first bet, whatever it is!!!!!

does that make you 8 days?

Hi Caroline,

Thanks for the advice, ive actually started doing the house work on Sundays which keeps me ocupied..... keeps me out of trouble 🙂

Hi Triangle,

Its now 14 days :-)..... i feel so happy. How are you getting on?

14 days.............woohoo!!!

14 days and not a penny gambled, its great to be sleeping again and not stressing! That sick feeling I used to have every weekend is non extistant!

I still keep on thinking about how many thousands and thousands ive lost over the years, and it still runs through my mind now and again about if I just have one big win then it will make up for the money ive lost to those roulette machines. Im determined more then ever to stop this time! The real test is on Monday when i get paid, i cant put the money into my book account as i might need it over christmas, so the money will be avalible for me to gamble. I just need to keep myself busy and keep that boredom away!

14 days I feel so different already, it makes me think about the person ive been all these years, was it really me? who am i? i know it sounds strange but thats how i feel.

if anyone is reading this thats struggling..... we can do it together!

Congratulations on your 1st 2 weeks chris london 🙂

Good to see you have started a diary 🙂 Have you given any thought to the counselling or GA? The who am I question can be explored in either place! Tomorrow will be a massive test & I would recommend breaking a different section of the triangle if you're going to be in possession of your money!

I might be being dense but what is Mr Gamble trying to suggest a big win on to make up for the money you have lost? I thought you were a FOBT man? I too spent thousands of pounds chasing a £500 jackpot & I can say without prejudice that the only time I have ever won @ gambling is by choosing 'no'! Until I found recovery, every single win I had went back in & more besides!

Keep winning - ODAAT

Thanks GT!

im a bit nervous for tomorrow... pay day. I feel nervious having the money in my account to spend! finegrs crossed!

15 DAYS WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

22 days and not a penny gambled!! Today was a big test for me. I went out last night got drunk and spent loads of money. I would normally wake up feeling hungover and annoyed that I spent so much that I would go straight to the betting shop and try win it back. I would spend the day going backwards and forwards from the cashpoint to betting shop and then I've max out start using my card! Instead today I stayed inwatched DVDs and did nothing. So happy right now and feeling very positive!!!

It's my mates birthday tonight and everyone is meeting the casino at lesciester sqaure.... I have to go because it's my best mate!! I'm praying I'm strong enough especially after a few drinks! It's been 28 days with no gambling. This is going to be difficult!

36 days and still gamble free. I Walk past betting shops everyday and I'm not even interested. The novelty of this is starting to wear off so im just hoping that I continue to update my diary on an ongoing basis. Today is Sunday and I'm a bit bored so I'm going to go for walk and probably walk past about 10 betting shops on the high street.... I refuse to even think about going in there. I was paid about 3 weeks ago and I didn't transfer any moeny to my book account. This means I have money to gamble in my account. At the moment I haven't removed any of the 3 things.... Money, time or location. I'm simply relying on my will power, I'm still feeling positive and defently on the right path!

Wel done Chris 36 gamble free is no easy task I'm sure you would be heartbroken to lose that winning streak. So why to you keep testing your resolve? what harm can it do to remove one if the triangle. I recently attend a GA meeting where someone said they did a similar thing sat on a bench for hour outside the bookies with £200 in his pocket to test his will power and was made up he walked away but he's wasn't so proud the next time he tried it and ended up £2000 down just before Christmas. I'm not saying you won't have the will power but I can't get the reason why you are gambling with your recovery.

Please don't take it the wrong way you are doing amazing and I hope it continues for Christmas the New Year and beyond

Thanks for the advice GT and Oldhamkft, your right about the triangle and I should be keeping to one of them which I will do! Day 37... It's going very well no urges to gamble at all. Half a day off work today I would normally go to the high street and do 'some shopping' but I would always end up in the bookies! I've come straight home to chill out instead. Feeling very positive,I think I've finally had enough of gambling. I thought it would be a lot harder but to be honest I'm finding it quite easy, however it's still only 37 days so we will see!

Well done Chris on 37 days of winning.

Keep your guard tightly up and keep winning

Suzanne xxx