My new life

Day 16 and as I see the gamble free days passing i feel much happier. The solution was to block myself completely. I know I will be gambler for the rest of my life and it is up to me to control it and the only way for me is to block myself otherwise the temptation to go back would be too strong. I don’t want to waste my money any more - I want money to spend on clothes, holidays, restaurants etc

Hi Poblwc, it sounds like life is getting better for you my friend. That’s good to hear.

I agree totally, blocks are the only way to prevent us from gambling destructively. Whilst these blocks are in place, we can learn to live without gambling and educate ourselves on what gambling is really about and what it actually does for us.

It’s great to set yourself targets of holidays, restaurants, new clothes etc. Keep on winning in life!

Dan

Thanks Dan for your comments. Day 19 today feeling really good. Blocks on my phone are brilliant otherwise I would have gambled probably so i am aware i am vulnerable

Day 20 my birthday today feeling very positive and want to bottle this up and give it to all the people who post on this site as i can relate to them all. I know we are the ones to blame for our own doing but it is hard to give up and until you are in this situation you cannot explain it

25 days still going strong

Day 28 no more gambling for me

Day 29 reading stories on this site helps me so much as every day is a struggle! Thank god for the blocks otherwise I know i would have gambled. I know these blocks have to be there forever

Hey poblwc thank you for commenting on my diary. I'm glad to see that you are accepting that you can never gamble again. For so long I told myself I'm stopping this time but thinking one day I'll be able to gamble in a controlled way. That led to numerous relapses but a year ago today I finally accepted that I am an addict and I can never gamble again. There have been times when I wanted (on different levels and for different reasons) to gamble but like any craving they passed and I felt all the stronger for not giving in. I have to be honest however that I would have given in had it not been for the blocks. I'm glad to hear you now have them in place.

I hope I can inspire you to stay strong. Life is so much better without gambling so keep going. In the early days it may feel like you're trying to survive hour to hour but as the days mount up you will start to move on and you'll remember how good life was before gambling.

Rather than good luck poblwc I'll say all the best. Pob hwyl poblwc!

Hey

Was just passing by and noticed you hit a year gamble free today. Huge congratulations to you :o)

I hope your life has changed for the better, no doubt is has. I see how hard you've had to work for this recovery and salute you for that... Making this one count is an amazing testimony to your determination and desire for a better life. Read some of your old posts... Did you manage to accrue the emergency fund you have always aspired to have as mentioned in posts at the beginning of this recovery?

Thanks samorgo for your comments - its a month now which is a great feeling - blocks are in place , however, even with blocks in place i know from my past that someone can find a way to gamble if they want to so I don’t want to be that person . I’m reading stories every day on this site to keep me going

Day 31 - been here before so must be careful - blocks are in place but as from previous experience there are always ways around them. Today is a difficult day being Mothers Day as my mother died 8 days after my 12th birthday! She died on March 28th - it was a Saturday afternoon at 2pm . I miss her every day. I can’t believe I’ve gambled for 12 years and I have to stop forever otherwise I know I will ruin my life. This month is a start and will help me now to build up my non gambling days, months and years .

Hi Poblwc

I am sorry to read that this is a difficult day for you. Please do reach out to us on the HelpLine 0808 8020 133 or the Netline if you need any additional support.

Well done on reaching a month without gambling and keep up the good work and focus on your gamble-free future.

Warm regards

Leigh, Forum Admin

Thanks so very much for your comments Leigh. It means a lot to me . Even though urges are there I am so determined not to gamble again. I feel lucky that I have come to terms with my problem and am dealing with it head on rather than pushing it under the carpet and dealing with it some other time. The turning point for me weirdly was .. i gambled end of February a huge amount of money on a sight that was supposed to be covered by Gamstop. I played on the site and lost. I decided to complain to the company... I thought to myself why not.. anyway they refunded the money!! ... i felt really really lucky that day and it was a turning point .. after that I thought.. well i won’t be lucky again!! So decided to stop there and then. It is still difficult but reading stories on here is a major help to me

That's good news about the refund but I would say that this is a rare thing for them to do.

Keep battling through those horribal urges.

NT

I know very rare but RP did so i saw this as a sign to stop gambling and take hold of my life