My recovery diary

Perry

Welcome to the forum, a place full of like minded folk who all share a common goal, to arrest the destruction that is the compulsion to gamble.

There is no cure for us, no medicine we can take to stop, but there is a way and that is abstinence.

Will power alone won't always work because addiction becomes ingrained in our minds

We live by a mantra I cannot win because I cannot stop, gambling is a cycle, if you win greed overtakes the rational thinking and if you lose you chase until there is nothing left.

I gambled for twenty years, progressively I raised the stakes and the loses with it,eventually I became detached from the world, I didn't function as a normal person, everything revolved around the next punt.

My advice to you is the same advice that I received on my first day in recovery

There is a triangle

Time -money - location take one away at all times and the next punt becomes impossible to wage, gifting the rational side of the brain time to think, time to re wire itself.

Commitment to recovery will give you the opportunity to change, arresting the next punt won't fix your problems but won't add to them.

Be honest with the world, seek help,there's a wealth of it out there.

Counselling, self exclusion, therapy, ga are great places to start.

As for sport, I enjoy it today for what it is, a game, the outcome doesn't effect my life in any fashion, today it's purpose is purely for entertainment.

Recovery is a gift, the only person who can take it is you,please do

Most of all enjoy it.

Abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Well I managed to get through the first night.. just!

Was watching the football and tried to login into one of my accounts to have a look, but fortunately I had already self-excluded.

A bit disappointed in myself for even trying to deposit but nevertheless I didn't actually gamble.

Will be another tough night as there is plenty of football to watch tonight, but hoping to go to the pub to watch it with friends which should give me enough distraction to not even want to bet.

Thanks for the words Duncan, really hoping I can get to where you are in being able to watch sport without having the outcome affect my life.

Here's to another day gamble free!

Struggling a bit at the minute as my friends are planning to go to the bookies later before the pub and they are talking about gambling.

Have decided that if they do go, I will also go but will not take my card or any cash with me, I NEED TO RESIST THE URGES!

Another positive, the bets I wanted to put on last night all would have lost. First bit of money saved 🙂

Hi,

Going back to Duncs post regarding time money location. If you go out tonight you may be breaking the money part of it but will that be enough. You mention urges to bet and they appear to be strong. Your mates might lend you cash and you are back to square one again.

How about break the location and don't go out at all. Might sound harsh but throw a sickie. Willpower alone will not beat this addiction. Positive attitude and actions will help. The other option is to be late and miss out the bookies. However alcohol and gambling urges do not mix well.

Best wishes

Stay strong, really try to think to how bad a place you go to mentally when your betting and how good you feel in yourself just now not betting. Life is so much enjoyable without gambling.
Don't think you can control it as I thought many times, you can't.

Enjoy other things in life you haven't done for a while.

Peace

Lenny

Perry

​fella here is the solution to your predicament. Be honest, tell your mates that you are a compulsive gambler. I let everyone involved my life know. I see it as the ultimate block your only shame will come if you hide the truth. My true friends are still exactly that..time to man up.........duncs stepping forward never back

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Thank you all for the comments, I will take them all in to account.

Balvaird - I think I will give the bookies a miss and just meet them at the pub (no drinking though as I will be driving).

Already feel better in myself even though it has only been 1 day!

Lenny - I think i'm going to use my time more wisely (i.e. do something when I would usually be gambling). Luckily i'm quite an active person anyway but for the times when I am at home and bored, I think i'm going to start reading.

Duncan - I'm not sure i'm ready to tell everybody about my addiction just yet, but soon I will be. I think it will be a huge burden once I tell the people close to me, but like I said i'm not quite ready yet. I fully agree with you though and I do need to man up!

Not even looked at any odds for tonight which is pleased, hoping I won't look at all.

Will update on this later when i'm back from the pub.

Thanks again for your replies.

This is a tough one Perry. It's a crossroads now. You can't get sucked into gambling again. I would just say tell them and they'll understand. Keep the faith.

Thanks for your post Perry,

You have been given some good sound advice, so I will just say,

Honesty is the best policy, and taking one day at a time with everything is the sure way to move forwards,

Enjoy your gambling free evening with the lads (not sure it's fair that you are driving as well)lol, what no drinkies :)))don't forget to be kind to you, we must put ourselves first, especially in the early days.

Take care

Suzanne xxx

Day 3 - still not gambled!

Found it relatively easy last night as wasn't paying full attention to the football - had dinner/company to keep me occupied. Although one of my friends did win a bet and it brought the feeling right back!

Not thought about gambling at all today really, not interested in the games on tonight. Thursday nights I have football training so should keep me occupied enough! Hoping for a Fiji win in the rugby (nice hoping for the outcome of a match to be something without money/gambling related!).

Hope everybody is having a nice, gamble free Thursday.

Well done Perry... keep going on the straight and narrow. It is strange at first to watch sport hoping for an underdog win... usually us complusive gamblers want the favourite to win as we're mug punters... but before I started to gamble too much I always wanted the underdog to win. Although in this scenario I appreciate you wanted Fiji to win to improve England's chances.

Day 3 almost over! Hope everybody has had a gamble free day!

Onwards and upwards to the weekend!

Welcome to day 4 Perry,

Keep going and keep strong,

Suzanne xxx

Happy Friday people!

Feeling good day - have just booked to stay in a hotel in London to go and watch the rugby tomorrow at a fanzone in Richmond! Haven't though about gambling at all - hopefully this is a sign to come. Although I imagine tomorrow will be a struggle. Saturday's are synonomous for football betting but am going to stay strong! It helps that I am not playing football, as our club is based opposite a bookies which we normally go to. Although betting in shops has never been my problem (when with friends I actually bet very little), I will won't go in next time they do.

Hope everybody is having a lovely day and hopefully gamble free!