My story :-)

Hi Athena, I thought I'd read your story after you left the comment on mine. It's so inspiring to see how you can bounce back from each relapse. I guess you just have to scoop up where you went wrong and put further measures in place and I guess in time you will achieve being GF consecutively for the rest of your life!

Glad you're back on the ball and keep up the spirits. We'll beat this!

Thanks for your message Adam

The gf days are adding up quickly and I'm back on track tomorrow will be a week gf and feeling good! Although I haven't been on the forum and the chat much I have been spending time with my partner and very busy with work and socialising! I'm back to feeling good and feeling positive - however, I am skint so know this is much easier when there is no money to gamble.

Hopefully check in later to chat

Hope everyone is having a great gf day

Athena

Athena - it's fantastic you've phoned the bookies exclusion line. You will not regret it. You will thank yourself in the days, weeks and months ahead.

For now, though ..... one day at a time 🙂

Mixer

Good call Athena :)) and a very wise move and sounding much more positive this time :))

Thank you Mixer and Alan.

I took my exclusion one step further and excluded from my local arcades (that have slots) which i used to visit frequently as well as the bookies. I can now no longer bet anywhere in my local area and feel immensely proud that i went in there excluded and walked out and away. I did wonder why i hadnt done this months ago as not being aloud in will be a huge obstacle from stopping gambling - i think I will be so grateful down the line.

My partner is looking after my finances and has seen me through the self exclusion -this kind of support has been amazing as my most recent slip really did knock my confidence quite a bit.

Anybody reading this and contrmplating whether to exclude who is a problem gambler - my advice would be do it straight away and minimise your loss. Future self with thank you so much!

A gf day which I am so happy about, getting back on track with every obstacle i can think of put in the way,

Athena

Checking in for another gf day - i feel like i have kind of accepted that i cannot bet and do not want to and to be honest not thought too much about. I know its early days but feeling good, and i know that if in the future i come across weaker times, my exclusions will help protect me. I will be booking a holiday (of which i am paying for myself) for the first time in 7 years at the end of the month and am extremely excited - feels like this isnt the sort of thing i deserve. However, I know that if i carry on not gambling that this can be one of many holidays and the adventurous side to be can be awoken and my dreams of travelling the world could become a reality.

Have a good gf day

Athena

Hi all

Quick update - life is good being gf! I managed to get refunded for old payday loans taken out and it's wiped away most of my gambling debt so not long to go now! I have booked a couple of holidays and treated myself to some new clothes which I do badly needed having spent every penny on gambling over the last 5 years!

Really enjoying the benefits of starting to live a normal life - I love it and don't ever want to go back.

Have a rest gf day

Athena

Hi All

Just though id check in to say all is going well and GF! NEw job with better salary and have made a seirous dent in me debts which means i will soon be out of debt! - though my credit score will take some time to recover.

Hope everyone has a good gf day.

Athena

Hi all

It taken a lot for me to come back and post, I have thought about it a lot and kept ignoring my common sense telling me to come back on here and get back on track.

I have gambled in and off for the last few months and spent in the reams of £1.5k to £2k which is money I really don’t have.Today is the last day I gamble, I will post everyday while not gambling.

I’m looking forward to reading what’s been going on in all your diaries across the last few months.

Athena

Day 1 done gf - now for day 2 today!

Looking forward to building the days up!

Athena

I have done well since my last post - i have gambled but not alot. Slowly i feel the desire and the want to gamble slowly going from me. Its been nearly a month since the last time and i have no urge to gamble at all.

A very close friend of mine has recently told friends and family that they have had a serious gambling problem for many years and watching the situation from a distance (ie when its not you) is quite awakening. The chaos and upset that is caused to friends and family, but ore importantly the underlying message of support for my friend is outstanding. It really is different seeing it happen to someone else and is utterly heartbreaking. This experience for me has made me determined more than ever not to gamblr again and also to helpy me friend with the support they need so they can address their addiciton and make a strong recovery.

I feel good about this time, i know i have said it before but i feel like i wont have to say it again.

Happy hump day people - have a good gf day.

Athena

I haven’t posted for some time but I have never really been “gone”. Following my posts from 3/4 years ago I have continued to struggle with addiction although made some positive steps for further counselling and support since early January and have been GF since.

I have been on this website several times a week to help with my recovery reading all of your stories, support and responses. It has been, and continues to be incredibly helpful in my recovery - I find so many similarities in our stories which helps apply advice to my own situation. I wanted to come out of the woodwork, to say thank you for sharing your stories and while each of us is fighting our own battles, sharing does really help others. 

I do feel that I wasn’t really ready to back writing on the forum but I do now. I am progressing with each day, building confidence and my guilt VERY slowly reducing. Some days are hard, some are not but I feel happier in myself than I have done for the last ten years. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with my debt and with the guilt I feel regularly - I won’t let this addiction ruin the good times.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Be kind to yourself and stay strong ?? 

Athena