new beginning

Morning All,

I'm in work today for a day. Then tomorrow me and Mrs Toad get the keys to the new pad !!!

I can barely believe we made it. Two and a half years ago i looked into the mirror and wondered who i'd become through gambling.

It was a very large mirror in our living room. I looked wrecked, tired and sad. That's why i came up with the name Toad. I looked at the mirror and I was a toad just like in quantum leap whereby I transformed from human to a large toad.

I told my wife.' I am out of control ' 'Please take control of my finances'This barrier, bar a couple of lapses got me to where we are today.

It truley is a miracle. My credit score turned from poor to excellent in two years and i went to the financial ombudsman to remove 5 defaults from my credit file. Which they did.

This debt and pain was all because of gambling. It really is so destructive. I am still not cured though. I am wise enough to know that danger still resides at the pond. Yes we are moving to a new lily pad but the predators remain. It was a long swim down the pond but it's been worth it. The highs and lows of life.

I will now end on a high.

Tomorrow brings a new hope and beginning. I am so proud and happy. It took alot of strength to make the changes I did. I have been courageous and tenacious too. So let's celebrate for toad.

Hip hip -horay
Hip hip - horay

Toad.

Hi folks,

We made it !!!! Me and Mrs Toad are in our new house with all the furniture etc put in.

So happy to bring some positivity to the forum. 1000 entries and it's a happy entry.

We all can succeed if we believe. I wish you all a gamble free day.
Toad.

Morning all,

Well yesterday started well then nose dived.

1st mistake :- toad hit the watering hole and had a few cold beers at lunch

2nd mistake :- toad had an empty stomach because he'd rather have a beer than food yesterday.

3rd mistake :- toad was carrying £30

4th mistake :- i still haven't self excluded from the final bookies near work.

5th mistake :- toad was on the fobt roulette and lost the lot.

So i felt quite down yesterday. So will i learn from this? I have to !!!!!

I should never carry cash.
Time-location-money

I don't want to destroy what we have got me and Mrs Toad.

One thing is for sure. Life goes on at the pond. The other inhabitants of the pond have lost interest in toad. They have given all they can in their support and time.

I need to fight back. I can do this!!!

Come on toad. Beat the count!!!!
TOAD

Welcome back Mr Toad. The new life only lasted a short while as Mr Gamble said hi and toad jumped straight to his master the fobt.

I was hoping for better news but if you leave the door open you will gamble. Close the door and you may have a chance.

What words of wisdom are coming next?

Tomorrow is a fresh start perhaps. I wont bring money. I wont visit the fobt.

All very hollow. Perhapd a period of contemplation whilst you read your diary. Advice has been given by very good people. Somehow you are unwilling or unable to accept.

Choice is yours (again)

Hi All and Balvaird,

Well £8.2k hit my account. Money left from property remortgage.

I spent 5 hours discussing with the wife what to do. In the end i wired it to her account for us.
It is safe there but i wanted to keep it in my account.

Deep down i know i made the right decision.
Toad

My diary is already moderated. Thankyou Balvaird for your support.

Admin the serial boasting of winning on this diary is incredibley damaging to those fighting their addiction. Surely its time to stop this.

?

Admin

Please can this user be moderated before anymore posts are allowed.

The advice has been given on many occassions which is generally thrown back at people and the gambling continues daily.

This is a non gamblimg forum - not one to rub peoples noses in it on a regular basis

Hi folks,

Just a wee message to thankyou a for your support. Good lucky in your recovery Balvaird.

Toad.

Good morning All,

A nice day it is too. Meeting Mrs Toad for lunch today then taking minutes for a meeting this afternoon.

Life can get busy at the pond. I'm staying on my pad and staying safe. No gambling today.

I am making great progress.

I wish you all a gamble free day.

Can i just repeat that gamcare moderate me and i am also being carefull what i write.

Gambling is not a joke and the last thing i want is to offend anyone on here. The gamcare administrators have been very helpful to me on many occassions. So can i just take this opportunity to thank them.

Please respect my diary and my recovery. I will never mention finances again....

Toad

28th July.

No gambling today. Just lying low. Staying firmly planted on the lily pad.

No exploring the pond today.

Good luck y'all.
Toady

Good morning all,

I had a light breakfast of toast. In town early so having a coffee. Thankfully it's Friday.

I know this is a really silly thing to do but I have £500 with me in my pocket. I have no urges to gamble today.

Me and the wife booked a weekend away Saturday week. A break from the rat race.

I don't know what the future holds but i really need to stay away from the fobts. They are highly addictive.

Anyway i wish you all a gamble free day.
Toad..

Morning All,

re: my last post. Yes it was silly to bring £500 to work on the Friday.

I had no urges to gamble that morning but decided to take a half day and visit the turfs i still haven't self excluded from that afternoon.

So i was on the fobt roulette my Master. The fobt gobbled Toad up and spat him out penniless in the space of an hour.

The strange thing was i went home and didn't care. Sure i'd won most of it Toad said.

So i have a new plan in place today. My wife wires me £50 to keep me Sunday to Sunday so i need to budget. I will never carry big money again at the pond.

I didn't see the point in beating myself up over it. The money had gone to my Master the fobt.

But Toad refuses to go down under. Toad is like a rubber ball and always bounces back.

I leave you some positivity from my lily pad :-

ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE 🙂

Do do
Do do , do do do do do
So always............come on you know the rest!!!!

в—Џв—Џв—Џ Toad в—Џв—Џв—Џ

I like keeping my thoughts positive as well Toad.

From my experience, don't forget there's more help available. Its not a bad thing to accept help. If anything it shows someone being honest with who they are. Something i'm still working on myself.

Hello Triangle,

That was really good advice. I think i do need more help to be honest. Still struggling with this addiction.

It's almost like i am still chasing my losses.

Good look folks in your recovery.
Toad.

Glad you have a new plan in place Toad....the old one really wasn't cutting the mustard.

Positive actions lead to positive rewards. I hope you have reached a turning point and I wish you well.