Massive well done on your days gamble free.....thrilled for you on today's outcome...
X
Brill news, now you can put that behind you and enjoy your gf life even more, best wishes and stay strong and positive x
Good news on the sentencing front keep working at a gamble free life don't let that little devil on your shoulder try and convince you that now you have no custodial sentence you can start gambling again.
Keep going the way you are it's a much better way of life.
KTF
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So pleased you avoided custodial sentence...keep choosing to do the right things for you and yours x
It was just short of £5000 over 18 month period mate. If you look on the theft sentencing guidelines from the sentencing council you can work out your culpability and harm rating. Looking back at mine I got the starting point for my band (A3) minus the early guilty plea reduction. Wishing you all the best, and feel the same, getting caught actually saved me, just hoping I can move on and make things right now.
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232 days gamble free. Court case done. First probation meeting done. First unpaid work session on Monday, 1 session a week for 21 weeks then done. Things moving quickly and looking up, 2 more counselling sessions then I am finished. Hopefully will stay strong, no complacency though all my guards will remain up, there is no turning back now.
258 days of no gambling today. It was my sons first birthday yesterday and the wife's birthday on valentines day. Got a trip to London next weekend and a family holiday booked for August and October. Went to the Sea Life centre with my 2 boys last weekend. These are the things that we "could not afford" or "didn't have time" for whilst I was gambling.
Safe to say that I feel a million times better than I did 257 days ago and that I am now looking to the future for the 1st time in years.
Before I was caught stealing I was on a never ending cycle of gambling, never having money, moody, deceitful, selfish. Now with the help of my wife, my children, extended family, gamcare, GP, qustido, friends the clouds have lifted and I feel like a human being again.
Gambling took that from me, along with 10s of thousands of pounds, my morals, and I promise it will never happen again. I still have Community Payback to do, fines to pay and trust to rebuild but now I am away from gambling I know it can be done.
Stay GF. We cannot win as we cannot stop.
NM2185 wrote: 258 days of no gambling today. It was my sons first birthday yesterday and the wife's birthday on valentines day. Got a trip to London next weekend and a family holiday booked for August and October. Went to the Sea Life centre with my 2 boys last weekend. These are the things that we "could not afford" or "didn't have time" for whilst I was gambling. Safe to say that I feel a million times better than I did 257 days ago and that I am now looking to the future for the 1st time in years. Before I was caught stealing I was on a never ending cycle of gambling, never having money, moody, deceitful, selfish. Now with the help of my wife, my children, extended family, gamcare, GP, qustido, friends the clouds have lifted and I feel like a human being again. Gambling took that from me, along with 10s of thousands of pounds, my morals, and I promise it will never happen again. I still have Community Payback to do, fines to pay and trust to rebuild but now I am away from gambling I know it can be done. Stay GF. We cannot win as we cannot stop.
Great Post NM!
Posts like these give hope to so many others...Thank you!
M x
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300 days, 300 bloody days. I am finally winning, I will never win as this battle never stops. As long as I remain in the lead every day from now on I will win this war.
Just had my 12th and final counselling session. I cannot believe it is 314 days since my last (ever) bet. I can still remember my first session with Shirley, I was twitching and physically shaking at times couldn't keep my fingers still and was wondering if I was strong enough not to end it there. I told Shirley I didn't believe in counselling and it would not help me in an way shape or form. Fortunately at that time I was willing to try just about anything. Fast forward to today, no gambling, no thoughts of gambling, finances better, a lot more spare time, no more lies and the most amazing family. It's approaching summer, 2 holidays booked a weekend away, court debt being paid 2/3rds of my community hours done, a nice pay rise this month......... I feel a million dollars.
This is not gloating, far from it, I will always be addicted to gambling, it's just at this moment in time I am not a practising one.
I am not ashamed to say I shed a tear or 3 as I left counselling and for anyone who wants to quit gambling, it's amazing what good it does for you. Shirley was a stranger when I walked in on 22nd June 2016 but 12 sessions later she just might have been my saviour. So thank you Shirley, thank you gamcare and gambling........ you can do one.
What an amazing post, NM2185! Your feedback will give hope to those who are just starting out on their journeys. I'm sure Shirley would love to receive this feedback but it might be better for you to contact the counselling agency you attended directly - perhaps send them a card? We work with a lot of local agencies who employ many counsellors and they may not read this forum.
Keep posting NM, whether you are experiencing ups or downs your diary is helping you and other gamblers in recovery.
Best wishes
Forum Admin.
I took a card and a box of biscuits with me yesterday to say thank you. I wanted to take in a bottle of wine but know they deal with alcoholism there as well so didn't think it was appropriate ☺
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