No going back but learning from the past

Thank you Stephen for being a consistent source of encouragement and support, couldn't have done this without you and everyone here. So in the voice of Tony (?) From Bullseye 180! !!! S:)

Hi sharon and well done on your gamble free time 🙂

And thank you for the support you have shown me over recent times. It helps to get me back on track.

S.A

Ha ha nice one Sharon . I've been been practicing all day so let's see if I can do it with some humpty ( hope you can here me ok ) . Couple of deep breaths and ...... """ WONNN HUUNDREDD AAND AEEYTEE """. How was that !!!!! I want to be good at it for when I'm there in 56 days ......stephen

Love Stephen's post 🙂 Congratulations on a 180 days Sharon x

Amazing Stephen! !! Loved Bullseye, Sunday teatime in a nutshell. Hi WAI thanks so much, hope you're all good. I raise a small glass to all my gamcare friends and raise 2 fingers to gambling x

Hi Sharon, following on the darts theme....

Gaaaaammmme Shot.

Congratulations on your 6 MONTHS gamble free 🙂 🙂

Matt

Haha thanks Matt :):)

For the first time in a while have had a not great day today, over thinking everything and thinking -what if, why, how did this happen' etc. But after giving myself severe brainache I took out half an hour to put down on paper some mini goals for the next 6-12 months which are not unrealistic. I'm in the same boat as many others in having a medium sized debt which I can pay off in an affordable way but once that payment goes each month I will try and put it out of my head. I'm not dismissing this debt but I can't let it rule my every waking hour. Hard work, sensible budget, a few tiny treats and this forum will get me through so thanks to everyone for the ongoing support and encouragement, ....priceless. Take care S:

Hi Sharon,

Sorry you didn't have a great day yesterday, but you know what is great? How you dealt with it!!! 🙂 You used all your thoughts and chanelled them into something positive. I love the idea of setting yourself mini goals (It's quite funny- I'm currently doing an online cbt course and within this I am currently setting myself mini goals, it also allows you to break them down into chunks and tick off once your done). So I think what you are doing is great. We all have the answers inside ourselves, it is just having the enrgy and focus to unleash them..

Happy half a year gamble free 🙂 x

Thanks WAI, probably sounds cheesy but I just thought last night we can all be who we want to be because no else has the power to control your thoughts? ,Which shows what gambling does to your head and feelings, turns you into a different person. I think my answers have been dormant for a long time but are slowly but surely surfacing, Here's to a GF future and have a great weekend S:)

Hi Sharon

There are no what ifs in life, let alone gambling. What's done is done and now is the chance that many don't get....to learn from those mistakes and turn the what ifs into a foundation of definitely not again. From those building blocks better things are guaranteed.

Wishing you all the best, no more looking back on the negative.

Matt

Thanks Matt, not sure what was up y'day but came to the conclusion needed a swift kick up the b*m, so took myself in hand and feel loads better today. Have a great weekend S:)

So another week ticks by, I still check in everyday and read diaries....great to see people progressing and sad to see relapses and struggling. I realise now that when your in the thick of gambling you think '£10 here and there won't hurt, I'll win big and clear everything' took me a long time to acknowledge I was just kidding myself. Time, money all gone which I'll never get back. But now only looking forwards and my new thought is 'I will, not I can't ' nothing is impossible. Also being kind to yourself which is something I have neglected for so long has surfaced as being so important, so I'm setting aside an evening a week to do what I want, whatever it maybe, Have a great Sunday and let's all stay GF, the only way S:)

Thankyou for the kind words on my diary Sharon. Enjoyed your above post which has had me taking a good hard look at my own recovery.

" Time money all gone, which i'll never get back". So true and so simple, imperative we accept this but it's still a bitter pill to swallow. " But now looking forwards, my new thought is 'I will', not 'I cant'. Nothing is impossible." Showing courage and determination to meet the challenge head on. "Also being kind to yourself ( which is something I've neglected so long ) has surfaced as being so important." Several times you have advised myself and others to 'cut ourselves some slack', why beat ourselves up when it doesn't serve any purpose, it only plays into the hands of the addiction and makes our recovery even more difficult. As you rightly say we have to show ourselves respect and kindness. We didn't ask to be gambling addicts and we're doing our best to overcome it.

Thankyou Sharon, reflecting on these issues gives me a greater understanding of the challenges I have to face....stephen

You are totally welcome Stephen, if I can help anyone in any way that makes me happy. YesterdayS post was just what was going on in my head. I just can't beat myself up anymore over the mistakes I've made otherwise I'm heading for a future of misery, don't get me wrong I'm not dismissing or taking lightly my gambling past but that's what it is, in the past. All this is easier said than done though isn't it? So here we are on a fresh week so let's enjoy being GF and moving forward, take care S:)