One big hit and your addicted

DAD

TEARS ARE STREAMING DOWN MY FACE

AS I SIT HERE IN MY PLACE

I KNOW YOU'LL NEVER BE REPLACED

YOUR LOVE WAS STRONG

YOUR HUGS WERE LONG

I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH MORE

NOW THAT YOUR GONE

I KNOW THEY SAY

TIME HEALS ALL BROKEN HEARTS

BUT I DON'T HAVE INFINITY

SO HOW DO I START

I LONG TO HEAR YOUR COMFORTING VOICE

YOUR WARM SMILE, YOUR WISDOM, YOUR EMBRACE

THANKS FOR WATCHING OUT

FOR ME FROM ABOVE

I CAN STILL FEEL

ALL YOUR LOVE

I'AM PROUD TO BE YOUR SON

THANK-YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE

Chicagoguy

Just read your post from Thursday mate....you're SMASHING it!! A real inspiration. Well done 🙂

Keep eating healthy. I'm doing it at the moment as I'm training at the gym and its amazing how much better you feel mentally and physically

Chicagoguy ... well done to you on all your recovery areas - you must be so so proud of yourself J x

Hey all,

Another beautiful gamble free weekend, filled with fishing, healthy eating and being happy.

Happiness comes at a price when your an addict. The price is abstinence, not placing a bet of any sort. Keeping your focus on positive constructive tasks, things that fill your time. Me I enjoy fishing, today I caught 5 largemouth bass at a forest preserve. I enjoy the time I spend fishing more then I ever did before. Why?, because I realize I made a decision to choose my time doing something I enjoy and that is healthy for me. Knowing where my mind was when I was gambling and how destructive it was to me, I look at things in a different light now. I smile more, say hello to people, walk upright, carry that inner peace that only an addict that is clean would understand. Today I enjoyed what abstinence has given back to me, and for that I'am very grateful. I wish you the best in your recovery process.

Recovering compulsive gambler,

Chicagoguy

Hey CG...as always ..thanks for popping in...and trading recoveries ...I got my spirit back...it never went away to be honest ..it just wore dull clothes and tried to blend in ...but its back...!!!

Glad you found your inner peace and I know we are on different journeys but can still doff a hat...I found my soul and the bang of the drums that was dormant ...

Back to life ...back to reality...as my pal used to say.,,it takes him 10 pints to get to the high I am when I wake up! Lol

R and D xx

Hi Chicago G

Just checking in, great to see your posts and even greater to see you are cleaning up the slop you had generated in your because of gambling. It takes strength and will power to regain control and mostly the realisation that there is a far better life to live without the sickening disease we once had. We are in recovery and in a strange sort of way, we can see the purity and wonderful things life can bring us far better than other people who have not walked our walk with the devil. I commend you and your spirit, you bring a strength to this site with your writing which very few can, it's called opening your heart and soul. Your friend Dark Place

Hi Chicago,

Thanks for the post pal. Always appreciated. I still havent caught a decent fish yet but, I'm having fun working on it! Hang it there! -joanxxx

Good mourning all,

Another beautiful day today. Hope everyone enjoyed there weekend. Mine was filled with lots of fishing and enjoying the outdoors. I have a busy week ahead of me, G.A. tonight, Tuesday I have group therapy session, Wednesday I have another G.A. meeting, Thursday I have my 1 on 1 therapy session. Great to be busy. Today I'am 17 weeks gamble free. I wish you the best in your recovery process.

Recovering compulsive gambler,

Chicagoguy

17 weeks gamble free

5 weeks eating healthy

14 lbs weight loss for month of April

next weigh in June 1 st

Hi Chicagoguy

I'm so happy to read about your progress its lovely to see you recording the progress of how your life's improving. Enjoy the busy week ahead- it seems to be working for you 🙂

17 weeks- fab!!

Take Care

Irene

x

The good things in life are certainly free, sunshine, fresh air and fishing, all sound so good.

Thanks so much for your continued support.

xxx

I will look out for your therepy insights CG ....always great to follow anothers recovery and progression and always food for thought..

Hope you are in a warm place in the US ...suntan cream and a straw hat maybe while youre fishing...imagining Huck Finn..style lol....you can see I have watched too much tv over the years...

Keep posting...you are doing fantastic ...and also shedding those pounds ...its all good

R and D xx

Hey all,

Excellent fishing today. I caught a 4 lb Largemouth Bass. The weather was beautiful, I ended up catching and letting go back into the river, 5 Largemouth Bass and 10 Smallmouth Bass. So great to be enjoying recovery and spending time doing healthy activities. I had my group therapy session tonight. I'am finished with the education group therapy session, I completed my requirements for the program with that. I now just go to the group therapy session once a week and my 1 on 1 therapy session once a week. We discuss different issues we are having for the week in group therapy session, and work on them together as a group. It's a great support system, and we can learn a lot from each other. Great to be abstinent and reconnecting with things I allowed gambling to take from me. I wish you the best in your recovery process.

Recovering compulsive gambler,

Chicagoguy

Mr. Chicago.

My friend you do indeed reap what you sow, and fella just for today

Enjoy it.

Duncs stepping forward never back

Hi Chicago,

Yes, "reconnecting with things that gambling took from me". Yes, yes, yes!! I'm thinking I need to make a trip back home because fishing in Illinois sounds much better than Massachusetts! lol! -joanxx

Hey all,

Another beautiful day. Spent today fishing again, and caught some fish. But I caught the biggest fish of all. The catch that only a recovering addict would want to net up right away. This is a trophy catch, one to place on the wall and be proud of. This is a catch you reel in by choice, one that has changed my life and put myself back on the right track. That choice was not to gamble, and soak up nature and spend my time doing something positive for myself. Each day that goes by in abstinence I gain more and more strength in my journey of a gamble free life and a greater inner peace with never wanting to place another bet. I wish you the best in your recovery process.

Recovering compulsive gambler,

Chicagoguy