One big hit and your addicted

Good work, Chicagoguy. You've shown what can be achieved and our a credit to this community on here. Well done and bless you!

A big thumbs up from me across the pond as I write this!

All the best

Alex

Hey all,

Thank you so much for the support. I will continue on this year as I did last year and take it one day at a time. I will renew my commitment to my gamble free journey and have it remain an important focus of my life. So many turns my journey took in 2013, some were really tuff, but through all of it, I remained gamble free and showed myself I don't need go down to the casino and have a spin on a slot machine. This year I will set new goals for myself and revisit some I didn't accomplish last year. I wish you all the best in your recovery process.

Recovering compulsive gambler,

Chicagoguy

Gamble free since 1/7/2013

Hi Chicagoguy, and amazing job with your new gamble free life! Your journey truly is inspiration to others and I can only wish I could be in same spot with more than a year gamble free. But I sure will do my best to get there this time.

Hi Chicago guy

Thanks again For your kind words. You really have been good for this website in past year an you helping others along the way has helped for them too stay focused an understand this is best thing too. Keep up the good work. Stayed focused an keep up the good work 🙂

Hi Chicago

Its great to read that you're still motivated and working hard as ever to keep progressing. Fantastic gamble free time.

I hope all's well with you.

Take care

Irene

x

Hey all,

Just wanted to drop by and say hello to everyone. I've been keeping real busy these days, so thoughts of gambling at the casino are a far distance away. I really think keeping oneself busy is a big key to your success in recovery. I try not to spend to much time having regrets about money I lost in the casino, it's better for yourself going forward in recovery, to not dwell on the negatives. Stay focused, and remember to take one day at time is the best approach. I wish you the best in your recovery process.

Recovering compulsive gambler,

Chicagoguy

Gamble free since 1/7/2013

Hey all,

Just wanted to give an update, been having lots of thoughts about gambling lately. I've been going through some tuff times, and I know gambling is not the answer, but the addiction comes to the forefront in frustrating times. Now let me remind anyone reading my posts I have not gambled on anything for over 14 months. Now what I'am about to post may be mind blowing to some, but for me I had to know how I would feel walking back into my old casino I use to gamble at. So one night I decided to head down there a couple weeks ago. I must say it was like I was dreaming, very surreal. Hearing all the noises I have only visited in my dreams, was very weird. I sat down at one of the machines I use to gamble on weekly, and just couldn't figure out why I became so addicted to slots. It almost empowered me even more not to put any money in the machine knowing how far I have come, heck, maybe it was my way of telling that machine and the other ones, I win this time, because I didn't gamble a single penny! I walked around the casino floor visiting all my old spots I would sit at for hours upon hours when I use to gamble. Before I decided to leave, I sat across from some people playing the wheel of fortune game, and just watched there behavoir as they were all caught up in the game or the addiction, just reminded me of my old self and helped me to heal somewhat that night. I decided it was time to leave and left with the 100.00 that I went there with. It would of been very easy to slip that 100.00 into a slot machine, but not doing that empowered me that night. Just wanted to share my story with you all, I'am still gamble free and continue to stay positive and strong! I wish you the best in your recovery process.

Recovering compulsive gambler,

Chicagoguy

Gamble free since 1/7/2013

What an amazing experience for you!! Personally I have never been into a casino but I am sure if I went in with 100.00 I would come out with 0.00.

I am only up to day 18 without gambling and my vice was the online slots. Right now I am missing playing which is an odd feeling because all I did was lose money day after day. How can I miss that?

Now I am just over half way through the month and still have money in my bank account and all the bills are paid!

Keep posting your updates - your story is inspiring.

Hi Chicagoguy and well done on your gambling free time.

May I say though, you are playing with fire by revisiting your old haunts. Why take the risk? Having said that I do understand the mindset. I use to do similar...deliberately walking past places I use to gamble in.. testing myself.. But why?? The answer for me was that I was struggling and my addictive head wanted to gamble.

Keep your self safe and avoid old haunts. Regards.. S.A

Keep up the good work Chicagoguy

Hey all,

Just wanted to stop by to a familiar place. I've been going through some very difficult times lately. Two weeks ago I was promoted at work to being fired on Monday. I had started the job back in January of this year, because work in construction was non existent due to the weather. I'am praying that something will come up with my union construction job in April as the weather gets warmer. I had also lost my place back in December because of not being able to make rent, and found myself homeless, until a very good friend gave me a place to stay. Yesterday after getting fired I was almost threw my recovery out the window. I figured why not? Nothing's going right in my life, I've lost everything, my life feels hopeless at the moment? So I decided to take a stroll down to the place I use to air out all my demons. Yes, I went to the casino, even my old parking spot was open, that in itself made it feel like the casino was waiting for me to return someday. I mean the exact spot I use to park at so ritualistically. We all know those old habits so well, I won a jackpot before when I parked there, so I'd better park in that same spot again, where that same shirt, walk in the same door, money in the same front pocket. We'll I had my last check in my front pocket all in cash. As I walked down the stairs to the lower level of the casino I was feeling ok, I had made my mind up, I deserve to have a go at it on a slot machine, after the hell I've been through in the last week! We'll I walked into the casino and started scoping out my machine, which slot machine will I allow to destroy my recovery. Again I started to notice the behavior of other addicts who gave back into the addiction playing there machines, all that clinging and clanking of those so familiar noises. I started to question myself, remember how far you've come Chicagoguy, the countless hours in rehab, the 200 miles a week driving to just get that medicine, that only professionals who know this terrible addiction can give you, through therapy and group sessions, the way I know I'll feel after I put that first 20 dollar bill in the machine, the two week check in on Gamcare, having to take my name off Flagg's list, with everything that has gone wrong in my life lately, I will not be able to tell anyone, but I'am still gamble free. Those thoughts filled my head to the point I just couldn't put my hand into my pocket to take out some money to feed back into my addiction. I kept looking at the Mike Tyson positivity band I had on my left wrist, and how much lately it reminds me to stay positive in life each day, no matter how hard it gets. I made my way around the casino floor, and felt this overwhelming strength come over me, and I made my way right back to the front door and walked out of there a winner! Because I made the choice for myself at that moment, I will continue my recovery being GAMBLE FREE! I got into my truck and left, all the money from my Check still in my front pocket. I just wanted to share this story with anyone that is struggling like myself lately, we can still fight and make a stand against this terrible addiction even at our weakest moments in our life. I'am Chicagoguy, and I'am proud to say, I'am still gamble free since 1/7/2013. I wish you all the best in your recovery process.

Recovering compulsive gambler,

Chicagoguy

Gamble free since 1/7/2013

Well done Chicago. Be very very proud of yourself!!

Take care and as you know, each day is a new day.

Feb.

Hey everyone,

Things seem to be getting a bit better, my union has me doing some picketing work for them. After I had got fired from the warehouse job, I called them first, and once again they came through for me with some work. I'am hoping to get put out on the pipeline sometime this spring. Started doing some fishing again at the river, it's been slow, water is still cold. Should start to get good here real soon as we start to warm up. I had to stop by and post today, 15 months gamble free today! No matter how tuff things may get sometimes, we can still have strength to stay the course in our recovery. I wish you the best in your recovery process.

Recovering compulsive gambler,

Chicagoguy

Gamble free since 1/7/2013

Chicagoguy

Each day we are tested and that's when we have to dig deep and use the knowledge and the new tool set that recovery gifts us. You passed that test with flying colours you didn't revert back to old destructive thinking and behavior, you walked in and out of that s**t hole a winner.

Well done

Blondie

Hey all,

Been awhile so figured I'd stop by and give an update. I'am 17 months gamble free as of yesterday. I hope everyone is doing great and continuing down that new path in their life. The more I gain time under my belt of abstinence of this addiction, the more I realize how hard you have to work at it to remain gamble free. I still have a lot of work ahead of me to put my life back together after what gambling did to me financially, but I will continue to work at it. I figured the three years I gambled hard, is what it will take for me to start to rebuild financially. If someone was to ask me,"What keeps me from gambling, or having a go at the slots?" I guess the biggest deterrent, is myself not wanting to return and to continue on in my abstinence of gambling. It's tuff though, I still have dreams occasionally of going to the casino and playing they slots. There's days that I'll think about a machine I use to play and what if I could hit a big win on it. I created an illness with this addiction that I must treat daily with abstinence! I'am finding that abstinence has gifted me some new opportunities in work, and that in itself reinforces my notion not to gamble. I wish everyone the best in there recovery process.

Recovering compulsive gambler,

Chicagoguy

Last day of action 1/7/2013