One day at a time

Serious urges today - watching channel 4 racing on Derby day isnt the best idea ive ever had. Keep thinking of having a 'controlled bet'. Wouldnt be any more than 20 quid as never was a big gambler when it came to horse racing. So yeah, been contemplating a double what with it being the champions league final tonight.

Thankfully the location part of the triangle stops me from giving in to the urges. Im self excluded from online gambling with all the major firms.

Just want to get through today safe and sound

Made it through yesterday. Im fine now. Day 165.

Well done Mark on getting through a tricky day,

You are back on track today,

Suzannexxx

Spent a LOT of money today......

pleased to say not a penny wasted to gambling...

clothes, trainers, dvds, cds, bits and bobs...

something that just wouldnt have happened a year ago

feels good to feel like a normal member of society!

now sat having a quite pint on a lovely sunny summers afternnon

Bliss....

Sonic

Simply a great share.

Recovery is not a punishment, it's a gift.

The one selfish act that will have a profoundly positive effect on your own life.

Enjoy it.

Abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Nice to spend your hard earned money on decent things mate , I still look at trainers now thinking wow £50.00 , £60.00 , £70.00 is a lot then realised I used to spin that on the roulette in less than 10 minutes.

Completely the same as you now in the fact I watch horse racing sometimes and the urges are strong to have a bet , even watching england Sunday in the pub I had to stay strong , would usually lump a load of money on the goal scorer until he came good , sometimes I was happy just to recoup what I had lost and even that felt like victory.

I realised I love horse racing but cannot continue to watch racing in recovery , the temptation is just too much.

Hi John,

Good to see you're back. Knew you must have been away on honeymoon - congrats by the way.

Yes, I think its hard for any problem gambler to overspend in other areas of their lives. Either you simple dont have the funds in the first place coz of debt commitments or if you happen to earn a good wage without the burden of debts then your hard earned money in your head is your "gambling money". Even the times you managed to walk away with a nice win that monet was just going to go back where it came from.

My trainers cost 51.99...was not intentional that they did but it just so happens that over a year they will have cost me a pound a week. No need to feel guilty at all but when your mind is so fckd then you struggle to part with that kind of layout up front. However, like you say - wouldnt think twice at pressing the spin button and risk losing it in a few seconds.

Im in a good place now... Ive had no urges to go back to FOBTs as im well aware that I have no control of myself when im on them. Sports betting..... I do have a degree of control but a gambling is still gambling and I dont want to be lablelled as a gambler as its just a sad sad world for the likes of us.

So ive accepe the losses. Well to be honest I was never chasing the losses (except on the day I was playing). The next day was a new day and my addiction needed that buzz to get through it. Of course I didnt want to lose as that would make me feel like c**P and I would need to try again tge next day to get me high again.

who needs any of that c ra P in their lifes!

...And a little thanks to suzanne, GT and duncan for your recent support... without the support network we have on here im sure things would be much more difficult for us.

Makes me mad at the advertising tatics of a well known bingo site who seem to think its accepatable to suggest that the only way you can keep your friends is by spending your time with them at their gambling establishments!

Hi Emily 🙂

Thank you for popping by and letting us all know how your doing. Really pleased that your in a good place. I think its taken a long long time for us to get to the 'ive had enough stage' and now we finally know deep down that to keep our sanity we have to abstain forever. Every day that goes by makes us that little bit more determined.

Stay in touch when you can. Be good to read some updates on your business venture.

Mark

Day 179.

Still gamble free this year. Not that far off a full six months actually (last bet was 24 Dec).

For anyone whos reading this who has just maybe gambled in the last week or so and is fining it impossible to imagine a permanent change to their lifes - it IS possible. Im not naive to think im "cured" but I deffo think the more and more days you build up from your last gamble the stronger you get / weaker your addiction gets.

Ive head the addiction being described as a monster that you need to starve so it gets weaker over time.

I reviewed my debts yesterday... I had a credit card balance increase a few weeks ago and have treated myself to new clothes trainers bits and bats. The result being I may struggle to meet my target of getting debt free by the start of nexy years olympics.

I think its important for me to not get fixated with that date as I can imagine that somehow my addiction may try and make me 'get back on track' by winning some money. Obviously Im currently in a good frame of mind at the moment to totally dismiss this idea. But should things not always be like this and I have the start of the olympics as too much as a target you never know what might happen.

The debt will get paid off when it gets paid off. If that takes to the end of nexy year then so be it.

Still staying strong. Not feeling at all interested in going back to my 'old ways'

Its been 6 whole months since I made the decision things had to change. Best decision ive ever made.

Still gamble free. Theres just no point in going back there, the' FUN' stopped a long time ago.

All these adverts I see... like EVERY day! ... just go over my head. Im so sick of seeing Barbara Windsor and her bingo bloody balls!

Hi Sonic Boom, just reading through a few old messages and came across one I sent to you when you were near 100 days. Great to see you have smashed through that barrier and doing well. I hate it too seeing all these adverts but as you say you just take no notice and continue with the things that matter.

Can u believe you're almost on 200 days !? A massive well done to you, Mark. I'm glad to hear you're able to go into the town and not feel drawn in to any gambling establishments. I often find when I've time on my hands I do start to think about ways to gamble. It's good that you've not been tempted even with a little time on your hands !

Clare

Thanks for your comments (Rst and Clare)

Still 'winning'... 196 days in a row. Impossible to do that when gambling... dont believe anyone who suggests differently (barbara bloody windsor springs to mind!).

Can she not earn a living doing something good for society? Im pretty sure shes played a direct role in ruining lots of peoples lifes. This might sound hash but she was employed for the sole reason to drum up business for the site in question and she must be doing that as those stupid adverts are on every day week by week month by month.