One day at a time

Day 13.

Dont seem to be motivated to keep tabs on this site lately. Not sure why that is. Prob got something to do with my recent resetting of my day count.

Only a week until my bank loan gets fully paid off. Hopefully can get a new loan which will pay off my credit cards. Im paying over 150 month just on interest on the three that I have.

Try to stay positive Mark.

Youre getting the loan paid off and the credit cards will get paid next if you continue to abstain.

Dont feel the need to use the site every day if it's not motivating you at the moment. It's a roller coaster journey and we need different things at different stages to aid recovery. Just keep remembering the days don't really matter. We do know this but it can be hard to remember when counting days is what we all seem to do.

Have you worked out your gamble free total for 2015 yet ? If you want to count days, count that.

Youve done so well this year and must retain your positivity and motivation to carry on doing well.

Keep checking in the challenges once a week and in time you may find you want to return to the site a little more.

Stay on track !

Clare 🙂

Whoops just flagged my own post as abusive - gamcare you should have a 'are you sure?' option after pressing that button.

Anyway, whilst im typing away it just so happens that one less problem by arian grande is playing. I got one less problem without ya..... yes mr gamble - i have got one less problem without ya.

thabks for your posts clare... the last time I gambled i happened to be in profit but when walking out all i could think of was what did that episode actually achieve? What was the point?

It doesnt help solve other problems in life - it realy is just a temporary distraction from your problems.

Need to remember that.

I've just had a week away from posting so it may not be the re-set @ all, I think sometimes there's a change of tempo on the site & sometimes in us! There's a lot more to recovery than simply not placing a bet! I know you've had a blip but you picked yourself up & looks very much to me like you are learning to live without that artificial high! To someone just beginning to understand that it is not just about the money, your words are inspiration!

Couldn't agree more about an 'are you sure' button...I can wait forever for a post to load but hover too close to the flag & bam 🙁

Keep doing what is right for you - ODAAT

Not a good day.

To be honest I knew it was coming a while ago. So payday, day off work, mind not in a good place = disaster.

At least now its been reaffirmed that me and gambling dont get on. I cant control myself once ive started. I only managed to stop after taking out as much money as I possible could in cash from my card (£300). I could have course used my card to load more onto tge fobt's but I refused to see a gambling transaction on my bank statement.

Ive been in much much worse financial positions in the past - 2013 was a horrible year. Im confident this episode has drilled into me what a pointless exersise gambling is.

Worked out that by end of the year i'll have virtually equaled my 226 gambling free days of earlier this year.

Thats something to focus my mind on.

Mark

Bad calculations!! I'll be 100 days short.... oh well at least i'll be in tripel figures and feeling in a good place.

Hey Mark.

Use the opportunity to realise gambling and you will never get on. Nothing good can come of it. I know the days thing is depressing when you got so far. But you've got to get things back into perspective. You badly want to give up gambling. You know nothing good comes of it, ever. There's only one thing you can do now and that's to somehow remove the opportunity to gamble. Can you perhaps give your card to your partner or something to prevent any further gambling?

Clare

Day 2

Im feeling a lot better than I thought I would after Fridays blow out.

I read somewhere than 200 plus steps forwards doesnt get wiped out coz of 1 or 2 steps back. So onwards I march....

No need to give my card to anyone, im single so friends and family are my options but seeing as I dont even have the funds to gamble with till next payday that really isnt a problem.

Love that saying and it's absolutely true!

Day 19

Well after paying off my bank loan on my last payday I though I would request for an overdraft facility as things are tight this month A friend said to ask for a loan to pay off my three high interest cards that I have. So surprising I was offered it even though my credit rating is proper pants. So yeah... yesterday I paid off them all which leaves me in a much better financial position.

Still need to stay on guard as my disposable income will be much more than Ive ever been used to now.

Well... time for me to make some important decisions. Four days of consecutive fobt gambling as cost me around 600 quid. All on my credit card (as cash withdrawals). I cut the other one up but didnt with this one as was thinking I would use it for food at supermarket. Its got 2, 500 limit so im obviously worried im going to go crazy and make some very bad choices.

Ive reached the daily withdrawal limit so cant get any more out today. Im off to the parents in a while so will ask them to keep hold of it for a month. I'll also be giving them my bank card when I get paid at end of the month. Will take out 200 cash and hand that over and ask them to only give me 50 a week. That should be enough to get me by.

Just need to put some distance between my last gamble so I can straightern my head out.

I did 200 + days from xmas eve last year to 8th August so know I can build up the days. Returning to zero days knocked me right back but the last 6 weeks have been a tough reminder that ive got a serious gambling addiction and that once im actively gambling its a dangerous time.

I've been away from here for quite some time after slipping into my old ways. Today has been awful, ive literally lost 600 quid inthr space of 2 hours, all on roulette.

24th December last year was the point I kicked off a run of non gambling until Aug of this year.

I need to do exactly the same thing now as I did last time. Hopefully this time I'll have learnt that you can't go back to it.. EVER!

Welcome back Mark,:)))

Have a good strong Xmas Eve.

Suzanne xxx

Thanks Suzanne, one day at a time.

Hope you're doing well x

Welcome back Mark

Happy New Year !