Position of strength after years of weakness

So where to begin, today is as important as the previous 999, no more so no less so. Peaks and troughs dont work for me, whether it be making too much of the milestones or not making enough of hard days when i ve really struggled.

I`ve been thinking of this post for the last week, should it be pitched to celebration and jubilation?, or a good time to put plans in place for the future?, Today i am 1000 days gamble free.

The decision ive come to is to write myself a self help guide (ish), should i ever struggle or god forbid relapse, my thinking is at those times have something i know step by step and proven what works for me.

In previous attempts to stop i wasnt far off i believe in being where i needed to be just a couple of elements missing so let me remind myself what i have learned and need to tweak in case of future relapse.

A, Spot the problem sooner preferably before it gets a grip or even occurs, gambling gets a grip and takes hold when we are at our weakest, so when experiencing extra stress or periods of boredom to be open to talking about those issues. Professional help is great but just mentioning it to the right people at the right time could hopefully fend off possible gambling episodes before they even start.

B, this is a promise to myself that the first time i even think of gambling or try to stow money away for that purpose i will make my partner aware and talk through why i am even contemplating it.

C, I will not get stressed over my health , i am where i am at this point in my life and will try to be positive and address health issues in a positive and thought out manner.

D, Work, i am in a very different place at work no to when i was gambling, its more laid back and i am enjoying learning more and liaising and working with others, if this starts to change i will speak out and try to resolve things before they get on top of me, ive made some good connections and friends who i know will help with this and point me in the right direction.

E, I was an expert at hiding things, be that bank statements or lost hours at work due to gambling, i know i am more open now and that helps again talking to the right people now often makes me see reason and stops knee j**k reactions in various facets of life.

In the future i will take with me the knowledge that gambling got me at very weak points in my life, at times it dominated and controlled my life, but with a great deal of positivity i also know that when i m strong i can keep it at bay. Life will throw problems and stresses at me just like anyone, but gambling will never help those problems just numb them for a few hours before they come back more severe.   

There are so many little tips and tricks to mention mainly taken from others, in this forum is more or less the key and we can make our own step by step guide into firstly quitting but more importantly flourishing once we have got our problem under control. In the initial short term it was so important to put everything, all my time and mental capacity into quitting. BUT it was very important in the medium term to research and understand my problem and make plans for the future. In the short term its no bad thing being obsessed with recovery but long term we have to make not gambling the natural thing and start throwing our energies into developing our lives and selves, what i am trying to say is we have to address the causes and start to be more proactive and begin to balance life again.

Finally i have taken so much from each and everyone of the last 999 days and the thousandth is no different, its been difficult, mentally draining, humbling, insightful, and now feels very rewarding. Its a journey that we would`nt have wanted to ever take but this is where we are, so why not make the best of this challenge to stop gambling? And prove how strong you really are, you are one phone call, one conversation, one admittance to having a problem from being able to start that recovery and i promise you 1000 days later you will feel so much stronger, so much wiser and will feel a great sense of achievement (plus your finances will get better).

If you are just starting or about to start this journey, when you are at your worst and most desperate please realize  that the hardest days you will face will be the ones that offer you the chance to make the most progress.Each day you and you alone hold the key to how much progress you will make in that day, you can fast track the journey if you really put it in on those hardest of days.

Sorry for the long ramble, lets all going forward aim for a contented gamble free life.

Awesome job mate. Congrats.

Just goes to show that it can be done. I see you in the chat room often and love the advice you give. The fact that you are still in the chat rooms 1000 days in shows the commitment you have to staying gf. A good lesson for anyone startling out. You have to put the work in. What’s 1 hour a day out of life? You used to spend hours gambling. Replace it with something useful.

Congrats again mate. An inspiration to us all 💪

So a few things going on and not been on here much or updated my diary. 

Ive been thinking this evening on the early to mid part of my journey and there is something i really need to get across to people at the start of their own journey, as part of my lived journey through this hell something really stands out.

You can not beat this addiction in the first few days, weeks or months maybe even years.........BUT in the first days you can show bravery and determination. In the first few weeks  you can show courage and planning, in the following months show honesty and resilience. The thing that stands out the most and something i read that i can now look back and say without doubt is soooo important is to get clear of gambling and claim your mind back. What i read in the early days is it can take 90 days and beyond to start to feel clear thoughts and to be able to reason out decisions, it is very important to get to that stage and start to feel clear and enlightened thought processes. All of that sounds really head up my a**e but trust me its so true.

The staff and helpers here including outside agencies are fantastic in helping and building us back up, hopefully with a view to us taking back our lives and slowly making better decisions and learning to stand on our own 2 feet again, please don`t rush the process its tried and tested. Avoiding gambling and those types of environments is important but so is curing the mental side and building that up too, dont ever be ashamed of where you are at , as long as you are making the effort then you and i should feel proud of who we are and what we are trying to achieve.

This site has so many good people who know how bad these feelings in the beginning can be, listen to their advice especially about blocks, if you really want to quit dont skip any of the blocking steps they will relay to you.

The very best of luck everyone no matter where you are in your own journey.

Hi mate not seen on for a while i remember you early in my recovery along with Adam and Faith, since then time has flown by im on day 514 g/f i was inspired by you guys for helping me i cant thanx u guys enough my life is at peace now and i wouldnt wish gambling addiction on my worst nighmare im still using the chatrooms regularly once again thanx for your support wish you well