Regaining control after slip

Hey blues,

Must admit as a Hammers fan I was hopin Inter would hammer Spurs, and after 15 minutes I was revelling in a potential 7 or 8 nil win. Sadly they came back, but was a really entertaining game (was watching at work, so no gambling temptation there).

I agree with your recent post too about talking about losses. A lot of people who gamble can talk about friends who gamble and lose much more than they do, but not many people talk about how much they've lost, unless it's a deduction from a much larger win they've had.

I still don't want to talk about how much I've lost, but I suppose by not gambling I can think about how much I've "won" by not flushing it away.

All the best mate,

Ryan

Blues,

Hope you had a good weekend mate, still bet free and going strong, well done mate.

I know what you mean about those blokes and not mentioning losing, i bet they lose more than they win but obviously hide that fact.

take care mate

No-one can EVER win in the long term. Well, apart from the people who manage to pick 6 lucky numbers for a seven figure sum. Having said that, I remember someone coming on here winning near enough that magical seven figure sum and gambling pretty much all of it away.

And perhaps more.

So, so sad. Those people were boasting about their recent win but were hiding bigger losses.

Don't let that get you back to trying to chase those rare wins.

Have a great gamble free week.

Getting There

Hi folks, thanks for the posts, much appreciated and great to read. No temptation at all over the weekend, the thoughts of throwing away my hard earned never crossed my mind.

I went to get some essentials (bread, milk and the like) and bumped into a girl who works in one of my old regular haunts. Obviously after exchanging pleasentries she commented on the fact that she hadn't seen me in a 'few months' and you know what, I told her I dont gamble anymore and the look on her face was the same as if i'd said 'three aliens knocked on my door last night!' - pure shock. I didnt go into detail, but i'm 99.9% sure she had figured out why I dont gamble anymore, because 99/100, I would walk aay from there down beat and broke. It felt good to be able to say that, and then toddle off and get my bread and milk. In the old days when I used to go and get bread and milk, it would take me about 2 hours and cost me about 150 quid!! Thsi time it took me the 15 minutes it should and cost about 2 quid.

It feels good let me tell you but I am certainly not complacent and know that I must take it step by step. I will not undo the last 67 days, onto day 68.

Keep the chins up folks, we are doing it, winning the battle and for anyone out there who has had a recent slip, dust yourself down and start again, everyday gamble free is a victory...

Take Care

Blues

blues,

Hello mate, hope your ok, great news regarding your non gambling days increasing.

See the big difference? old times a visit to the shop would of cost you so much money and stress, now you are stress free.

Well done mate and well done for shocking that employee, take care

Blues,

Good on you. That is a great story and just what we need to hear on these recovery diaries.

How did the people managing those gambling joints think people can afford to lose that cash on a regular basis? The whole mentality is warped.

68 days is starting to build nicely.

You are getting stronger all the time.

Brian

Hey blues

Thanks for your post on my diary. Just had a read of your latest post.

Great stuff from you 'I don't gamble anymore' it's a simple statement but in the situation that you made it in it makes a big statement about your own determination to succeed in beating this disease.

Well done

David

Hi Blues,

Many thanks for posting on my diary mate - I am always thankful for your time, kind words and support.

Many congratulations on another gamble-free weekend Blues. Good for you.

That is a great story about meeting that girl and telling her you don't gamble any more. It must have been really liberating for you to say that. It shows that you are focused on your recovery and are proud to be dealing with your addiction. Well done mate. Very happy for you.

Like me you are also always on guard in case the demon appears in your weakest moment. The best way we can do both Blues is the winning formula of ODAAT. Stick to this, keep focused and we will beat this!

Thanks again for the post on my diary Blues.

Congratulations on your inspiring progress mate - keep up the good work.

Micky D

Blues,

How are you mate? how was today? hope everything is good mate, is it 10 weeks 2moro at 5.36 pm? wow mate great achievement.

Take care

Thanks for the posts lads, much appreciated. No urges today, football training tonight and thewn yes 534pm tomorrow, it will be 70 days / 10 weeks. Still have everyday s**t to deal with, but once that doesnt involve gambling, i'm satisfied. Still struggle to believe it took so long to wake up and smell the coffee!!!

Take Care

Blues

hi blues, thanks for stopping by on my diary, and for your thoughts and support.

I had a wry smile reading your post about popping out for a few messages, and not returning for hours, and the messages costing hundreds of pounds instead of a few - boy oh boy have i been there - and then had to make up lies about where i had been, and why it had taken so long, and then trying to cope with the worry of trying to cover up the money i had lost, brain doing overtime trying to work out where i could get extra cash from.

Horrible rotten days, that are now in the past.

well done on 10 weeks today, i can see a massive change in you from your early posts, and it is obvious that you are working hard at this - so keep doing what you're doing - it works !

all the best

tommi

Thanks folks. Yes, Tommi, they were horrible days, what were we thinking? everything I bought used to cost me at least treble because I thought I could walk into the bookies, double my money, then have the same left when I had gone shopping. Another occasion, I had some money to go and get jeans and trainers and stopped off on the way, lost most of it and got the most horrendous, ill-fitting jeans you had ever seen - but my clouded thinking was that I had to come back with some jeans - didnt get the trainers either and said that I didnt see anything and would hang on to the money. Those jeans had a price tag of 23 pound, that day, they cost me 140 pounds!!! MADNESS.

Anyway, onto day 71 now. 50, 70 days were targets and I know the adage is ODAAT, but my next target must be 100 days..That date is 27th November - KEEP FOCUSING folks, we canm do this and as I said before, try your damnedest, try everything not to place that first bet but if you do, stop, dust yourself down and start again

Hope you have a gamble free weekend

Take Care

Blues

Blues,

Hello mate, how is it going? firstly congratulations on 71 days, that is a very very good achievement mate, i remember talking to you from day1, where has the time gone ey? I totally relate to you about the jeans and trainers, I used to think, let me go shopping and after let me win it back so I got all the stuff for free, then i used to beat myself about the better jeans or more expensive clothes I could of got.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend mate, keep on going strong for that day 100.

Blues,

Day 100 will be here before you know it. It is a great milestone and you are doing super. We all know that the number of days is not important, we all want a big number but it's the quality of our recoveries that will really sort it out. Not saying either that we need to tackle all our futures today.... I'm confusing myself now.... let me put it in the way I heard someone say in a meeting:

This person is 8 years in recovery and they said that each morning, they have a simple pledge to themselves that they will not gamble today. Instead, they will do something good and productive that they enjoy. The more I read about this stages of recovery thing, the more it seems to be about a simple message.. don't gamble today. odaat. but not necessarily counting days, if you get my drift.

Anyway enough preaching 🙂 gotta get back to cleaning up the devastation i've created myself.

Well done again.

Brian

the compulsive day-counter

Hi Blues

Thanks for your encouraging word on my diary. Much appreciated.

We are all in the same boat and it really helps to know that we are not alone and can share our struggles and of course our success in beating the disease.

Glad to see you are continuing to do so well.

One day at a time though, it's the way to go.

Have a great gamble free weekend.

David