Road to recovery

Thank you for your kind words.

I'm not a fan of the word hope but do understand what you mean. Stopping gambling can be done you can get control and clarity back in your life. You have admitted you are powerless over gambling now you need to accept that nothing changes if nothing changes.

You need to block all routes to gambling get support telling partner or family members is a big step but a key on in my opinion. Call Gamcare look at counselling and/or GA.

Be honest.

If you put as much effort into stopping gambling as you did to put on the next bet you won't go far wrong.

KTF

Thanks for the replies. Day 2 now. Just got to work and am sat here thinking the shift I'm gonna do now pays for a few clicks I did online gambling the other night. Don't feel good in myself if I'm honest but I'm only at the start of my journey. Thanks for your replies. Reading on here seems to help a lot. KTF, which GA meeting do you go? Oldham by any chance?

Hi again yes surprisingly I go to oldham GA on a Tuesday went to one in Manchester yesterday and been to a few other round and about.

I personally find it a great help running along side here. I'm a big advocate of GA any questions just ask.

KTF

Day 3 was ok I guess. Felt rubbish in the morning but the more I read on here the more I realise. I've always seen my problem as a financial problem. But it's not. It's my behaviour that's the problem. Yea I'm in quite a lot of debt but it's just numbers really. I have a roof over my head and I have enough money to get by. The debts will go eventually as long as I stay strong. I got a new job that pays more and overtime is x1.5. Asked for some overtime today and they gave me some straight away. But like I say money doesn't matter. That's what I'm telling myself anyway.

I got an email today from the site that I had recently played on giving me £150 loyalty bonus. I couldn't believe this as I had emailing them to be self excluded. I had about 8 emails from various other sites confirming my exclusion but apparently they never received my request. Anyway I rang them up and asked if they could just transfer the money to my bank but they said it was a bonus and must be played through 30 times. No thankyou. Playing it through would let me win until I get close to withdrawal and then make me loose it all thinking oh I was on a winning streak. Maybe if I carry on... I told them to keep their bonus and to stop all communications. Actually felt good.

Well tomorrow's another day and just for the day. I will not gamble

Hi, Wish,

It sounds like it's going as well as it can, which is all positive, but you don't need those offers. My husband is a recovering CG, I dealt with SE by old fashioned letters that he signed, the websites do have physical offices, although the addresses are well hidden. The letters quoted his name, address, email, password, account number, DoB and asked for permanent SE because he is a CG and no further contact by any means at all. The pennies due to him were put back on his card and we haven't had anything other than confirmation.

Keep the triangle broken and go to GA if you can, hard to walk into the first meeting but makes all the difference.

BW,

CW

Sorry just posted to myself.

Yeah it is still 7.30 turn up late if you can't get there on time. I've been going since end of September so our paths may of crossed.

As for the bonus no point using it. It seems to take some time for the SE to take effect but you did the right thing in telling them to stuff it in the end you would only be keeping them embers burning by playing on.

Day 4

I was starting to feel better so I decided to add up all my debt. Made me feel worse and didn't quite realise how bad it was. Well I had to face it at some point I guess. Iv been thinking in my head all day how I can get this mess paid off quicker but the only answer is to work hard and not gamble. Iv only spent a fiver in these last 4 days so it is possible I guess. Just keep working and cut back where I can. Ah well tomorrow's a new day and I promise I will not gamble.

Day 5

An old friend from uni called me today saying she thinks she had a gambling problem. I knew she used to gamble small amounts years ago when I was at the beginning of racking up my huge debts but I always thought she was clever enough to not get carried away. It just shows that the gambling demon can take anyone. Besides that though no thoughts on gambling today. Things are going well. Just keeping busy with work and thinking about my future and the nice things I can do instead of paying the casinos the enjoys my money.

Tomorrow, I promise I will not gamble

Day 6

Another day gamble free. I'm feeling more positive today. Just make it through tomorrow and I will have done a week. Not really an accomplishment but it's 1 step closer. I know I won't gamble as long as I make this promise each and every day.

Tomorrow, I promise I won't gamble.

Wishicouldstop wrote:

Day 5

An old friend from uni called me today saying she thinks she had a gambling problem. I knew she used to gamble small amounts years ago when I was at the beginning of racking up my huge debts but I always thought she was clever enough to not get carried away. It just shows that the gambling demon can take anyone. Besides that though no thoughts on gambling today. Things are going well. Just keeping busy with work and thinking about my future and the nice things I can do instead of paying the casinos the enjoys my money.

Tomorrow, I promise I will not gamble

It's so crazy how many of our friends and family gamble, it makes you wonder how many people around you are living their own nightmares! So happy for you that you made a week without gambling. I've just made it to two weeks and your style of counting day by day seems really familiar to me (I used to do that and I gotta say, it didn't work out the best for me). Have you tried packing up your day with activities, especially positive ones? Not trying to be negative but I just see alot of your thoughts similar to my thoughts.
best of luck

Well I work late shifts. Usually till around 1am/2am. I don't usually get up till about 11 so there's not really much for me to do. I have just signed up to a new gym opening in a couple of weeks so this will keep me busy for the period of time before I start work. I really do seem to have a clear head and focusing on what I want out of life. I don't take your comments negatively at all and appreciate your concern.

Hi WICS, just popped by to wish you well and congratulate you on getting your first week done and dusted , it does get easier as the day count goes up , Iv'e been gamble free for just over 7 months now and know only to well how things seem initially , your doing all the right things and joining a gym seems like a good way of spending your newly found time , great to see the fogs lifting , it usually does after the first week or so simply because you heads no longer full of all the gambling rubbish !.

Keep posting and reading diarys as it allows you to vent any frustrations that life may throw at you and keeps you focused !

Best wishes and talk to you soon ...............................Alan

Day 7

Congratulations on 7 months Alan. That's amazing. Yea it certainly took a few days to stop thinking about all the gambling rubbish and now it's left me with a clear head to sort out the future. I know a week is by no means a success story but it still feels like progress. Next step is 1 month but just for tomorrow, I will not gamble.

Day 8

After finishing work last night, I didn't get to bed till about half 3 this morning. My daughter was dropped off at 8 so had very little sleep. Anyway after dropping her off at school, I put a film on and fell asleep. I had a dream I was gambling :s it all felt so real though. It was only the £100 I have saved all week but I was making excuses being late for work, then making mistakes at work and looking to borrow money to gamble and "win it back!" Honestly I can't describe how real it felt. Is this a sign that I'm actually not ready to stop yet and I'm just kidding myself? I don't want to gamble now I'm awake and feel so relieved it was only a dream. It wasn't a lot of money I lost in the dream but it was like I was dragged straight into the downward spiral. Sorry if that doesn't really make sense. Iv not fully woken up yet. Come straight on here to post.

Just for today I will not gamble