Staying Strong to end the misery .

Hi Sir Stephen ,

Keep us all inspired as you're really helping me with my recovery ! I'm always excited to read your diary 🙂 thank you and stay cool

Sars

Its always great to hear how the numbers are adding up... I hope soon you will be able to say 100+ gf days 🙂 and never stop... make that your new addiction to never gamble again

Thankyou so much for the posts in my diary , your great support keeping me on the recovery road . Really helps as I was badgered by the addiction yesterday with all the same old delusional thoughts going through my mind , really persistent until late afternoon when it just stopped . Couldn't have been boredom as I was busy all day , however I was a bit melancholy .

Cardhue your 1610 Days are absolutely wonderful . Real inspiration . As I labour on through the foothills your a beacon of light way off up the mountainside . You have helped and inspired many a weary traveller

Sars your amazing my friend , so much positivity . You show a great zest for living life to the full , no doubt the gods will be looking down on you with pride as you battle on to your true potential .

Lasttime . Welcome to Gamcare . Early days in recovery , a difficult period of mixed emotions . Hoping this can be a new beginning for you , a chance to live a happy and fulfilling life free from gambling . It probably won't be easy but it can be done if you've got the right mindset . The gambling addiction likes nothing better than a good game of " lets beat the addiction " , it is so cynically cruel , deceptive and eager to prey on our weaknesses .

66 Days on the road with my friends and fellow travellers . Some forging ahead relentlessly , some struggling and some collapsed by the side of the road . But what a wonderful thing when somebody gets up off the ground and finds the strength to carry on . Somewhere up ahead is Freedom .

Still on the road and long time no bet

No time to cry , no need to fret

My time is come , a big whopping chance

To fight the good fight with a song and a dance

Love and best wishes to all my fellow travellers . Really appreciate the support of every one of you . 67 days ago i'd all but given up hope , but I now cherish a life free from the misery of compulsive gambling .

You are doing amazing. You have come so far. You are an inspiration to myself and many others x

Taking a lot from your posts.

You are a poster with considerable writing talent and I like to give back to those who help me.

So jumping on the poetic bandwagon I have written you a haiku.

It's very good:

Castanets go clack,
Positivity does shine
Showing us the way.

You're welcome.

Liking the inspirational feel-good strength you have that is sweeping through the forum.

Well done on the 67 (soon to be 68) days Abstainer.

Thankyou Glint , really appreciate your encouraging words . Never heard of a haiku before now , quite intrigued so plan to check it out . Wishing you peace and contentment .

Day 68 has been good . Helped out at a dance project rehearsal being performed by people with learning difficulties . They were absolutely wonderful , so happy to give everything to the performance . Brought me right down to earth , considering fate had dealt me a good hand and I just threw it all away .

Went to Salsa tonight which was ok but couldn't master the routine in the class and I felt like an idiot . Bit annoying , the phrase ' you can't teach an old dog new tricks ' did pass through my mind .

Got my asthma review tomorrow morning . Stopped smoking at 50 but the damage was already done and left me with some irreversible lung damage . Can do most things but can't run and climbing stairs creases me . God knows what would happen if I had a romantic encounter ! it would probably finish me off .

Anyways i'm still here . " It's not over till the fat lady sings " .

Hello Diary . Looking forward to passing the 10 week marker tomorrow , might start a new thread to celebrate .For now though I will just enjoy today with bills and debt repayments up to date , a bit in the bank and enough in my wallet to buy stuff . Intend to stay positive and relish my new found freedom from the fobts .

I will never again put money in a so called gambling machine . The money I have given them is gone forever but they're certainly not getting any more .

Reach for the apple

Bite the apple

And you throw it away !

My old friends mum was a flamenco dance and she taught me them moves at her sons wedding. A little bit of an irrelevant ramble there, but you reminded me from a line in #142 ' life had dealt me a good hand and I threw it away ' !!! Au contrau as Del would say, us addicts make wrong turnings, I think re(dis)covery goes through a bizarre grieving process and we start reflecting on throwing elements of our life away, we're use to a life of a ostrich with out necks stuck in a machine and now we're starting to see what's around.

You're doing well. You also gave me good food for thought regarding giving up smoking when you were 50, my age now and starting to catch me up, so need to snap on your 50.

Random and out

Spot on Volcano . Head in the fobt for years and yes your right recovery is also a grieving process , the addiction has been with us a long time . Detestable what it does to us but guess I still harbour some affection for the tyrant . Been thinking all day maybe I should look around and weigh up alternative options ! Suprise suprise thats exactly what you suggested .On a different note I liked the flamenco move , will be at a five rhythm dance a week sunday so will throw it in a couple of times.

Glint but the following haiku on my diary which he had composed ;

Castanets go clack

Positivity does shine

Showing us the way

Like it a lot , find it both calming and thought provoking .

Years ago I used to enjoy Quaker Meetings where everyone sat still and kept quiet . If one felt moved to stand up and say something than thats what they did . Frequently the words had no relevance to their own situation but would strike a chord with someone else . Seems in a way our diaries are a bit like this , I often read posts which tell me so much about my situation , helping me see things from a different perspective .

At midnight my thread ' Staying Strong to end the misery ' will be bowing out gracefully .. As part of my 70 Day celebrations I will introduce a new thread . This will monitor my progress in a more chilled and retrospective manner .

Abstainer, your diary is both inspirational, honest and liberating. A breath of fresh air.

I can actually feel your raw emotion, sorrow, pain and hope. At the age of 66 with over 70 days GF you have shown many of us on this forum the challenge of abstinance, whilst coping with all the usual hic-ups, doubts and regrets. I love your appreciation of nature, human spirit, humour and poetry.

It seems like you have the energy and zest for life to really enjoy all the things you've been missing out on.

All the best with your journey. I'll be following your new thread as you take things to the next level, whilst keeping that gambling demon at bay.

Changemylife . Thankyou for the kind words and encouragement . Am really happy with your 268 Days GF . I find it inspirational that friends are up ahead overcoming the urges to gamble . It tells me that a GF life is their if I choose to take it . No excuses now , I know exactly where I stand .

Quite right Abstainer. You can do anything you want in life. But at this stage one of the most important things is NOT listening to that freaky little voice of gambling enticement in our heads.

All the best to you.