Steady as she goes!

Day12

I read a lot of posts on here concerning whether or not people can stay gamble free for the rest of their lives.

With most (and I know that there are some exceptions) the answer will be No.

For me, rightly or wrongly, and there will be people in both camps, it's not about that question.

It's got to be easier in the long run to abstain on a daily basis, one day at a time.

If you set yourself an unreasonable target, the chances are that you will fail to meet that target. You can't seriously hope that something that many of us on here have been engaging in for 20 years plus is suddenly going to just magically go away in the space of a few days or few weeks.

So why make the prospect of staying gambling free for the rest of your life so important, so early on?

In the majority of cases, the arrival of a person on this site is usually because a particularly bad run of losses has produced an untenable and particularly difficult situation in their lives induced by a gambling spree that didn't go to plan.

I don't think that there is anyone here on the site who suddenly woke up one morning and said "I'm a bit fed up with winning all this money gambling - I really must give up and get my life in order!"

We have all arrived at this position because gambling is causing us a negative situation in our lives that we don't want to continue with.

Those that gamble with seemingly no issues, are an unusual kind of person (if they actually do exist?) and I believe if you go into any bookmakers and took a straw poll, 99% of those asked would admit that gambling doesn't have a positive affect on their lives.

We are here to take positive steps to make a difference to our lives, to make a change or a difference to our predictable, stressful and utterly dissapointing lives when we gamble.

I really am not missing the constant re-runs of the "near misses" or the "almost wons" that I had in my head - or the constant calculations whirring around in my head of the amounts lost over the last day or the last week or month (if I could remember back that far), and depending upon how far I could keep counting before hitting the "reset button" and starting a new set of losses.

Anyway, the point of this ramble was to look forward, one day at a time and choosing, just for today not to gamble.

I know one thing...

Today I am not going to gamble!

ODAAT

Day 13

Hello Diary! I was right you know about not gambling yesterday

I'm going to keep it nice and simple and not gamble today either.

ODAAT

Day 14

Saturday, Raining...

After so many days of rain, I can imagine the mugs struggling to work out what the going is and what's likely to go through the ground or not!

Prime time for losing money!

I, on the otherhand, is really not bothered as I shan't be doing any of that.

ODAAT

Hi Weldy.. and yes not gambling for today only.. is the only way... and like you say am sure many people are hiding away in gambling dens as a refuge from the cold and wet. Not that the weather made that much difference to my gambling behaviour. I gambled wether it was warm and sunny or cold and raining.

Onwards to another gambling free day.. S.A 🙂

Day 15

Thanks SA, keep up the good work.

More Rain today...

No gambling, doing some work then watch QPR try and get a result at Chelsea (fingers crossed!)

ODAAT

Umm... 6-1 wasn't really what I had in mind. A right sorry state of affairs at Rangers... Oh well, the Champoinship is an entertaining league.

If we beat Stoke, there's still a slim chance.

ODAAT

Day 16

Can't get to sleep right now, was working until 2.00am which was ok, but got into bed and was still too wired.

No urges to gamble, quite satisfied with how things are going on this front, but work has me deeply stressed out at the moment.

With a couple more good weeks behind me I hope to have things under control and get into a smoother rhythm with it, but right now it's got me under the cosh.

ODAAT

Day 17

All good and no urges to gamble today. l got plenty of work done today, though it's still not enough, but at least my list got a little shorter.

ODAAT

Well done Weldy see you tomorrow

Michael

Day 18

All good again yesterday and no urges to gamble. Cheers Mike.

ODAAT

Almost through day 18 (not quite as it's only 10.15pm)

Just reading through a few diaries and wanted to post about how hard it can be to resist the urges.

It never really lets up, there are always dangers lurking around the corner.

Last night, I had a really nice meal in a pub and a bottle of wine and it occurred to me that there was this thing in the corner of my eye just flashing away, a fruit machine of course.

Now, as it happens these machines have never been of interest to me as my weakness is horse racing mainly with a few greyhounds and the odd footie match, so it wasn't really a problem, though it would have been easy to have put the odd bit of change in my pocket into it without much thought even though it wouldn't have gone any further.

But the point being, it could have derailed my abstention from gambling and if I had put a couple of quid in it, how much easier would it have made my conscious feel that it would be ok to have just a small bet on the horse racing?

This weekend is traditionally my biggest weekend as Newmarket hosts the Guineas meeting which for many years was a long weekend away with friends.

It is probably my most dangerous time, however this week I am prepared, I am strong and happy to be giving the gambling a wide berth.

I will continue to treat every day as special, as one day at a time and to keep myself on this latest journey of freedom.

ODAAT

Hi Weldy, just read a massive chnk of your whole diary and found it to be very interesting. As I am only 4 or 5 days behind you, I will follow your diary more from now on and support you.

Have a good day tomorrow pal

Wilsy

Day 19

Well, morning actually and 3.42 am to be precise.

Just can't seem to sleep as I am too Wired about work with a load of issues going around in my head!

I am pleased with the recovery process so far though, as I am coping well with no gambling and I'm very grateful for that.

Been reading a whole host of things on the forum which just adds to my mindset.

It's a tough old world out there for us all for a whole host of reasons, but it's important to remain upbeat and positive.

Anyway - today I will NOT gamble!

ODAAT

PS Wilsy - keep going m8!

Weldy

Good on ya. For that post to matt on Charlottes diary , started to write something myself but abandoned it cause I could not find the right words,

Hope all is well in your world, that you have managed to work through , the thoughts in your mind, thus allowing you to catch up on your sleep.

Take care,

Dusty xxx

Day 20

No gambling today

ODAAT