The road to becoming a winner

Cheers on the post James. You are doing great mate nearly at the half century. Me too mate Aguero captain on Saturday then Sanchez last night. Still doing not too bad but cant seem to hit a good double pointer. I am top of one of my leagues with 40 points 8 of us in it and 4th in another about 80 points behind leader think theres about 30 in that. I find it gives me the interest back in football and helps replace the gambling. Maybe if we are still going strong in August we can see if we can start a gamcare league.

Day 49

Thanks a lot Suzanne and Gregg, very kind posts. I'm up for a gamcare league, I bet there's a few people on here that it would benefit too!

No major gambling thoughts of late, been too busy to gamble anyway. I'm feeling happy with my progress and liking the gamble free life, it's a lot less stressful! Just need to keep it up and stay away from it. Was asked to go to the races with the lads in a few months which is an annual tradition. Luckily i'm working!

Enjoying watching the football, sadly Liverpool or losing but i'm confident they'll win!

Still no bets in 2015

James

Hi James congratulations on passing the half century mate and i am still breathing down your neck and hopefully will always be 2 behind you

Day 56

Thank you so much Gregg and NT. Over the half century point feels really good! Another weekend of football that i'm going to enjoy and just hope I have a better week on the Fantasy Footy!

Not much to report really as I've not had many urges at all to gamble of late. But I know this feeling too well and it always leads to complacency, but hopefully not this time. This is where past failed attempts don't seem like a waste of time as I can learn from them and identify when feelings of being 'cured' often lead to weaknesses. Basically just need to stay on my guard.

Some good news though, I have a well known bookies at the end of my road which I often walk past to get to the shops and has cuaght me out on a number of attempts. This bookies has now closed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds sad but this actually felt like a mini victory in somes respects. Clearly me giving up a few months ago wasn't the reasons it closed but i like the idea that many people like me have seen the light and it can no longer justify its presence on my road.

Imagine if everyone just didn't bet for a week, or a month! There may just be one in every street as opposed to about 5!

Anyway, rant over, onwards and upwards.

No bets in 2015

James

Hi James,

56 days well done, that's a bit of good news they have closed one bookies, never know one day they might bankrupt each other through gambling greed lol.

Have a great gambling free day.

Suzanne xx

Well done James on passing ur half century. Glad u treated yourself. Definetely better spending it on ourselves rather than give to bookies. I have just booked me and the mrs into a top notch hotel in edinburgh that we have always fancied but i kind of grudged paying when i was gambling but now its all about us and enjoying it when we can.

Day 61

Thanks again for your constant support Gregg and Suzanne. You'll enjoy that trip a whole lot more knowing it's off the back of a lot of hard work Gregg! Good on ya!

No major gambling thoughts of late, not really thinking about it day to day to be honest just need to stay vigilant. Unlike any other efforts, I've not even allowed myself to buy a lottery ticket, scratch card etc and i think even this is helping. Any slight form of gambling gets my mind thinking about it in an unhealthy way,

Spending my time in a much more productive way now and feel a lot better for it. Yesterday I cycled 72 miles, paying for it now as i can't move but beats sitting in all day glued to a screen hoping anything other than the inevitable outcome.

Still no bets in 2015

Regards

James

72 miles James WOW, no wonder you can hardly move today lol.

Well done you on 61 days of abstaining and maintaining.

Thanks for your message today, keep going forwards and stay strong and keep winning.

Suzanne xxx

James cheers for the message mate much appreciated. Reading your last post that book might just help you to change the way you think as it tries to change the way we view gambling. Im not for one minute saying this is the book and you cannot go wrong but definetely opens your mind to other suggestions. A lot of the stuff in book you will already be doing as you are 60 days in. Like you i have struggled in past when targets are met. Thats brilliant on the cycling 72 miles WoW. My work does a cycle to work scheme definetely going to get myself a bike when it comes round in April.

Day 64

Thanks again Suzanne and Gregg, always a delight to see posts from yourselves on my diary.

No issues at the moment, still relishing in delight everytime I drive past the bookies at the end of the road with a 'to let' sign outside.

Although I've been keeping quite busy, I have had opportunity to gamble, like last night when I had the house to myself. It was just nice to chill from a tough day at work and watch some tele. Everything in my life is improving without gambling. I've been shopping a couple of times which for me is another vunerable place but still managing to just enjoy a trip to town for what it is. A haircut could end up costing £400 as it did the last time I gambled, no it's just £7 - bargain 🙂

Take care kind people of gamcare, it is possible as Suzanne is showing us!

Still no bets in 2015

James

Congratulations on 10 weeks mate. Know what you mean abot a haircut costing you 400 quid. What the f**k were we thinking about. We will always have opportunities to gamble but as long as we remind ourselves that gambling is a horrible thing that we do not need in our lives then we will be able to make the right choices.

Day 79

Been mad must recently and not had chance to post. Not had many urges to gamble, I know for most this weekend of horse racing will have been tough but it's not something I'm massively interested in so its been okay.

I thought the finances would start to look a bit better than they are at the moment but just got to crack on and not be tempted by a 'quick fix' which normally leads to a lot more debt.

Onwards and upwards,

Still no bets in 2015

Day 83

What a week it's been! Had a leak on some pipework under the floorboards and I'm now £710 lighter! Would have been cheaper to go on a plumbing course and sort it myself! I really can't imagine how i'd cope if i was still gambling, its bad enough on top of the existing gambling debt but at least i can just about pay to have it done. Just means its pushed my debt free day back about 3-4 months.

Other than money problems things are okay. I don't have a spare minute to think about gambling at the moment and i'd like to keep it that way!

Take care

James

Day 94

The days are really flying now. Nearly at 100 days and have only been at this point three times since I started gambling so hopefully third time lucky!

The finances are a constant reminder of why I need to stop this addiction! I've had plenty of opportunities gamble and i'm being strong at the moment. Enjoyed a nice day out in town on my own the other day. I've always looked at the 'normal' people doing normal things like go in to have coffee shop and have a brew. I've never managed to do this, ever time i've tried i've always turned off before the coffee shop and gambled all my money and time. This time, I did it, and it felt amazing. The simplest things are providing lots of happiness and a great contrast to the other visits to town.

Onwards and upwards

Thanks for reading

Hi James,

Firstly a huge congrats to you on 94 days it's not an easy journey at times.

Secondly I can relate totally to where you are coming from with the normality bit with life, I have looked at people too when in the gambling oblivion and sometimes now in recovery, how simple life is to be able to afford a coffee or even buy something that is not 100% essential, I am still in that position, because I think about it, how utterly pathetic that we thought nothing of gambling 100s in one day, and yet now to be able to afford a cup of coffee while out, is utter madness.

You are nearly at the 100 now, so you know what recovery gifts you with, everything and more thst gambling could ever give you.

Onwards and upwards and keep gifting yourself in recovery, you win every day even when you don't realise it.

Well done

Suzanne xxx