The road to recovery

You're right ssb, I'm not sure I want to give up the football betting if I'm totally honest. It's been the online roulette that's triggered my addiction over the last 12 months...

But I have got to the point where I think placing an innocent £4 bet on the football just leads to the online roulette if my bet doesn't come in. So that's why I have to shut off all betting avenues.

I'm in a fairly stable financial position (no debt, my own house etc..) but I'm sliding into what could be a horrible mess if I'm not careful. I have money to gamble this month, over £400 in fact, but I really don't want to! My blip a few days ago made me feel pathetic and weak. I don't want to repeat that again.

Actions speak louder than words so the only way I can prove to you, myself and others are to clock up the gf days.

I want this for me! Life without gambling and money worries is far better than the stresses that come with gambling and losing.

Thanks for your post sbb

Moorey631986 wrote:

You're right ssb, I'm not sure I want to give up the football betting if I'm totally honest. It's been the online roulette that's triggered my addiction over the last 12 months...

But I have got to the point where I think placing an innocent £4 bet on the football just leads to the online roulette if my bet doesn't come in. So that's why I have to shut off all betting avenues.

I'm in a fairly stable financial position (no debt, my own house etc..) but I'm sliding into what could be a horrible mess if I'm not careful. I have money to gamble this month, over £400 in fact, but I really don't want to! My blip a few days ago made me feel pathetic and weak. I don't want to repeat that again.

Actions speak louder than words so the only way I can prove to you, myself and others are to clock up the gf days.

I want this for me! Life without gambling and money worries is far better than the stresses that come with gambling and losing.

Thanks for your post sbb

A £4 innocent bet WILL take you closer and closer to a life of total misery. Fact - you cannot and will not either win or somehow dodge the inevitable.

You say you have £400 for gambling, what you are really saying is you have £400 you are going to throw away (which will happen), before looking at financial sources to try to win it back.....its madness to think that way.

What about £400 towards a holiday instead ? Something you can enjoy and remember.

I want you to succeed but there are no half measures, you cant pick and choose what you gamble on.......you need to stop completely and forever.

Sbb

Is what you're doing (no blocks, no external support, isolation, gambling being a substitute for relationships), is all of that the road to recovery or the continuing spiral downwards to become what a "real" addict looks like?

The compulsion's there but you don't have to let it take you over. Your life and your happiness depend on your choices.

CW

72 hours now complete. No urges to gamble. But actions speak louder than words. I'm keeping busy all the time. This is it for me! I know the life that I want.

That £400 is going nowhere other than my savings.

4 complete days gamble free.

It's not much but it's a start.

Determined to win once and for all this time though.

Moorey631986 wrote:

4 complete days gamble free.

It's not much but it's a start.

Determined to win once and for all this time though.

You can only win by accepting you never can mate !

Do this for you and your family, every day is a step away from the hell and despair that is gambling.

Sbb

5 days gamble free. No urges.

Makes a big difference being back at work. Actually watched the football last night without thinking about a bet.

Feeling really positive at the moment. Taking it one day at a time.

Day 6 is gamble free.

I've found it much easier this week with me being back at work.

This weekend will be a big test but I'm sure I'll come through it unscathed.

Really excited to see the days building up.

The key is that I have money in the bank, but I'm really not interested in gambling it.

I'm desperate to get to 100 days (and beyond...)

Hi Moorey; with you all the way here. As a binge gambler, the real test is to come. Day to day, make your short term target the end of Jan. Then we'll know if you're serious. Sounds good?

My first short term target is the end of today (1 week). Then it's double figures. Followed by 2 weeks. 20 days. 3 weeks...etc

They're all milestones for me that I'm going to tick off one by one.

Day 7 - I will not gamble today.

Today is Day 8 and I will not gamble today.

I'm choosing life over the misery that gambling brings.

My added incentive to stay gambling free is for Mixer, who puts a lot of time and effort into this forum. Regularly posting on other people's diaries and giving them sound advice and words of wisdom.

He deserves my best efforts to overcome this awful addiction.

Thanks again mate.

Day 8 over an out!...

I'm feeling much stronger this time in my quest.

My first attempt of 10 days was always with some doubt inbetween.

This time is different, I can feel it.

Being part of the 2017 team challenge is helping.

Fortunately, in the past, I've not been one of these compulsive gamblers who've resorted to getting loans, payday loans, stealing etc to accomadate my gambling.

Once I've run out of funds, I've waited until the next pay for my next gambling session.

Then, usually, two weeks in, I'll have lost my money and I'll have to wait until next pay day.

BUT, I could feel myself heading in the direction of loans etc if I let this addiction carry on any longer.

I've been so fortunate that I'm not in any debt, I own my house and I'm not (currently!!) going to lose anyone in the process. (so long as I remain gamble free!).

I've been reading so many diaries on here that have ended that way, and I need to take stock of that and sort myself out sooner rather than later.

Reading these diaries has been a wake up call for me.

I've needed something like this site to give me something to focus on in my bid to curb my addiction.

Thank you to all that have taken the time to post on my diary. It's much appreciated.

Determined to make 2017 my year! Then I'll tackle 2018 when the time comes.

Moorey

Day 9 completed gamble free.

Still fighting those gambling urges but to be honest, when I think about what I would gamble on, I have nothing! All I can think about is the fear of losing and knowing that I could wake up tomorrow feeling amazing that I can look my family in the eyes and feel guilt free and that when I see my parents on Wednesday night, I won't have gambled a single penny since I last saw them a week ago! Not only that, but I'll be in a healthier financial state from 7 days ago too! Happy days!

Day 11 gamble free. Pretty pleased with how things are going so far. A long, long way to go but I'm heading in the righ directon.

Today is Day 13. I will not gamble!