THIS IS THE START

DAY 3. This is the period that i and i am sure most of you find the most difficult. It is early doors but i wont gamble today, i dont want to play fobt machines again. I have said it lots of times and fell off the horse, i could look at it as training, gaps here and their, ready for when i give up playing these machines for good. Might treat myself to a burger and fies today. lol. Onwards and upwards.

DAY 4. Been to work today. Had gambling urges though, probably beacuse im in the early stages of quitting and it seems like a mammouth task but i will suceed this time, from small acorns etc. Even booked a holiday last night. Can i ask some of you what you do to curb gambling thoughts when you are on own or days off?

Hi NP , So besides Sellotaping breadcrumb's to the patio doors for the birds to fly into or supergluing a £2 coin to the pavement and watching people struggle to lift it ( hours of fun and distraction ) :)) I used to just litterally get up and do absolutely anything I could to fight the urges that came , Walking the dog or just walking ( not taking money with me ) cleaning the house always used to be a good one as well , at one point my house was that clean the local hospital used it for an overflo operating theatre but as time went on I used to just let the feelings visit and think of the reasons I needed to stay gamble free ? Me , the kids , partner , life that sort of thing and now over a year later they don't come knocking very often and are just dissmised with the speed they came , it really does get easier .

The holiday sounds like a great focus for you and something to look forward too :)) .

Keep at it and watch out you don't glue your fingers together :))

Good for you on booking a holiday...great focus there! I've booked one for next year too, I've printed a picture out of where I'm going and a picture of nice places to go and put it in my room, it's my dream board. I look at it every morning to focus on what I need money for, what I'd like to treat myself to etc. I've got into walking since being gf, for me it helps clear my mind. Again I cleaned my house from top to bottom on the first few days. Also got into reading, let my mind wander off somewhere else. Hope you find. Something that suits you and can help distract you from the horrible urges! C x

Thanks alan, thanks charley. I am the same with cleaning. lol. Vaccuming is my speciality. ha ha. I do collect blu ray steelbooks too and like to keep them nice and tidy. Just finished work for the day and work was fine but i know have a couple of hours spare and although i wont go and play fobt today, i feel like it could. Only day 5, so i am building foundations at present. Hope you 2 are keeping away and thanks for responding.

DAY 6. I am trying to collect those new five pound notes. not spend them at all like. Ive got 2 so far, it could become a bit of a hobby as the thought of putting any of those lovely new clean notes into a bookies pocket repulses me. So that could be something for some of you to do. Collect them and see how you feel, then treat yourself at some point. From small acorns.

1 WEEK. Yes today marks a whole week since i last set foot in a bookies. That foundation stone is in place.

Back to zero. Only spent 30 quid but still annoyed with myself. Gonna post less and just let the days tot up before i post again. Confidence is ok so thats good.

HAPPY NEW YEAR. I START THE BRAND NEW YEAR ON DAY 36 OF NO BOOKIES. It is a great feeling when you stack up the days without going into a betting shop. I havent posted for a while as wanted to get a good foundation going first. I have had moments of temptation like we all do but i think to myself do i want that sinking feeling ever again when i have lost and i walk back to the car having lost at the scumbag bookies and the answer is NO. I hope you all start today and refrain from betting, it is a great feeling. Happy new year folks.

DAY 37.

I wish i had done this ages ago. Imagine all of us on here not going in a bookies for a long time and how good it would feel to be free of this terrible illness. I am in a very early stage of no gambling but it is a good start. I have aother worries like work and anxiety which in the past has been the catalyst for me gambling. ANYONE ELSE BLAME WORK ISSUES FOR GAMBLING?

No problem wrote:

DAY 37.

I wish i had done this ages ago. Imagine all of us on here not going in a bookies for a long time and how good it would feel to be free of this terrible illness. I am in a very early stage of no gambling but it is a good start. I have aother worries like work and anxiety which in the past has been the catalyst for me gambling. ANYONE ELSE BLAME WORK ISSUES FOR GAMBLING?

I think we can all blame and site many things for our addiction NP.

The thing is that its only us that strikes the bet, or rams the cash into the Fobt - The responsibilty is ours, the buck stops with ourselves.

You cant make the same mistake twice, not logically.

The second time you make it you have knowledge, therefore its choice.

Delighted you have done 37 days, but what is going to be different from the last time, the time before or the time before that ?

Until we accept that we are the problem and the solution we tend to really just tread water.

Stay strong and really get focussed on you.

Sbb

DAY 39

Slowly but surely getting their. Thoughts of gambling are in my head but not thoughts of i want to gamble just thoughts of it. I walked past somewhere i used to gamble yesterday and had a nervous sensatiion in my stomach and chest like a mini panic and i hadnt even been in. I thought to myself do i want to have those feelings again in the future, feelings of anxiety, guilt, anguish, the answer is NO. NO I DO NOT WANT TO SPEND TIME AND MONEY IN BOOKIES THAT STINK OF f**t AND PLAGUE THE HIGH STREET. I am early in my journey and i want to stay away from fobt's forever.

Fobts are the absolute worst , landing on 34 when you backed 17 , landing on 26 when you backed zero all of which play tricks with the mind.

I have lost thousands chasing , beggeed , borrowed , sold on ebay , sold cars , lent off family and just end up in a big huge mess to a point I cant even be in contact with people.

I found the only way to deal with fobts is to self ban from all bookies and start afresh , the football bets sometimes win and offer false hope , spend the winnings on something nice but in the end you had that money all along so in reality just spending your own.

Have you considered gamcare help ?

Its just not worth it to gamble anymore john. For what? No positive outcome. Thankfully my partner is understanding and i dont at this time find myself in debt so with that in mind and being on day 39 i must stay strong. Cheers for the response buddy.

DAY 44.

44 days since i last went into a bookies. Im starting to feel like i want to go in bookies. Its very early days but i feel like i am hitting a brick wall. Work is getting on top of me, its january, its grey and nothing to do. I wont fall off today but these signs are not good.