TiMe FoR cHaNgE

Hi AJ, well done another week, soon we all look forward to when we cant remember how long it is!!!

Cookies and milk sounds good.

Hope you put your feet up and enjoy!!

Thanks Joy.

Went into Tescos and bought a bottle of St Johns Wort pills(why such an ugly name?) and some vitamin tablets as ive been really demotivated, uninterested and tired lately. Ive never taken pills other then aspirin, which is what i went in to get, but then I saw the 'motivation' section and thought id give it a go.

Dont plan to take them everyday, Im not a big fan of medicines so will see how i go.

Anyway off to bed for an early night.

AJ

AJ

Congrats on your week, thats great. I agree with Joy, you cant just work to pay off your debts. I have made sure that i have put some money aside each month into my savings account so that i can see money building up towards a holiday and also i have treated myself to something nice..it takes the sting out of it a bit.

Stay strong

Tracy xx

Someone sent this link, incredible!

http://www.zidanesfoul.com/

AJ, St. John Worts is supposed to be very good and is natural, just make sure there are no contraindications, okay? The only one I know of is hypertension. Otherwise just take the lowest dose and see how it goes.

Cass

Hi AJ,

Kim xx

12/07/06

Got a telling off from my bank for the first time today as a direct debit came out and was way over my overdraft limit....they asked me why it had happened....when they blatently had my statement up in front of them with loads of poker entries....they so know how to kick you when youre down....

Ahh well, ive been taking the vitamins for the past 2 days, but i guess it takes alot longer to notice any difference...but its worth a go

Ok back to work now, dont normally get ime to come on here during the week, but felt the need to post after my jackass of a bank rang

hope everyones well

AJ

Hi AJ,

Glad that you posted here when you had a need to, rather than take refuge in anything else. Good on you.

A bit of therapy that I used recently - I too had a bit of a bad track record with my bank, and was getting calls from them on an almost daily basis. I managed to get my account back in order, and decided the time was right to give them a call and demand to know why they had stopped calling! They just didn't know what to say!! To their credit I got a call from my bank manager after a couple of days to say well done and he hoped that I continued to keep the account in order.

There is nothing like a bit of revenge!

Keep strong my friend.

Bern.

Hi AJ, yes your right. It does seem like when we try to get back on track, something crops up to test us. But good on you for not giving up.

cheers Joy

Feeling better after the banks call this morning, been busy at work and didnt really think about it.

Had a good evening yesterday, played golf for he first time ever, didnt cost me anything as a friend offered to pay, nice guy. Went out to dinner after and had a good time.

Quiet night tonight, but dont mind. I was dreading the direct debit coming out of my account for weeks today, but now its done, I feel alot better and things can only get better from now on.

Well im geting there,still feel down, still feel the urges, still feel like a loser.........but I feel better then i did this time last week....must be a good thing right?.......imagine how ill feel next week this time?

Night all

AJ

Hello AJ,

Next time you know a DD/SO is coming out and you don't have the money in the bank, cancel it in advance so that you don't have to pay the penalty of the bank charges ! This should also keep your record slightly cleaner and you not so anxious!

Cass

13/07/06

Thanks Cass, but i already tried and couldnt stop it as it was work related.

Feeling ok today, things picked up at work and next week will be challenging but looking forward to it in a way.

Turned the tv on last night and the title 'Pokerface' was filling up the screen, I thought i was seeing things....

Weekend is almost here again. It will be weekend number 2 since I stopped so will probably be another difficult one, but I got through it last week so should be ok this week. Plus family will be round on Sunday so only really have to think what to do on saturday

Anyway, hope alls well in recovery vill

AJ

well done AJ ANOTHER DAY gamble free, keep it going

yoz

14/07/06

Completely forgot about my credit card bills this months. Was so busy worrying about the direct debit which came out this week that I forgot about other payments which are now due. i have to pay ВЈ300 minimum payments by the end of next week, I dont know where Im going to find this until i get paid. I guess I can just take the penalty charge of £50, as a good friend once told me......s**t happens!...

Not feeling too bad otherwise today. Weekend is here, but got things lined up so should be ok. I opened 'the file' today. Assuming everyone has one, a file of all there payslips, important documents, statements etc. Its so sad to look at past bank statments and see poker, poker, poker, day after day. But i had to sort it out and it needed to be done.

This by far has been the most difficult month ever for me. I gave away everything, started recovery, and have been struggling without any money for two week, with anither 2 to go. I do feel down, but I know it will get better.

I slipped at day 13 last time, I know I can make it this time, mainly because I havent got any money. But if i did have money, I wqouldnt be so sure. The urges have taken over, I cant sleep at night and all i can think about is getting back at a poker table. Its pure torture. But i CAN and WILL get through this alone, i got myself into it i WILL get myself out.

AJ

Hello AJ,

Just checking in. Please see my last entry re bank charges :-). All is not lost hopefully.

To be honest, I am exactly like you, I've been 'cleaned' for 20 days now, and I know I will have to be fantastically good in the next two months or I will be in sh**creek. I paid over £300 for gas today because I put it off then kept forgetting to pay it for too long and they sent me a rather nasty letter. I also made arrangement to clear my O/D within the year which could be a huge struggle if I don't become totally square. And there are more bills to clear in August :(.

One thing for sure, I am so grateful for the budgeting software!

Cass

Hi AJ, glad you are sticking with it. I know what its like when those urges wont go away. But having slipped a few weeks ago, have found will power I didnt know I had. I try and blank my thoughts about gambling and either come on here and reread posts from others to remind me of the damage it causes, or catch up with things I never got around to when I was gambling.

it does seem like a never ending battle and so unfair, we have made a conscious effort to give up and then it seems as though everyone else is determined to send us back to square one. But I know it can get better as eventually we will balance our credit, we have to regard it as an inherited debt that we have to pay.

So look forward and you and I will get there. cheers Joy