well day 3 complete and feeling better. I never gambled on weekends anyway due to be with the family, so I have anothner 48 hours under my belt hopefully!!! Feeling alot better tonight, and now just about to watch a comedy DVD to take my mind off of it.
Well here goes the weekend, Ihave woken up stressed again, I think I am tired (kids got me up at 6 45am!!) I have had some good news I have had two unexpected bits of money go into my bank account, so I now need to be proactive and start using it to pay off debt, and not use it for gambling. I have that feeling in me the feeling all gamblers must get when they have money in their accounts. Its a strange feeling where my mind cant justify spending it on anything other thhe gambling. So for example, I would rather spend 100 pounds on gambling then treat ing the family to something, this is the thought process I need to change. I am certian I will not gamble this weekend, so as long I pay off credit cards and have no money to gamble with it will be easier, no money no gamble.
Any gambling related thought processes needs to be changed now. Well done on your progress especially with your pro active thoughts of dealing with unexpected income straight away.
That's the way to go mate, keep it up!
GT
Keep it up Dave, The thought process will change in time, as mindset changes. Feelings of seeing your children excited with a new present will soon become the thought rather than spending it gambling to try and get more.
It will take us all time and effort, sticking together we can do it.
E.
day 6 - done!!
It has been my birthday today, and I have had a resonable day, not many presents but lots of thoughtfull stuff which is great. I am now watching TV chilling and actually planning which debt to tackle 1st. I feel so much happier at present, but part of me is still stressed for some reason? I do not know what it is but something in me is eating me, infact I am starting to wonder if this is the real me, an unhappy person inside, but I show a happy go lucky person on the outside ?? I wish I could look in more detail and work out what is doing this to me?? Maybe its the withdrawl from my fix ?
The good part is I have not gambled again for 24 hours, so tomorrow will be the same tactics as last week, wallet left at home and just take 10 pounds to work for food and parking - as I keep saying no money no gamble!!
Keep going all my fellow stoppers, we will rid ourselfs in we all beleive we can.
Just a side note for you all to ponder, I have yesterday written to my local MP to ask about changing gambling laws in this country. I beleive for anyone to gamble there should be a card where you have to register, and you would get a card with photo and a number on it. If you want to gamble anywhere you would need to show this card, or enter the number into the online site, without this no gambling. The thinking behind this is, a) when we get as low as we all are we can phone, email contact the card and say I need to quit gambling please take away my card. Once its gone you are inable to gamble anywhere full stop. It is too hard to self exclude yourself from every bookies, casino as there are so many, where as one easy call and you will not be able to gamble. Such a simple idea, but I bet I will get no where with this idea, I will keep you all updated.
Hi, I've posted that 'idea' myself several times now, I personally see it as being the only way to ever regain control of the gambling laws but alas it would virtually need a national id card and it doesnt look like those will ever go through now
good luck with your letter but I have a feeling it will fall on deaf ears, even if your local mp takes an initial interest
there is simply too much money at stake for the top end number crunchers
best wishes with your own abstinance as well
well anothner work day done without GAMBLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am now getting ready to go to the airport as I am working in France for the rest of the week, so I will not be able to gamble for the rest of this week as I will be in the middle of no where in France. I get back on sat and I will be with family so I now know I will not be able to gamble for at least a week, its a great feeling. Today has been easy as I was so tired (From staying up to watch the super bowl) I have had no interest in it.
Something that has come to my attention since I have not gambled, is how many times a day you hear, see advertising for gambling. Even when the super bowl started last night the 1st thing they showed were the odds of the teams. I listen to a sports radio station and every 5 mins they mention the G word. Football channels normal TV all talk all the time about about gambling, so is it that if you are interested in sport they like ramming it down your throut?? so would it be better to stop following sport all together ? do they go hand in hand ? Just my thought for the day guys. Happy stopping and stay strong
Good one Dave,
Keep it up hun, and yes you are so right even last night dancing on ice was vegus set, and commenting on gambling, luckily enough it made me chuckle at how stupid these people are for promoting it. Womans mags, you know the ones that are full of stories n puzzles, which a hell of a lot of women read when they having nothing to do all day, guess what they all have a two page spread on how so n so won so much and come get a deposit bonus.
It really is everywhere!
This is something that when I feel I am on my way to a great recovery and I can tell my family I am going to invest time in making people aware on how it screws peoples lives up!
People should be more aware!
E.
Well done on your gamble-free time Dave.
I know what you mean about how nice it is to know you can't gamble. That is the one upside whenever I am ill with a stomach bug or something!
Take care,
f x
well I have now not gambled for 11 days, and I have just gone online to see my bank balance and it was great to have money left so far into the month!!! I need to now change my thought pattern to money, as when I saw i had money in my account, i was thinking what can I spend it on today ? Instead of thinking I must use that now to get debt down. I will be spending monday going through debts and working out what to clear 1st.
1) Start paying credits cards (Highest interest item) costs me 300 pounds a month in interest!!!
2) Pay off overdraft with bank. This also costs me 60 pounds a month in interest
3) see if I can start paying loans off (they are low interest
If I do not gamble for next 12 months I could be debt free, I am so focussed to be debt free, but I think I need to more focussed on not gambling, as that is my most important goal and being debt free is just a bonus. I fear if I set being debt free as my target as soon as that day comes I will start gambling again and I dont want that to happen. I have been sooooo happy for the last week I need to stay in this place, its so much nicer then being a zombie in a bookies or a casino, thinking you can beat the machines programmed to take your money!!!!
Love to you all and keep climbing this hill with me
12 months is not long at all!
I still have around 2 years and even I am thinking that this isn't long either!
Those 12 months will come sooner than you think BUT it will come only if...
...you don't gamble.
So don't!
Have a great gamble-free weekend.
GT
day 12 done!!
It was an easy day apart from my dad talking about some bets he had placed on horses and football (He only gambles about 4 times a year) He started telling me about it, and I just shut my ears and did not listen. I wanted to tell him about my problems but then changed my mind. I have no chance to buckle today as I am with my family all day, so day 13 will be an easy day to complete. My main prblem was gambling whilst I should have been at work (I am a traveling salesman) so this week will have its ups and downs. But I will use the same tactic as the weeks before, I will only take 10 pounds to work with me (parking and lunch money) and leave my wallet at home with all cards etc, Same theory no money no gamble.
I have also on saturday had the self exclusion forms through the post for casinos I used to attend, they have been filled in and sent off. I can not online gamble as all blocks in place there, so my only threat now is bookies. I have self excluded myself from some local ones, but it would it would take a lifetime to selfexclude from all bookies, so this is where I need to stay focused and not buckle to the FBOT in them. I just wish there was a way of being selfexcluded from all???? Why does the industry that claims to want to promote responsible gambling not come up with an easy solution to do this
???
day 13 (Unlucky for some!!) Done!!!
It is starting to get easier for me, is this a good or bad thing ? I must stay focused, and keep to my no money no gamble theory (Not taking money to work with me) I will keep you all updated, but I want you all to stay focused and together we will beat this horrible industry. I beg you all to stop now, and do not give them the satisfaction of giving them your money. I keep thiniking I am sat here in my small house with little around me, due to gambling. Yet the people who own bookies and casino are now sat in their mansions surrounded by everything you could ever want with no worries in the world, all due to our pain. I can see them sat there laughing at how weak we all are, and how easy it is taking our money, like candy from a baby!
Moan over for today, but the next time you gamble or want to gamble just think of these people laughing at you.
Stay strong
well day 15 is now done!! I have just realised I had been miscounting my days and I was one more then I thought!!
Anyway anothner day gone and no buckle. I have just been in the chat room and it was nice to talk to others that have been through and are going through the same as me, thanks to all for support and advice.
My thoughts for today are
I was listening to a well known sports radio station today and I thought I would count in the space of two hours how many times betting was mentioned or advertised. In the space of 2 hours it was mentioned 22 times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so i have decided I can no longer listen to my favourite station as it is trying to make me gamble
day 15 over, bring on 16 I will beat you
day 16 done and dusted!!!!
I have been so busy today with work I would not have been able to vist a bookies if I wanted to have. Infact I have only just sat down for the 1st time today from 7am this morning!! I am gutted though as I wanted to go on the chat forum again tonight as I found that really helpfull last night.
It is funny how your thought patterns change, I went online banking today and started to panic as I only had 200 pounds to last me until payday (23rd Feb) I then laughed at myself, as this is the first time in a long time I have had money left so far into a month!! I am usually borrowing left right and centre to survive. This said the money is not really mine as I owe sooo much money, I really have none!!
I still have a low feeling in my body, I feel like I need a buzz of some sort, I know I do not want the buzz of betting but I just need some sort of good news to put a smile on my face again and stop me feeling this low. I have dreamed about going this long without gambling and how good it would be, but as it stands I am not feeling as good as I thought I would have. Maybe its because I now fully understand how much money I owe, and this is scaring me and making me mind think of a quick way to make money, you know that feeling we have all had it in the past!! However I know the only way forward is to not gamble and just watch the money I owe decrease each month by a small amount.
Sleep well all and stay strong, DAY 17 lets do it together
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