1 Year - trivial to some, huge to others

Hello all - I'm not great at forums but on the 27th May 2018 I stopped gambling. I read a book called the Easy Way to Quit Gambling by Allen Carr (not the comedian!) after seeing it recommended on here. I joined this forum on 10th June 2018 and began checking in weekly, writing my blog/recovery diary and generally succeeding. 

I guess I felt the need to stop coming here so frequently, this is my first check in since September 2018 I believe, because I do believe that book helped me that I'll honestly never even dream of gambling another day in my life. 

My 1 year 'anniversary' is coming up, no bets, no nothing. Completely clean, not even thought about gambling myself. I wont say its been easy, because it wasn't. But believe this - each day that passes, it becomes slightly easier. Just ever so slightly! 

I came to realise that the void I was experiencing in my life from gambling, my depression, my mood swings, my social anxiety, my introversion and my general lack in confidence all came from the one "escape" I had from them. I know it sounds farfetched as when you first go 'cold turkey', you feel like you're missing out on something - you're not. You're actually raising yourself back up to point 0. There was a time before you started gambling, no matter what life circumstances were, where you weren't subject to the gambling trap. Thats point 0. The void feeling can disappear, as actually by giving up gambling, you're gaining worthy things in your life rather than filling it with chased dreams on a horse that never actually romps home. 

1 year may seem trivial to some, I respect that people have relapsed after a much greater amount of time, but I wanted to come on here and celebrate my accomplishment. I look back over the last 51 weeks and the number of things I've been able to do (completely renovate my house, pay for a holiday for me and my OH, spend more time with friends and family, start a business and much much more). None of that would have happened if I had still been gambling, so thank god I'm not.

If I can do it - so can you. You just need to start thinking a bit more freely around how gambling is actually affecting you. I highly suggest you do read the book, I may sound like a rambling hippie, but I honestly believe I will ever gamble another day in my life ever again. 

E