Day 6 gamble free.

First off well done, 6 days is amazing, its so hard, but ur doing so well. I've not really been on chat much as I have alot going on but I do read the forum when I have time. I've been gambling since my daughter died 8 years ago, and its been so hard, I've had relapse after relapse, my turning point was when my partner of 21 years reached breaking point and nearly left me. Was the wake up call I needed. I made sure my blocks were super tight, but what helped the most was  giving him financial control. Its helped massively. The support on here is amazing. Admin and peers are so supportive. Keep doing what your doing, you will get there in the end. Keep your mind occupied and stay strong

Stace

@stace thank you for your reply. It seems like we are in a similar position both putting our partners at breaking point. The upset is causes is beyond a joke. Well done to you too for reaching out for help. I’ve seen you in the chat rooms before and everyone in there has been brilliant with me. It’s the only place you can speak to people with similar problems and get things off your chest. Keep going stace! You’ll get there. Stay positive and stay focused!! 👍🏻👍🏻

Hi Adam

Well done for choosing to stop gambling and for your 6-7 days of being stopped.

I had been gambling for 20 years on and off and having stopped for sometime now, I relapsed once in the time I stopped. I am originally from the previous gamcare crowd before all this upgrade came around. Although I am not very active here, I can tell you everyday is a battle. We get a bit stronger day by day but, we are just one bet away from all the misery and despair, it's all the same.

Stace, I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your daughter, my heart goes out to you my friend. I know that you have been around for quite a while and remember reading about your battles, you have been through a lot. It is not easy to lose a child and not give up. I have a lot of respect for you that you are still fighting day in day out.  

I wish you both all the best.

Ergos 

Just a quick update to my previous post.

Today marks day 7 of no gambling. I’ve kept myself busy and kept my mind active today instead of feeling the need to throw my money away. The chatroom was good tonight and I feel like the people in there are all slowly but surely finding positive steps in the right direction. Speaking to people who have the same issues as me are really helping me get to grips with my addiction. If I feel the temptations or urges start I will be posting here and asking for help from the GamCare team once again. My partner has worked a 12 hour shift today which usually means I hide away and my problem continues to grow and the money I lose would usually mount up. But today this wasn’t the case which makes me feel like I am slowly seeing progress. I’ve stated before that the long term fix will be my biggest issue so I will see if I can beat this for good but so far I will not see myself as cured. Day by day for me at the moment. Now time to enjoy the weekend and some time away from work. 

Didn’t post last night. Had a really positive weekend. Tonight marks day 9 with no gambling.

To say my partner has been at work on a 12 hour shift both Friday and Saturday and I’ve stayed focused shows real positivity. 9 days and I can truthfully say I do not miss throwing money away and piling stress onto myself and my loved ones. I will go into the chatroom tonight with a positive mindset. Let’s keep it going. I’m not cured - far from it. But day by day I will get there. Looking forward to hitting day 10 tomorrow and feeling positive. I chose to drive myself away from the life I was living and it’s only going to get better. Another update will come tomorrow. Thank you all for the support. 

hi adam remember try to not put yourself in the gambling location with money to spend....look for all possible ways to abstain in early days....great start...all the best adam

Posted by: @adam1995

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So today marks day 6 of no gambling. I’m still feeling the anger and upset from my relapse last week and the amount of money I lost. I haven’t had any urges or temptations to go back to it. This is massively down to my partner nearly leaving me. Time and time again I promise her and promise myself I will stay away for good but always find myself going back to the evil cycle and going back to my old ways as many of you have probably experienced in the past unfortunately. I’m currently having 1-1 help with my illness and will continue to do this long into the future. The GamCare team have been brilliant with me. Speaking to professionals who understand has been a huge positive step in the right direction for me. I am also going into the GamCare chat rooms most nights 8pm-9pm and the members in there are also very supportive. If it feels like your family are giving up on you or already have - please reach out for help through GamCare. This will only benefit you and benefit your life! It is never too late to make a change. As I’ve already explained to people before - for me it’s all about the long term fix. I can go days/weeks/months without gambling but as soon as the upset and anger is forgotten about I fall back into the trap time and time again. It’s amazing to see many members reaching goals without going back so hopefully in months and years down the line I can stay away for good. My main advice for people struggling short term - put blockers on all your apps and accounts, put blockers on gambling transactions via your online banking, keep your mind active doing other things, for me, reading the forums and watching clips online have helped to keep my mind active, come away from your phone if you feel the temptations or urges if you are able to do so. Any advice about long term fixes are much appreciated by me so feel free to leave a comment. Thank you 👍🏻👍🏻

Massive kudos on hitting day 6! Your honesty about the struggle is real, but so is your commitment to change. Your partner and GamCare team sound like solid supports. Keep rocking those 1-1 sessions and chat rooms!

Thank you for the comments and positive words. Much appreciated. 🙌🏻👍🏻

Just a quick update on my previous posts to this page… today marks day 14… 

I’ve done 14 days before. I’ve done months without gambling - so for me it’s still early days and just coming to terms with the realisation that I need gambling out my life for good now. All my blockers remain tight on the apps and I’ve had no urges to go back to the misery I was once living. Life is better without it. I’ve slept better this week, gone to the gym, and just tried to keep my mind active doing other things and tried to pull my mind away from the stress and upset gambling causes. I will go into the chatroom tonight once again with a positive mindset of beating this addiction. The Christmas period will be hard. The two weeks away from work will be a challenge but with the right support and help in receiving I do believe I will be okay. 

@adam1995 

Congratulations on reaching day 14! It's inspiring to hear about your commitment to staying away from gambling and the positive changes you've experienced. Keep focusing on the activities that bring you joy and support your well-being. Remember, the holiday season can be challenging, but with the right mindset and support, you've got this! 

Not been here for a while. Seems like months but it’s still early in my recovery. Today marks day 42 of no gambling. I’ve had 2 weeks away from work for the Christmas break and managed to contain myself from falling back into the cycle again. The first Christmas in 10 years without gambling at all throughout the festive period. My blockers still remain on and I have no interest in going into local shops either. Still don’t see myself as cured - far from it. But 42 days for me is certainly a major positive. I’ve enjoyed my Christmas with my family and had many drunken nights out in pubs which has swayed my mind away from gambling and the past week I’ve been playing darts which again is only a positive to take my mind away from falling back into the trap again. Now I’m back at work I want to continue my road to recovery by trying if possible to save as much money as I can this year. So far so good.