It can be done, let's get this started

Russ

Fella I salute you and do hope those inspirational folk you mentioned do follow suit in showing the new members of the forum what can be achieved.

Thanks for taking the time to share your journey,

Duncs stepping forward never back

Hi Russ,

I was waiting for someone to post a story in this section of the forum!

This type of post is exactly what I needed to read. When you're caught in what seems like a never ending cycle it's hard to see how things can possibly get better. Your story proves there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I hope now you've got the ball rolling other people will share their success stories too.

Thank you!

Paul

Hi Russ,

Thanks for sharing, very inspiring.

Suzanne x

Great post to read Russ, and I don't know if it's a sign I'm on my way to recovery but I was in the library today and asked to read a copy of the chimp paradox (before I'd even seen it on this post). Unfortunately not currently available but did get another similar book for now that helps train your brain to work in a different way, so see how that goes. Hopefully we will read more stories of success on here soon.

Russ1 wrote:

I only come to these pages now and again to check in and remind myself of where I was four and a half years ago. Even the forum has changed! Hence why I saw the 'success stories' page. We can't leave it with no stories, as what sort of message does that leave people coming to the site! I'm not here to brag about being gamble free. As my wife will say to me....'you're nothing special, you've just become normal'. She's right, but you and I know that gambling is one of the hardest addictions to overcome.

I would encourage others like Winningpost or ExGamblerjeff to add their stories, plus others that have made a success of giving up.

My diary is called Dilemma. It's fairly long and most of it is daily chit chat with fellow recovering gamblers. Everything that has helped me, is in those pages. Having said that I'll try and summarise what I have learnt from these pages and my life.

I believe there are two types of problem gambler, those born with a gambling chip in their head (like me) or those who become a gambling addict due to circumstance. I can remember going to the arcades as a 15 year old. I'd put everything into the machines, whereas my friends would always have money left over to buy some chips etc. I loved it and was always desperate to go back.

Anyway, what has helped me. For me it was mainly training my brain to stop gambling and breaking a daily habit that had been developed from an early age. I had a massive deterrent. My wife told me that if I ever gambled again and lied to her she would leave me along with my three kids. I came to this site and read and read and read and read some more. I learnt to understand the triggers. I learnt that gambling in any form, no matter how little didn't work. When you're a addict, moderation does NOT work. I helped others as much as I could and they helped me in return. This is extreme and I wouldn't recommend it to everybody, I went to Vegas for four nights and didn't gamble a dollar. This created a massive wall for me 'if you can go to Vegas for four days and not gamble, why the hell should you gamble now'. Rather than looking for who won at the tables I watched all those that lost. I trained my brain into looking at all the negatives of gambling rather than just the blinkered winnings. I read a book three years ago 'the chimp paradox'. This helped me understand myself and added further cement to my wall. I filled any spare time with running, this helped enormously. I told myself that the gambling chip will always be there, so never, ever, be complacent. I log back into this site every few months to remind myself of where I came from and to remind myself that it' easy to return. Lastly, I got rid of all my superstitions. Every superstition is negative! I wanted to become a positive person.

I'll keep an eye out on this post for the next few weeks. If anybody has any particular questions they would like help with, please post them and I'll try to answer them as best I can.

Thanks for reading

Russ

Hi Russ just read your post which has made me see it can be done to break away from it ty for posting it.after 20 odd years and a hell of alot of dept also it has come to the point i really need to stop as i no longer enjoy it as it just makes me feel so sick and depressed half the time dont know if it makes sense to you as my partner carnt understand why i do it if it makes me feel like this.ive made an appointment with NECO to see if they can help me

Hi Russ and thanks so much for sharing your story, it's very inspirational, and gives the rest of us hope that gambling can't be stopped once and for good!

Hi Russ and thanks so much for sharing your story, it's very inspirational, and gives the rest of us hope that gambling can't be stopped once and for good!

I am new to the forum - I also have the gambling 'chip' so I know it will be along hard fight. Thank you for sharing - it gives me hope

mimicath

Hi and great to read such a positive an honest post. I am definitely going to scrap my "superstitutions" from now on. Life should be as normal as we make it an no more excuses for me. Am on day 28 so early days but will keep reading the positive posts on success forum especially on those days I get any niggles about wanting to gamble as quite agree need to change the way my mind works as am convinced was born with the gambling chip! Take care Mary