[mutley]

Hi all it’s Mutley here. I first joined the site in 2005 and I have been struggling with my gambling addiction since then. It’s still a nightmare today as it was back then but I have stopped gambling again at the moment and today is day 50 without gambling a penny on anything at all which is great I guess. I can’t say it’s gotten any easier because it hasn’t and I can’t say my finances have improved because they haven’t, it’s going to take a lot more work and effort to improve my finances and I’m living in hope the cravings to gamble will go away before I crack …time will tell I guess, one day at a time and all that. I feel cursed! Christmas is round the corner and I’m not in the mood for it at all everyone around me are being happy and wanting to spend time with their families. All I want to do is curl up in a ball and wake up in weeks time, I’m so depressed, and it’s all because of the gambling I cannot believe what’s it’s done to me psychologically I’m a different person now after 17 years of heavy gambling and I don’t know if I’m strong enough to get out the other side. It’s a bad bad thing being addicted to gambling you can walk through a crowded room and no one would know you had problem just a normal Joe. If only they knew what was going on on the inside! Any ways I’m gonna try my hardest not to gamble today like the last 50 and see how I do.

Stay strong and never give up trying to give up!

[Dunc]

Hello and thanks for starting a thread in the Gambling Therapy forums

Here at Gambling Therapy we pride ourselves on being a caring and diverse online community who can help and support you with the difficulties you’re currently facing. ?We understand that this might be a tough time for you, particularly if you’re new to recovery, so come here as often as you need to and participate in the forums, access online groups and connect to the live advice helpline if you need one to one support. ?We’re in this together!

Here on the forum you can share your experiences in a safe, supportive and accepting environment. ?The beauty of writing it all down is that you can take your time and you will be creating a record of your progress that you can look back on if it ever feels like you’re not moving forward. ?So, share as much or as little as you like but do try to stick to keeping just one thread in this forum so people know where to find you if they want to be updated on your progress or share something with you.

As well as the forums New Members are invited to join Charles in the New Members Practical Advice Group On Mondays at 21:00 (UK) and Thursday at 19:00(UK)

And on that note….

I’m going to hand you over to our community because I’m sure they will have some words of wisdom for you ??

Take care

The Gambling Therapy Team

PS: Let me just remind you to take a look at our privacy policy and ?terms and conditions so you know how it all works! ???

[Jonny123987]

Good job on 50 days gamble free brother. That’s something to be proud of. I hear you on the christmas thing. I just recently started living gamble free and it’s been tough. I too have a 20 years gambling history and am finding it difficult thinking about my losses of money, time, youth, opportunity, etc. I feel a bit helpless at times but then I try to change my mindset that can’t ever gamble again and that I never win and if I do I continue to bet until it’s all gone. I love my family most days and find it difficult to spend the little money I have giving them presents. I definitely feel a little bad, but also realize that I need to take care of myself and the best present I can give right now is to become me again for all of them. If they truly love us they should just want us to be happy. Christmas does t need to be a time for money, it’s a time for family and spending time with them. Every year goes by faster and faster and the best opportunity we have is spending time with the few people in the world that really care.
I got an email from one of my gambling sites today. I’m sure it was a christmas bonus. I even tried to logon to see what it was but they would;t allow me as I’ve been gamble blocked from the site. I was a tad disappointed but then the feeling went away and I moved on and didn’t care what they sent me or wanted to tell me.

[mutley]

Hi all I still haven’t gambled its been 63 days now. I never thought I’d get this far in. I think it’s the second longest I haven’t gambled for in the last 17 years so it seems it can be done one day at a time, one minute at a time if you have to just as long as you don’t gamble. It hasn’t been easy but you have just got to keep fighting the good fight.

Jonny123987 the internet casino sites will try and get you back on there sites with bonuses or whatever, at the end of the day they want your money. It really is wrong the amount of available gambling nowadays and they ant going to ban it so the only way to really win is to stop gambling and then you can walk past the bookies with your head up high and think stuff you you ant getting any of my money ever again!! Then you/we will truly be the winners because no one with a gambling ever wins even if you have a good streak we ALWAYS give it back .

[Coaster76]

Just have to say big well done on 63 days, I’m on day 18 and I’m well pleased with myself. I’ve never been into online gambling myself, I have always resisted as I know what I’m like, saying that I live bout 200 yards from a bookies so it’s not hard to put a bet on .
I can’t remember who posted it but someone on this site said once the bet is put on consider that money gone, if you win you’ll give it all back and most probably with interest.
I can’t do controlled betting, even if I start off small and only in certain days it ends up in bigger loss, days or weeks down then line.
How you filling your time not gambling ? That’s a worry long term for me, at the moment Ive joined gym and getting slightly addicted to that, but I know once that wears off I need to fill my time with something else . Yesterday was hard, first massive urge I’ve had but I resisted, ad you’ve done 63 days are you getting used to not gambling or is that a silly question?
So well done and really , all thes best on keeping it going.

[Jonny123987]

Well done on not gambling!

[Jonny123987]

Good work Coaster and Mutley!

[vera]

Some days, Mutley we sort of glide through Recovery and other days can be rough.
Take the rough with the smooth. Time passes whether we gamble or not.
We can choose to leave a trail of destruction or we can re build our lives.
We are ONLY powerless over gambling when we make that first bet.
URGES have no power over us.
(I read some of your posts on other threads. Well done on your G free time)
ODAAT

[mutley]

I have been reading some of your threads to and it has inspired me to battle through these urges as I know you have stopped gambling for a long time and I am very proud of you and I want to be able to say I haven’t gambled for as long as you haven’t. It’s sometimes good to bounce off someone else when you are trying to achieve something in life, a bit like if you start at the gym and then your mates tag along because they are getting jealous that you are making progress. Sometimes, though, the reverse side of that is people try to get you to carry on doing the very thing you are trying to stop. I had this with smoking, in the past when I have tried to stop doing it my so called friends have bent over backwards to get me to smoke again because they were still smoking. There must be a scientific name for this kind of behaviour but I don’t know what it is. I haven’t experienced this when trying to stop gambling, though. I’ve had quite a lot of abuse off people close to me, my Dad and my brother being the worst but not my friends they have been very supportive. Any hoot great to hear from you and my it continues your recovery. Like you, in the future, I might be able to say I have paid off all my gambling debt but not for a very long time and a lot of hard work!

[vera]

My Recovery has been far from perfect, Mutley. My debt will take a LONG time to pay off but I have set up a parallel Savings Scheme so that I can see some balance in my finances. By the time the debt is paid, I will also have something to show for my efforts. I would strongly recommend this to recovering CGs who have lost a lot of money.
Yes, I hear you about the ”BEGRUDGERS” who try to drag us down. Envy and jealousy is at the root of that behaviour. Also, when people have a crowd to hide behind, it allows actions to be justified.
”Cowardice” is the word I would use to describe that carry on.
Just ignore them and stick with the positive friends.

Lead by example!

[kin]

I just read it

[F?rfattare]

Inl?gg