Abstain and maintain.Stepping forward never back.

Morning diary! day 21 no bets

I woke up today and the demon was sat on my shoulder whispering today you can have a bet this is the first day I have felt any urge and it made me shudder.

Today I tell myself is st valentines day a day for love and today I will work on more love I have to dish out not a gamble so stick in hand I will stride on!

today I will not gamble!!!!

duncs one step at a time.

Yes, those urges will creep up on you when you least expect them.

But as long as you keep making the right choices, you'll be OK.

GT

day22 I have a free morning today and previously would have wasted it chasing that false dream i have been running after in those gambling glasses! Now i still have my new ones on have spent time reading more diaries on this forum and have taken great heart that so many are doing so well, fantastic.

P.s note to self well done yesterday for taking your stick in hand and pummeling that demon deep from inside and be warned mr demon i am stick in hand!!!

duncs one more day! stepping onward!

day 23 I feel re-invigarated by tuesdays calling to me from behind my shoulder I keep my brain busy with positive thoughts through yesterday and feel i am re focused and up for the continued fight.

GA tonight

No gamble today!

stepping forward one day at a time

duncs stick in hand,gamble free glasses on!!!

HI Duncan

I hope you are well. You are doing great - one week and it is a whole month! For me this would have been unthinkable a few weeks ago but I am sure we will both get there.

Have a great meeting and keep this glasses on!

Best

Mark

just a quick note to say another very profitable meeting glad to say the fella from last week returned and is getting shovels of further greatly inspiring advice. So medicine taken a further step in the quest of a gamble free life! The only way to be a true winner duncs one more big step!

day 24

simply today no bet! that medecine I have on a thursday night really works wonders for me. one step further. roll on the weekend I can get on with enjoying it gamble free!duncs.

well day 25 and the weekend is here!!! local football to watch this afternoon and fa cup tonight and I will watch them both with the same level of enjoyment!! And that is down to one thing no stress about the results either one just going to watch the games for pleasure and i have been a long time since i watched anything sporting for that and solely that! NO BET today and truthfully i can say it is far from my mind, to end i have stopped looking at life as a scheme to see how i can bet today, life is for living not loathing and boy stick in hand i am livin!!!

duncs one more step one more day moving forward.

Good to read your thoughts in that last post duncan. You're right. Life is about living. Instead o working out how much we've won or lost on a game of footie, we can be normal and wonder whether Wenger will be really under pressure having just lost to Sunderland. What do you think?

Hi Duncan

Thanks you for your advice. Glad to see you are still going strong.

I can totally relate to the mentality you describe. The one where each waking minute is spent seeking ways to quench the thirst for gambling.

I am only two weeks gamble free but I have already left this mentality behind. The urges to gamble are now minimal.

I think the problem for many is that we all know that the opportunity to gamble is there and can easily fall into the trap of thinking a small flutter will not hurt. That is where the importance of remembering the previous pain comes in.

I am going to treat gambling as I would a Class A drug. It is readily available and would be great fun, but it is too dangerous to touch.

With you each step.

Mark

day 27

no diary entry for day 26. not a minute to spare, watched parks football early, family lunch then walked nearly 5 miles with eldest son formulating harrys starting line up for euro 2012 opener most entertaining at one point we had sol at the back and james in goal! no bets,not even a thought of one and a roast and my syrup sponge to end it!! delicious! oh and day 2 no smoking!!

day27

I have layed my soul bare on this forum and will continue to do so in my recovery from this addiction which for too long ruled my life.Mark I have lived a life were most things including drugs ( of which i am none to proud,and sorry mum.) I have experienced but I view this addiction as the one which is most devestating because it is the silent killer. with all other addictions there are many more visible signs were this one takes hold from within and only we the compulsive gambler can beat it, it becomes our choice we change our mindset.

Also i think that with this addiction it affects far more people through many walks of life and devestates many innocent lives of friends and family along the way as a compulsive gambler whilst gambling has only one friend his next bet!

Today I continue my fight stick in hand and today day 3 no smoking gum in mouth! and with the same conviction to arresting my addiction to gamble I hope to be a non smoker after 25yrs too!

too one and all enjoy your day,ever more so my beautiful wife sarah who brought me to this point i am at today. thankyou xx

Hello Dunc,

Great to see such a positive outlook on life and i'm sure was much more different when you first walked into the rooms a few weeks ago, but i know you have told me the point you were at.

Good luck with quitting the cigs, now i believe this is harder than anything else to quit so i would just advise you to not take on too much too soon in your recovery. I don't know how other members of the fellowship will advise you but I'm sure it will be along the same lines but if you feel so confident right now then go for it, it can only make you healthier.

I am looking forward to seeing you all again, unfortunately i have to be home this week and the following 2 weeks i will be on holiday. I have booked a day off on 15th March for the purpose of coming to the meeting. So if you can let the fellowship know my intentions and all being well i will see you next month.

Stay strong Dunc, just remember 'Just for Today' and take a day at a time. Keep posting regularly on here and the days and weeks will soon add up.

All the best

Keith

day28 no bet!

day 4 no smoking (gum working)

morning diary keith thanks for your ongoing support i will pass on your progress to the fellowship you will be our overseas member there in thought if not physically.

No intentions or thoughts to gamble today i do feel a huge inner stength right now which is why i will quit smoking(with the help of nicotine replacement!), with my new outlook on life I simply care to much to smoke, I really do feel sort of re-born and well my new mindset tells me i want to be around for a good while and smoking is a risk i can do without plus the ton a month I currently burn would be better spent on many others things!

Note to self- Today NO BET - NO SMOKES!

one more step one more day at a time moving toward that light! duncan.

Wow Duncan! Talk about time for change - that's amazing. Wish you luck with tackling both at the same time and look forward to reading your successes.

day29

Todays another step forward had to run some errands this morning and that meant taking cash out with me and going to pass no fewer than a dozen bookies to get were i needed to be and travelling alone! well I am back with change receipts and an extra bargin picked up for the wife to boot. and not a single thought crossed my mind to deviate from what i set out to do. I have found myself wanting to fill the void my compulsion left and I conclude through living I will! happy!!

footnote day five no smoking! gum and stick in hand one more step! only looking forward.