Diary

Redeemed good to chat to you tonight.

£200 to you may be a lot or may be small to another. The amount you lost becomes irrelevant over time. We can’t get it back we can only put measures in place to change.

Gamstop is a must if you’ve played online.

We can help, and offer ideas on how to get you back to a positive balance again. 🙂

Good work on the 17 days and flying solo.

CJ.

Hi there Redeem.
17 days is brilliant but please do contact Gamstop it stops any chance on falling back on the quick tenner here and there.

Nice to see you created a diary.
Chat tomorrow.
Bella xx

Thank you both, it was good to chat with you last night, it makes it more real somehow.

So another day well underway, it's 18 days now which is nice.

Today I am less concerned about the gambling and more worried about smoking. Controlling one addiction is bad enough without contending with two of them. I've always smoked but for the last ten years these two addictions have been related. As I have never wanted to gamble unless I've had plenty of cigs nearby, this has resulted in me smoking more. Anyway, it's really not a good time to stop or cut down, but on checking the bank account last night it seems there's not much left after the priority bills are paid. In other words, the gambler has spent the smoker's cash. This is not good.

In the past the smoker in me has loved the gambler, mostly because it's been like free licence to smoke more.

Today the smoker is furious with the gambler, because now the smoker has to really cut down and it's all the gambler's fault.

We are definitely not getting into this sort of situation again ever.

I sent off for a free fortnight's trial of a vape, and it arrived this morning, so in a minute I'll get it all unpacked and see what it's like.

But I am fuming (excuse the pun) that it's come to this.

First world problems, all of it.

I know should be grateful for clean water, adequate housing, warmth in winter, plenty of food, an income albeit small, and work to go to, and I am really, but when I think of all that I could be appreciating, the guilt kicks in of the stupid squandering that has gone on over the years.

Redeemed wrote:

Thank you both, it was good to chat with you last night, it makes it more real somehow.

So another day well underway, it's 18 days now which is nice.

Today I am less concerned about the gambling and more worried about smoking. Controlling one addiction is bad enough without contending with two of them. I've always smoked but for the last ten years these two addictions have been related. As I have never wanted to gamble unless I've had plenty of cigs nearby, this has resulted in me smoking more. Anyway, it's really not a good time to stop or cut down, but on checking the bank account last night it seems there's not much left after the priority bills are paid. In other words, the gambler has spent the smoker's cash. This is not good.

In the past the smoker in me has loved the gambler, mostly because it's been like free licence to smoke more.

Today the smoker is furious with the gambler, because now the smoker has to really cut down and it's all the gambler's fault.

We are definitely not getting into this sort of situation again ever.

I sent off for a free fortnight's trial of a vape, and it arrived this morning, so in a minute I'll get it all unpacked and see what it's like.

But I am fuming (excuse the pun) that it's come to this.

First world problems, all of it.

I know should be grateful for clean water, adequate housing, warmth in winter, plenty of food, an income albeit small, and work to go to, and I am really, but when I think of all that I could be appreciating, the guilt kicks in of the stupid squandering that has gone on over the years.

I'm giving up gambling and dieting.

You really need to read Allen Carr.. The easy way to stopping smoking, he also has a book about giving up gambling which is the Bible to me and many others on here. Allen Carr the author not the idiot presenter. He writes about how to give up smoking at a easyway of changing your thinking.

There is a website called Abe books Co UK

And look this title up.. Allen Carr's Packing it in the Easy Way it's on at ВЈ1.23 and postage is £1.20 cheapest I've seen it..

He also written about giving up gambling but best bet is to read about giving up smoking and the other can read Sean1 diary he's added loads of info about the gambling book.

You can do it.
Positive thinking.
Bella xx

Or get to the library you can get the books out to read for free. Sure some libraries offer a digital download also of books for free.

Thanks Bella x

The library it will be I think, I already went there this morning to change my books but I will make a point of going again on Friday. I was lucky today, found 4 novels I wanted, I like to have something on the go, especially in the evenings.

I just checked and they do have the Allen Carr so will definitely get it Friday.

I bought a book called Overcoming Underearning a while ago, it's really good as it focuses on the relationship between self-worth and finances, quite enlightening.

Well done on your journey so far, it's been a lot for you what with moving and everything. x

Redeemed wrote:

Thanks Bella x

The library it will be I think, I already went there this morning to change my books but I will make a point of going again on Friday. I was lucky today, found 4 novels I wanted, I like to have something on the go, especially in the evenings.

I just checked and they do have the Allen Carr so will definitely get it Friday.

I bought a book called Overcoming Underearning a while ago, it's really good as it focuses on the relationship between self-worth and finances, quite enlightening.

Well done on your journey so far, it's been a lot for you what with moving and everything. x

Brilliant you have a library at hand. You have done your reading. Yes the move was horrendous. I even driven over nails on the motorway and ended up 4 days before the moving having to sort 3 new tyres, a decorator at my new place and packing up, charity van, list was long.. No time for gambling and thank god was doing well with help from Shaun and a few others on here.

My finances doesn't bother me, but self worth is important to learn. I have quite a good bookcase and still a few books I haven't read, but never really motivated to read.

Enjoy your new books.
Maybe come and help us write our line by line Gamcare novel.. Bella xx

Day 25.

That was a quick week but relatively painless thank goodness. Had to scrimp and be careful this week but I am getting a buzz just from looking at 'normal' transactions in my online banking, which is nice, instead of tensing up to check just how bad the latest horror story was. .

I've learned a lot from reading other diaries and enjoyed the chatroom and talking to others, so I'll keep that in my routine where I can.

Looking forward to the next week.

Another week done. My bank statement arrived today and it's acceptable for once. Just have to keep up the good work now.

I am amazed by the support that's available in the chatroom, it's keeping me on the right path and so a big thank you to everyone there.

And I am pleased to have less guilt, that's worth having in itself.

6 WEEKS done.

They say it takes 6 weeks to make or break a habit. Change One Thing is what I have been saying to myself all this time, and it's helped, especially on those days where I felt I wasn't doing enough to make things better for myself. And I promised myself that at 42 days I would seriously think about making an additional change.

It's got to be the smoking, I think, even if it's just cutting down.

7 weeks tomorrow, very pleased...

Magnetism, I will give it my best shot, many thanks.

What I might do tomorrow night is zero my days, and 'bank' the 7 weeks, and start again at 1 on Sunday.

Only because I think there is always more power in the beginning of something, and it would be nice to harness that again and watch the days climb again. Without Day 1 being triggered by a lapse, naturally 🙂

Counter reset, as per previous post.

And no, I haven't gambled.

I just like the idea of starting from 1 without it being prompted by a disaster.

I have banked my 7 weeks. Yay.

I don't understand your way of thinking. Why are you banking your days? If you made it to 7 weeks then keep going from day one. Just give yourself a new target but going backwards is abit silly?

7 weeks... 49 days is a fabulous accomplishment. Why ruin it?

Bella xx

So.. Day 50.. Next is day 100?