New me started 5th June 2020

Dear @charlieboy,

that's nearly one year and one month! Huge congratulations, you are an absolute inspiration!

So pleased to hear that you are enjoying your son, and you are enjoying the summer and life in general.

If you have some time maybe you can pop into our Women's Chatroom, it's on every Saturday 6:30 to 7:30.

And yes, please keep posting even if to just update us on your inspirational journey.

All the very best,

Eva

Forum Admin

Hi all. Tonight I joined in an Expert by Experience meeting on zoom hosted by ARA. It was really good similar format to GA the difference being compulsive gamblers and those affected by compulsive gambling in the same meeting. Really insightful. The host a counsellor also a compulsive gambler in recovery played us a recording about marketing and advertising gambling to prompt a discussion, listening to lived experience as a gambler and what actually becomes very intrusive advertising fuelling addiction. Listening to a mother trying to help her son and her feelings around adverts,emails and telephone calls offering free bets. Very disturbing listening to her describing her sons spiral into addiction and recognising it as what happened to me. But ....and a big but all past tense !! All of us in various stages of recovery including her son thankfully, all finding our  paths and how to stay in recovery. So we are going to meet at the moment monthly with a view to increasing in the future. We are going to be proactive and find those positive pathways forward

Wow 400 days today, I'm so happy !!

Very well done Charlie ?..and you should be very proud  of yourself!

All the hard work you put in and continuing to put in, will pay off in peace of mind, happiness  and brighter future.  You are more than worth it! Keep this excellent  work up ❤

S&B xx

Posted by: Charlieboy

Wow 400 days today, I'm so happy !!

Well done Charlie Boy, that is amazing. Congratulations ? ?

? Congratulations Charlieboy  ?

✨✨400 days gamble-free✨✨

Aum, ?

Congratulations Charlie ??? that's brilliant!! I would also like to say thank you... I am now 8 weeks GF and you were one of the first people on the forum to send me very good advice and support ? very kind of you and helped alot!.

Here's to your next 400 days ?

Day 422 .........I can go a week or more now without thinking about anything gambling related, what I mean by that is for the most part the word doesn't enter my head anymore. Recovery is complex ,at the beginning it dominates, occupies 100% of your mind and time. As the months roll on things quieten and urges are fleeting. Then comes a whole year....a trophy.....jubliation !! Since my year excitement I've got to the stage where .....I just don't think about it !! And it's awesome. I was reminded this week as I attended an Expert by Experience meeting via zoom and I was talking about how gamcare really was at the heart of my recovery, realised I hadn't updated my diary in a while. Is it complacency?.....definitely not, I feel alive and my happiness is not determined by a spinning reel...and never will be again. I'm fully aware and grounded....Life is better gamble free

Hi, completely agree with this. It's as if passing the year mark was the catalist to release the thoughts of gambling. Time now seems to be passing so quickly and we are getting on with our lives without thinking about how many days we have achieved. I honestly can't remember feeling so good about myself and life in general for many years. We have done amazingly well since we first connected last June so long may it continue.

You see so many stories of people relapsing but I feel like we have got this well under control, no complacency, and living the lives we deserve after so long with gambling ruling every waking hour.

Onwards and upwards, all the best 🙂

Day 430 and all good. Came on to just read tonight, a top up of the reality of gambling harm a tool I use to keep me grounded. Some good inspiration on here today......Captain, I totally understand what you say about urges mine have got a lot better with time, but everyone is different and for someone who is a sports better it must be hard as it's difficult to escape sport at the moment. I've never been interested by sports betting luckily so I can watch purely for pleasure. Now today I drove past the bingo hall that is obviously open again, the desire to go in was very intense almost sickening....I didn't I carried on driving home and now I'm on here reading and reaffirming my commitment to continue being gamble free and giving my diary a read, how far I've come, how much better I feel .....it's definitely a jolt to snap me out of any urges. Reading also bdogs post being real about how you are how you feel. These things inspire those who are new to this and inspire me on my 430 to keep aspiring to be the best person I can

Well,well,well day 449 therefore 450 tomorrow . I've come a long way since the broken and sad person that joined this site all those days ago. Gambling is far from my mind, but I remind myself to log on , read and keep myself current and remember what it was like at the beginning. A healthy reminder of the harm that gambling does. I like to read how everyone is doing and see posts from those who have greatly helped me along the way, I'm not going to list people as I believe people know when they've helped others. At the moment I'm not posting much and it's really because I haven't got much to say about gambling !! Which for me this is a very good thing !! Well my hope is that this site and forum continues to have a positive impact on recovery I know at some stage I will be tested again the difference for me is I know where to go for help and support, and that I have the tools and change in mindset to get me through it. To all those struggling dig deep, protect yourself with tools like gamstop/gamban and get help....counselling...GA...post on the forum. Whatever helps ,do it. Life is too short to waste it on gambling ,hard earned money is for bills,food,home,treats for self and family not to line bookies pockets. Gambling is never the answer. Stay safe guys

Posted by: Charlieboy

Well,well,well day 449 therefore 450 tomorrow . I've come a long way since the broken and sad person that joined this site all those days ago. Gambling is far from my mind, but I remind myself to log on , read and keep myself current and remember what it was like at the beginning. A healthy reminder of the harm that gambling does. I like to read how everyone is doing and see posts from those who have greatly helped me along the way, I'm not going to list people as I believe people know when they've helped others. At the moment I'm not posting much and it's really because I haven't got much to say about gambling !! Which for me this is a very good thing !! Well my hope is that this site and forum continues to have a positive impact on recovery I know at some stage I will be tested again the difference for me is I know where to go for help and support, and that I have the tools and change in mindset to get me through it. To all those struggling dig deep, protect yourself with tools like gamstop/gamban and get help....counselling...GA...post on the forum. Whatever helps ,do it. Life is too short to waste it on gambling ,hard earned money is for bills,food,home,treats for self and family not to line bookies pockets. Gambling is never the answer. Stay safe guys

Congratulations ? 450 Days GF 

Respect to our Charlieboy. I have followed your journey of recovery from the beginning and have always been impressed by your courage, integrity and positive attitude.

Thank you for being a great source of inspiration to me on my own gamble-free adventure.

Aum ?

Dear @charlieboy,

huge congratulations on 450 days gamble free, it is a joy to see you thrive and it is a joy to see your pride in what you have achieved and how much your life has changed.

Thank you so much for popping by occasionally for an update, it is so good for us all to know that you are doing well. You are an inspiration.

Wishing you all the very best,

Eva

Forum Admin

Amazing Charlie xx

Be 500 days soon Charlieboy - hope you treat yourself, you will have deserved it