Getting There...

What a brilliant update Lee ! You are nearly halfway to your first gamble-free year - well done !

A cautionary tale :

At 6 months , I relapsed hard . I let myself get complacent and allowed the addiction to convince me I wasn't "actually " addicted . It persuaded me that I could gamble like regular people do - all I had to do was follow a few self-imposed "rules" . I could gamble with a cash limit / only on weekends / only for an hour or two , etc. etc.

It was a massive pack of lies and I fell for them all . What happened after that was a gambling binge so reckless and out of control that it almost killed me . The addiction came back bigger , faster and stronger than I ever thought possible .

Celebrate and be proud of you achievement - it's a huge accomplishment ! But don't let your guard down for an instant .

Hi everyone,
Celebrated 6 months gamble free yesterday!
Spent the weekend fishing with my best mate by the river, camping.
Six months ago I woke up in my swag after sleeping in a park next to my car, contemplating my future and hoping like hell my partner would let me come back home eventually...

So as I woke up in my swag yesterday, next to my car again... next to the river this time... camping, I smiled and felt so good knowing the turnaround in my life.

A lot has changed in the last six months...
I'm living at home again,
I'm debt free,
I have more confidence,
I am happy,
I have hope for my future and that of my families too,
I have money in the bank,
Lastly I have no real desire to waste my money gambling any more.

Im never going to trust myself with my own money regardless of how much time goes by, and my partner knows i feel this way. But I'd rather live like this now.

Stay focused and it gets easier as the days pass by, just stay strong and avoid unnecessary contact with cash if you can.
Cheers, Lee

I think the cake says it all , Lee ...



It's a brilliant update . Believe it or not , you will come to trust yourself with money again . I was nervous as hell the first time I received a full paycheck after paying off my debts . I wondered if having that much " spare " cash would send me into a gambling binge . I was one year into my recovery then .

I think the amount of gamble-free time I had at the time really saved me . Any ideas of gambling were dismissed with the thought : " Do you really want to go back to the nightmare existence that you spent a year fighting your way out of ? " .

The answer was No , every time .

Hi All,
Hope everyone is well and trying to stay strong and focused?
I've had a busy few months and it all came to a halt early last Friday when my lower back succumbed to the rigorous beating I give to it on a daily basis. I've had a dodgy back since I was 20 or so but it never got this bad.. I couldn't walk for three days and i only got to the Physio on Monday afternoon. Finally back to work tomorrow.

If this had happened while I was gambling we wouldn't of been able to eat or pay rent next week, let alone afford anything else... But as we have savings now it's not an issue and I've been able to take the necessary time off to get better.

On the eve of my 200th day gamble free I am feeling great. I had my birthday last week and a few relatives gave me cash...
I have had the cash at my disposal and have not used it to gamble. The thoughts were definetly there but I would rather spend it on useful things

Tomorrow will be a great day for me, in fact everyday not spent gambling is a great day!!

Stay strong everyone,
Cheers, Lee
199DaysGF
FamilyFirst

Wow! Well done Lee!
What a truly inspirational post, I am confident that it will help all those starting out on their gamble free journey. Seeing that there is a life after gambling is something we all need to aspire to.
I am 58 and have resigned myself to letting my husband look after our finances, even though I don't really get any urges to gamble, I am always aware that complacency is always just round the corner.
Enjoy your 200 GF day tomorrow.

familyfirst wrote:Hi everyone,
Celebrated 6 months gamble free yesterday!
Spent the weekend fishing with my best mate by the river, camping.
Six months ago I woke up in my swag after sleeping in a park next to my car, contemplating my future and hoping like hell my partner would let me come back home eventually...

So as I woke up in my swag yesterday, next to my car again... next to the river this time... camping, I smiled and felt so good knowing the turnaround in my life.

A lot has changed in the last six months...
I'm living at home again,
I'm debt free,
I have more confidence,
I am happy,
I have hope for my future and that of my families too,
I have money in the bank,
Lastly I have no real desire to waste my money gambling any more.

Im never going to trust myself with my own money regardless of how much time goes by, and my partner knows i feel this way. But I'd rather live like this now.

Stay focused and it gets easier as the days pass by, just stay strong and avoid unnecessary contact with cash if you can.
Cheers, Lee

Nice one mate

Congratulations Lee !



PS : it also doubles as a birthday cake .

Thanks for posting such a fantastic , inspiring update .

Hello All,
Thanks for all the ongoing support and encouragement everyone!

Haven't been on here for ages but still GF and will reach 9 Months Gamble Free tomorrow!!!
I'm totally focused on reaching 1 year in February. But I'm quietly very proud of myself and can't ever imagine compulsive gambling again.

When I gave up slots I also said goodbye to most if not all of the stresses in my life. I'm a changed man in many ways after only 9 months, but will forever have my guard up and be weary of my addiction. One day at a time, I WILL NOT gamble today!
Thanks everyone.
Cheers, Lee
9 Months GF

That's a brilliant update Lee !

Your first GF year will be here before you know it . Life without gambling in it may not be perfect , but it is a far cry from the miserable existence of compulsive gambling . You are right to stay on your guard but the clarity we gain once the gambling fog lifts is a powerful weapon against relapse .

I still get ghost-thoughts of gambling . I know my addiction will never stop trying to come back to life, but within moments , the memory of the Hell I went through during my gambling years shuts down any notion that I would ever want to willingly walk back into that trap .

You have every right to be proud - 9 months gamble-free is a tremendous achievement . Keep going and don't look back !

Hi Everyone,

Well in 3 days time I will be celebrating my first year gamble free!!

If you had told me that on day 1 , I wouldn't have believed it... I have surprised myself, but in saying that I guess I value my wife and kids more than I ever imagined. For if I slip up again I will most definitely lose them. That's my main motivation to quit and also the flow on effects have been well worth the effort to stay gamble free.

Money is the last of my worries these days, I have very little stress in my life now and life is good.

I'll always remember how my life used to be and will endeavor to remain gamble free forever.

Thanks to all who have encouraged me along the first year of my new life.


Cheers, Lee
362 days Gamble Free