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It can be done - dont give up!
#1
I would just like to start by saying that you inspire me!!!!!!
You seem to have made a real breakthrough with your problem and i wish you all the best in the future and with your girlfriend who i gather is very supportive of you and gives you great strength to carry on the way you are going. Your family and friends are always the most important thing in making your problem better but only you can make it go away.
Remember to love the ones that have supported you through the bad times and the ones who put a smile on your face.
Take care and i hope things work out for you. xx
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#2
Carefree.
Just like to thank you for your post. You could have given me the name of carefree for many years whilst in the grip of this dreadfull desease. I did everything you can imagine and more.

I stole, I lied all the time, I moved around, I lived in places unimaginable, I was never settled, I sold things for a fraction of there worth to try to win money back in desperation, the list goes on.

Women were not a thing I respected as I didnt respect myself.

Today and that is an important word for me as now I live for that day and do not gamble in that day I can tell you how much my life has changed for the better.

Today I didnt gamble I have apart from one week of madness said that for the past four years. (it never leaves us!!)

Back when I made that change due largely to GA I couldnt pay a single repayment on a loan. Was always an excuse for rent etc, I lost my wallet thousands of times (not), got mugged dont know how many times (not) I was always the big shot.

Today: and its taken me four years of today to get to this situation:

Today I own a car. Today I have money in the bank. Today I have self respect (this means a lot to me), today I have friends (true friends!), today I respect my GF, today I am structured, today if I have an issue I will deal with that issue, today no matter how dark my thoughts I will remain positive.

The most important thing I can say to anyone in the midst of gambling is this: before I started to live my life for today I was shrouded in issues and problems, phone calls for debt repayments, pressure and more pressure, small problems were huge problems (solved in isolation of gambling! not!)

The other thing I can say is now my relationship with those I love and those who love me is a real one, they can see the character change very clearly.

I like you will live my life for today as you are an inspiration to me as I hope I am to others.

Life will never be plain sailing, will never be easy but as long as I live for today I will be a happy, content and satisfied man safe in the knowledge today I didnt cheat, didnt steal, didnt hurt.

Because Just for today I didnt gamble.

Thanks for your post carefree: keep up the fight!!

Barrie
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#3
Carefree,
I could write a million stories such was that man.

I didnt even appreciate to any extent some of the things I did such was the grip of gambling. There is something wonderfully amazing about GA and that is this. People who write, express and have been there and "got the T-shirt" are there to post to others, we have all a common ground, all done the same things.

I remember at an early age i stole from this guy, looked over his shoulder and remembered his pin number, later took his card and withdrew money, returning to place his card back.

I am not proud of the things I did, not one little bit. But I am proud of all those people who realise that you can change and anylize yourself to such a degree to find who you are within.

I especially think its nice that people like you and i can share things we have done and chuckle.

I think I have been somewhat hard on some people in my life for failings, always thought I was perfect and yet I was not really. I remember my parents 30th wedding anniversary, standing and loosing nearly all the money i had then travelling and chatting to my uncle who bought all the drinks.

I was not a man, I was an excuse.

Many things from this programme enrich my life, thinking about others, thinking about what I should do for them, thinking about what I can be if I just live for today.

I want to say thanks that it was recognised by yourself that you felt a similarity on my posts.

Its what the fellowship is all about.

Keep in touch, keep posting!!

Barrie
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#4
I have finally come to the realisation that i need to stop gambling,i have known this for a while but after getting into a rut i have continued to put this off,"until i get back on my feet" cheltenham is on at the present which is probably a bad time to start, but i want to be where i used to be.
The issue with me is that i have always believed that i could work a formula to know what horse or football team would win,and i have become so encompassed that i have almost stopped doing everything that i had always enjoyed.
My family have always been heavily involved with betting and it seems that i have inherited the "gene", however instead of

Can someone help me with any links to forums or online meetings that i can be a part of as i would like to start an initial period of this before attending a meeting (as they seem to only be on monday evenings?)
i can see by reading that there are many others in the same situation as me and i would like to be in that position in months/years to come however i know it will be a long process.
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#5
This is aimed at Lee who placed a post asking for advice on online help. Hi Lee.

Firstly can I ask, have you checked out this GA site to see if there are other meetings within travel distance that are not just Monday nights. Now when you do this consider how far you would have been willing to travel to gamble (Cheltenham???) and give yourself a wide area to choose from.

Then try to make other meetings. It really is the best way forward.

There is a Chat room on here but chat rooms and Forums are poor substitutes (I know I am here!!!) to Meetings and face to face with other recovering CGs. I rarely miss a meeting, and have been gambling free for nearly 18 months.

My name is Chris and I am a compulsive gambler, and user of Forums.
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#6
Hi carefree,

Thanks for posting, its a big help knowing you and others on here have been where I am now and got out of it.

I stopped betting for a good few months and it was great having money in my pocket at the end of the month but this weekend I think its fair to say I've 'fell off'. I've spent all my wages & all my savings this on stupid football bet after football bet. I don't know how I'm going to tell my girlfriend that my savings - towards a deposit for our first house together - is now back to £0 after months and months of putting it aside.

But your post has given me hope, rather than trying to win it back when I get paid I think its time to take the hit and start over again, I'm gutted but hopeful that tomorrow is a better day.

Robbo
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