[ARB90]

This week seems to have gone really fast. I have had no urges to gamble and actually enjoyed watching the Fury v Wilder boxing rematch merely from an entertainment perspective rather than a gambling perspective. This is the sort of event that I would normally bet on and even though the build up was littered with gambling adverts it didn’t bother me, I was just happy to enjoy watching the fight without feeling the need to risk money on the outcome.

[ARB90]

It is one month ago today since I last gambled and I’m feeling more positive with each week that passes. However I can’t allow myself to get complacent as I lasted 9 months last time before relapsing. I have put more barriers in place this time around and I’m constantly trying to find new activities and create new positive habits to fill the gambling void. I will continue to focus on my recovery and I’m more determined than ever to stay gamble free. I have a lot of things to look forward to this year and can’t wait to create happy memories without allowing gambling to get in the way.

[ARB90]

Hello all. I was intending to post my Week 3 entry on Sunday but have been in bed with flu for the last few days so have only just got round to doing it now. It has now been 24 days since I last gambled and I’m feeling good. I was disappointed because Monday this week was supposed to be my first GA meeting and because I’ve been so ill I couldn’t make it, but on a positive note at least when I go to next week’s meeting I’ll have 1 month under my belt gamble free which will be a nice way to start off. I have joined another couple of group sessions on here since my last post which have been good and I’m starting to get familiar with some of the regular attendees now. I’m still finding things to fill some of my spare time left void from gambling and haven’t experienced many thoughts or urges since my last post. I will aim to get back in the routine of doing my weekly post on a Sunday again.

[ARB90]

I have set up a Twitter account based on recovery from gambling addiction. The name of the account is @AddictARB90 and I would appreciate it if you could follow me to help me get started. The purpose of the account is to raise awareness of gambling addiction, break the stigma, and encourage people to speak up and reach out for support if they are also struggling with gambling addiction. It is by far the fastest growing addiction and also has the highest suicide rates with so many people suffering in silence. I want to try and help to break the silence and encourage people to seek out support.

[ARB90]

I am happy with my progress again this week and have achieved 2 weeks gamble free. I am already starting to notice an improvement in my overall mood. My life is becoming more manageable again as I’m not constantly stressed and consumed by gambling. I have been involved in the open groups again this week and have enjoyed sharing thoughts and experiences on recovery with everyone. I am still listening to some podcasts on gambling recovery which is helping me to maintain focus and a positive mentality towards staying gamble free. I have 4 days off work over this weekend which in the past would have typically resulted in a gambling session. I’m making sure I stay busy and keep myself occupied to distract myself from gambling.

[ARB90]

Hi Now-or-Never. Congratulations on reaching out for support. Don’t be too down on yourself for having a setback in recovery it can happen to anyone. It is important to explore your options with regards to restricting your access to gambling to help you remain gamble free and avoid these temptations. It should provide you with more time to reflect on your impulsive thoughts and urges and resist temptations to gamble. It is a difficult process for sure but gambling addiction is a treatable disorder and with the right support you can beat it. I wish you all the best with your recovery.

[ARB90]

Hi Hambone. It is great to see that you are over 30 weeks gamble free now. Congratulations, you are setting a great example for any newcomers on here and are living proof that recovery is achievable regardless of the circumstances of your past. I wish you all the best for the future.

[ARB90]

Hi Kiwi. Congratulations on reaching 2 months gamble free. You are making good progress and I wish you all the best in your recovery. Keep up the good work.

[ARB90]

First of all, we’ll done for coming back. There are many of us that experience relapse at some point during recovery as I have, but it’s important to focus on responding to that in a positive way and making sure you learn from your mistakes. If your gambling problems are online based like mine, it really is worth looking into blocking software which can help in restricting access to these gambling sites. If you are in the UK then Gamstop is a good starting place as it provides a blanket ban from all UK regulated gambling websites. If you are elsewhere there may be similar alternatives that exist. I believe there are also some banks now that are able to block transactions to gambling websites if you request it which is another good option. Just keep working on putting these barriers in place and staying focused on your recovery. I look forward to following your recovery and wish you all the best.

[ARB90]

It might not seem like much yet but the first few weeks in recovery are the most difficult in my opinion so congrats on making it through the first week. I will be 2 weeks gamble free tomorrow and I’m already starting to notice the benefits of recovery. I look forward to following your progress and wish you all the best.

[ARB90]

Congrats Steev on your progress in recovery. I’ve noticed you contribute a lot on here and provide support for many of us through thread replies which is appreciated. Wishing you all the best for 2020.

[ARB90]

I have been looking into GA meetings near me and there is only one which is close enough for me to be able to attend around work. However, they meet once a week on a Monday night at 7pm and I often have other commitments which mean I can only attend probably 1 in 3 meetings. Therefore I have emailed someone locally that does 1-to-1 therapy sessions that I could run alongside GA just to add another piece to the jigsaw puzzle that is recovery. I will also try to increase my frequency of online group sessions on here to fill in the gaps for weeks that I’m unable to attend GA.

[ARB90]

I can totally relate crackles. I have the same problems. I’ll also watch sports simply for entertainment purposes when I’m not gambling but will always find myself thinking about what the markets would be for that event and sometimes think about what I would have bet on. I don’t want to end up not being able to watch sports which is something I enjoy just because of how strongly it is linked with gambling. Its hard to escape like you said with the strong association between sports and gambling and all the adverts you see before, during and after events. Thank you for posting I appreciate it and all the best in your recovery.

[ARB90]

This week has been positive overall. I have participated in a couple of open groups on here which was helpful for sharing advice and experiences. I have been listening to some gambling recovery podcasts this week as well which I’ve never tried before and I also found this helpful in hearing other people’s stories and recovery techniques. I have struggled a little bit over the last couple of days, I guess as the weekends used to be the time that I would gamble most frequently. I haven’t really had any urges to gamble but I’ve noticed I’ve been a little more irritable and frustrated than normal over pointless things which I guess is just part of the withdrawal process. I was planning on attending my first GA meeting a week tomorrow but I have since found out I can’t make that one either so I will have to delay it to the following week where I should then be able to attend 3 weeks in a row. This is the only meeting there is which is local enough for me attend with work commitments. I will continue to track my progress on here on a weekly basis.

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