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Well, gone and done it again. Just blew over £200 today in a few hours, lost every bet. Fridays are bad days for me.

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I see what you mean Harry but, to be honest, football is a big part of my life so not watching it would be nigh on impossible.

I don’t feel the urge to bet when in watching it, ironically. As I get too nervous if I’ve had a bet on a match/sport. I tend to keep track of it with score updates. Phone buzzes, goal!! 99% of the bets I made I never watched out of nerves and superstition.

My triggers are usually when I have some spare cash, when I’m feeling isolated or down and sometimes I just get the urge.

Funny as it seems, watching sport never bothers me to have a bet. Other reasons encourage me.

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That’s a wonderful saying Harry! Spot on..

Chin up Maverick and thanks for the support.

This evening has been nice, better than work anyway, sat watching the champions league and just enjoying the game without a bet, thinking about it if course but I’m happy enough just watching the match.

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Well, today was a shit day at work. Felt like an outsider for some reason and it’s given the urge to have a bet.

Gonna try and resist it. But generally feeling a bit low today and that’s when I’m vulnerable to have a bet. Blah.

Getting the running shoes on to change my mood.

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I like the other thread where people post the positive things about not betting but it got me playing devils advocate and thinking about what I enjoyed about betting and seeing how I can replace it.

Things I enjoyed about betting.
1. The thrill of sitting on a bet and watching the game/sport.
2. Building a betting bank and thinking about how to increase it.
3. Being right!

Now I just need to get the same enjoyment from something else. Obviously number 2. Is easy – I can just watch my savings grow as anytime I feel like a bet I can put this money into my savings account (3 months notice needed to withdraw it, so it’s safe)

However, the other two points are tough to replicate.

I did think about investing in the stock market. But technically, that’s gambling, right?

Or maybe I need to stop thinking about trying to replace it?

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I’ve tried blocking accounts before but I can always open new ones and have a bet.

Well done on the 18 days by the way, it feels like a long road ahead but it’s manageable (I hope).

As for me, I have no desire to gamble today.. Well I would if I had the spare cash and to be honest, even when I win I never am happy with the money. It’s that feeling of sitting on a big bet that is the attraction for me.

Anyway, got a lot to be thankful for and the sun is shining. I must learn to take pleasure from these small moments in life and not sweat the big stuff. Maybe go for a run tonight too, healthy body, healthly mind and all that good stuff.

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Thanks for your comments Aaron and Fritz, it’s nice to know that others are in the same boat. I guess gambling addiction can take a range of forms.

Well, I thought I had it pretty much figured out. I had not even thought about having a bet for a couple of weeks then something inside me clicked and I caved in over the weekend. I had a bet in the horses which got beat by a nose and that really pissed me off.

So I had another bet, lost. By this stage it was just £20 down, not so bad I thought. However, I thought I would chase and stuck £50 on some ice hockey. Lost. Ok I thought, that’s it. But I woke up Saturday determined to get it back, £80 on the football and it lost of course. So a final throw of the dice and £130 quid in another game. Finished 1-1, gutted.

I’d gone from a gamble free, happy few works into blowing £250-£300 in a few hours or so.

I feel embarrased, sick and low. And guilty too, so much guilt. If only my wife/family knew – that would be terrible. Ah well, today is a new week but it would have been better with that money in my account.

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Well so far so good. I haven’t had a bet but I’m looking at the football matches and can’t but help think, this would be a good bet and so on.

But I just try to think how I would feel when the bet loses, I would have the urge to chase it to try and when the money back. Off into the town later, hopefully I can avoid putting a bet on the football. Really need something to replace the void of betting.

Hmmm.

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