[CraigMac6]

Here I come day 4.

Hope you all have a great day.

Thanks again for all the support.

[CraigMac6]

I hope everyone is doing well with their quest of staying gambling free today. There are a lot of powerful statements that were made that I had thoughts on. First, Tango you are so right we have to admit we are powerless over gambling. Oh how so true that is. I have always felt like I was good at sports betting because I absolutely love sports. I enjoy watching the games and I feel like I’m okay with number a which leads me yo believe I can win at sports gambling. However, I have come to realize I am not good at it and that’s the case partly because I’m powerless over gambling. I can go 2 or 3 weeks and win every day but I can’t stop and take a day off. I’m powerless and have to keep betting which causes me to lose all my money plus more. So to sit here and believe I could win at sports betting is a complete lie because I’ve proven that thought to be false.
Now if I can back track a little to a statement I made earlier which makes my quit so difficult and that statement was “I love sports.” I could sit back and watch sports for hours without having any action/bets on the game but as soon as I started making wagers on games I watch, well that took it to a new level and a new thrill that is unaparrell to any other rush. I will get back on this topic after I point out the fact that relapsing is not an option for me. Not this time. That doesn’t mean this will not be tough but it means I refuse to give my life back to gambling. I say that as a serial relapesor. I dipped for 15 years and tried to quit over hundreds of times without any success until I had enough. I’ve been sports betting for 10 years and several times over the last 3 years have I placed my last wager only to fail. I mention this because I want this time to be it. All the problems and the financial troubles all the time away from family has me rethinking that life I had lived. I don’t want to live that way and I’m going to do everything I can each and every day to stay gambling free. Which leads me back to one last comment I want to make before I go spend time with my family and that is the biggest challenge I have faced is when I stop gambling on sports I completely shut sports out of my life because I don’t want to face that urge; and its difficult yo close out something that I have so much love for. But I think having a break from sports and finding positive thing to occupy my time will help with this challenge.
I thank you all for the support and encouragement. Lets make today great !

[CraigMac6]

Day 3 here. Have a lot to say but will have to do it later

In not sure about banks blocking gambling, I just told them to decline all transactions coming from my method of making a deposit online.

Like many have said, blockers are good but we can always find a way to make that deposit if we want. If there is a will there is a way. However my will is to stay gambling free today so I will find a way!.
Have a great day! I will be back later

Craig

[CraigMac6]

Hello all,
I thank everyone for reaching out and giving some words of wisdom. As I start day 2 of my journey to become free I have thought a lot about my life as a gambler and some things really stuck out in my reflection. The first thing is as proud as I am of quitting tobacco, i basically shifted my tobacco addiction to my gambling addiction so you are right Charles, I need to find positive things to occupy my time. Speaking time, I have realized just how much time, energy and love I have taken away from my family and I have given to gambling. That more so than the finances makes me feel like a pathetic father and loving husband. That’s not to say I’m miserable, but it is to say I will use these feelings as motivation to be a better me. I have also taken steps with my bank to block any transactions to my source of gambling. Yes that is only a block, its a good thing to have in place when I’m in a tough spot and the gambling thoughts arise.
Again thank you for all your support and I appreciate the encouragement. Here’s to a great day 2 of being gambling free!

[CraigMac6]

Thanks for the positive encouragement all. You are absolutely right I need to find something positive to do with my time instead of gambling. There are other things that I enjoy to do (such as reading, working out and spending time with my kids) and quite honestly when I gamble I lose track of those things; especially spending time with my kids. Yes I will check in on them, but I do not give them my full love and attention because that is going to my sports betting.

Thanks Raix. I understood exactly what you are saying especially concerning the big wins, which we never see. There were three times I recall winning bets of 7 to 10k yet I never saw a dime of that. I cant ***** how many times I won a big amount of money and told myself I would never go broke with the money won, only to go broke again within at least two weeks. I thought I had it all figured out and I could be a winner but the truth is not many of us can be winners when it comes to gambling. I just know I cannot win at this game. Don’t get me wrong there are times when I take a “break” from gambling and come back and win several games in a row but its always the same results. And during those “breaks” my sick mind will tell me I can place one bet because I know its a winner and walk away…well like we all know; i can never just walk away.
I will also take your advise of allowing my finance to control all of my finances. I will give her my bank information and transfer over all of paychecks. This is a start. I’m not happy about the position I’ve put my family in but I do feel relieved to walk away from this addiction. I know there will soon be a “low point” where I feel like life is boring without gambling, however, thats where I need to find something else to replace my gambling habits; to occupy my time.
Thanks again for all your support and I will post again on day 2!

[Author]

Posts