[Kirty1972]

Hello all,

Well it has now been a year since I started my thread on here and over a year since I last gambled,

Things are a lot better now in my life and even though I am still very busy at work I am still building things out of wood and making the odd quid here and there selling them,

The garden looks great with new decking and seating I have built and also a new BBQ station so we have a nice outdoor area to chill out and enjoy the odd nice day we get in the UK,

My bank balance looks healthier and even though I have a lot of dept still to clear I am not adding to it and credit companies are now getting in touch offering me loans / credit cards. (This was unheard of 12 months ago)

I have used one credit card to pay off a high interest loan and utilitising the 0% 34 months repayment method,

We have a nice holiday booked for the start of September and I look and feel a lot healthier, (Spending a lot of time outdoors building has helped)

My mind is calm again and I do not wake up worrying about money and have no interest in going back to the dark side,

I hope this post can help other people realise that the gambling can be beaten but you have to work hard to do it and get as much help as possible to keep you on the straight and narrow,

Best of luck all

[Kirty1972]

Hello all,

It has been 5 weeks since I last posted and things are still going well and It has been 10 months now since I last gambled,

My wood working is going well and keeping me busy during the days when I am trying to kill time before work,

I have had a few sales now on the stuff I have building and have just built 3 large planters for a friend and a dog kennel for another one, I still have another dog kennel to build and a bench so plenty going on and as I source all the timber for free from local companies it is bringing me a few extra pounds in to cover beer and the odd treat. 🙂

I still have a lot of dept to pay off but my monthly wage goes towards clearing that and my sales from my creations gives me beer money so it works well,

I have not had any urges to gamble and from when I first started my post a lot of things have changed for the better and I am using my time better and also getting outside come rain or shine..

I hope my posts can bring some hope to others whom may still be struggling as if I can do it then so can you,

Everybody is different and changing habits is hard but it can be done..

Good luck all

[Kirty1972]

Hello all,

Well another month has passed and I am happy to say I am still gambling free..

Since I last posted I have put the tools I purchased to good use and built a variety of wooden objects to keep busy,

It is a shame I cannot post some of my finished projects on here but when I post them on Facebook and other pages I generally get good feedback,

I am also getting a good shopping list going from people who see my work online and ask me to build them a specific item. So hopefully the hobby can help pay off my depts..

One step at a time as always but feeling good with life at the moment. Work is still hard work but I am thankful I have a job.. The missus moans as we have no spare money but we have money even if it is not spare.. the wood work hobby is keeping me busy and filling the void from gambling but is a positive. and most of all I feel human again.

[Kirty1972]

Well I had my last counselling session on Wednesday so it feels like one hurdle has already been closed on my chapter to recovery…

I am still gambling free even though I have been mithered to death by people to who will be winning at Cheltenham this week !.

The majority know I no longer gamble but for some reason think I would be willing to look at a race card and advise them on what horse to back.

very frustrating trying to tell people that why would a ex gambler whom is attending counselling encourage somebody else to gamble?>

Somebody whom had been shouting out how good he was and taking bets from everybody that the fav would win the Gold Cup today and anybody whom thought it wouldn’t that he would stand the bet.. well he is out of pocket today as are many more and I am sat here with a cold beer and a nice pizza 🙂

[Kirty1972]

Thanks Mav and you are right just deal with one day at a time and look at the positives you will gain from not gambling,

I sometimes feel bad posting as I do not want to rub peoples noses in it so to speak but if you only see the bad then people can lose hope..

I am a positive person and although it has been hard staying on the straight and narrow and I have a lot of guilt still from the mess I created and the lies to love ones..

But if I can do it then hopefully other people can and being able to post up on here lets me keep things in check as I do not want to let anybody down and posting on here also lets me achieve goals (Another month under the belt kind of thing)

I wish you the best on your recovery and hopefully catch up with you on your thread…

Keep up the good work..

[Kirty1972]

Thank you Vera and Monique..

I have been pencilling in designs today during the day before work and measuring up for my next project,

The missus is happy because I am happy and doing things I enjoy again without being moody and snappy with her. 🙂

Thanks again and I will keep you posted.

[Kirty1972]

Well another month has just passed and I have spent a little more money than what I should have but it has been spent on things for the house and the garden and keeping the missus happy…

I was mad busy at work over the Christmas period but now things are quietening down a little and I am getting a bit more time at home and I have also been able to take some time off work (Holidays owed) so I have been setting myself little projects…

The first project was building a pallet sofa for the garden that the missus had seen online.. I spoke to my manager at work and asked if I would be okay to take some of the broken pallets from the yard at work and thankfully he agreed so that saved me a couple quid and got the project underway…

As I like things to be right I purchased some deckboards to finish off the exterior of the sofa and make it look like a professional had done it.. I made a small table that has coasters underneath so it slots in and makes another area to sunbathe.. I also purchased some LED lights and made some wooden boxes to house the lights to illuminate the pallet sofa in the evenings.. the project kept me busy for around a week and I have purchased foam for the cushions and some water proof material but I have not finished these yet but should have them done for the weekend. 🙂 The missus is well pleased with the end result and I have friends and family asking if I can build one for them so may be able to recoup some cash once the weather picks up again.. In total it costs me around £200 for the deckboard / lights / wood stain / foam for the seating and material and it is a good investment as I now have a 10 seater sofa in the garden ready for summer (It is a corner sofa so sits nicely on my patio area)

Whilst I was in a building mood I made a new garden gate again from reclaimed timber and I purchased all the hinges and fixtures on EBay for a good price.. the gate took me a day to do but again saved me a good few pounds and kept me outside in the fresh air for a full day and again kept the missus happy…

I have knocked up a few bird boxes and intend getting these mounted around the garden just in time for spring again having something to do and keeping me busy with an end result I can sit back and appreciate has given me a boost as I forgot how much I enjoy building things and creating things that will bring happiness to people…

I also purchased some tools cheap on Ebay from a family relocating to Austrailia so I will be making the most of these in the coming months to make a few extra pounds on the side.

As I had cleared a good part of my overdraft I asked my mother whom is still keeping tabs on my finances if I could stretch to booking a holiday and putting a deposit down,

We had a good look at the money coming in and the money going out to pay off my depts and the answer was yes as long as I did not go mad.. So booked 2 weeks in Tunisia at the end of September so again a target to hit to pay for the holiday and also something to keep me working hard…

Being gambling free is giving me my life back slowly and surely as each day passes by and although It is going to take years to clear my dept I can still do things and look forward to living a normal life..

Sorry to witter on but thought I would give a brief update.

Hope other people can read this and hopefully know there is light at the end of the tunnel…

Thanks for reading..,.

[Kirty1972]

Thanks Jen3Jen and Vera,

And a happy belated New Year to you also as well,

I will give my credit card provider a call and explain to them my current situation and see if I can get a final settlement figure as nothing lost if they say no..

I just need to get to the end of April and I will see another pay rise and also be another 3 / 4 months into my recovery,

Appreciate the feedback and responses and wish everybody well and the strength to keep pushing in the right direction.

I watched the film the Gambler last night and although it did not live up to my expectations some scenes struck home.

[Kirty1972]

Hello,

It has been just over a month since the last post and I am now 6 month gambling free so things are going well..

I have been very busy at work due to Christmas and we are still busy but I have been allowed a few days off from work to get some rest and chill out so been spending the last few days watching films and basically feeding my face,

The finances are still in check and although I still have a long way to go, but due to me not gambling this has given people faith in me and my mum is going to clear my credit card and I will then pay her back at £300 a month so I do not incur anymore interest on the credit card dept and will be able to pay it off a lot quicker,

I have had my debit card back for over a month now but have stuck to my given budget and even when I have been out for a few beers I have not been back to the bank for more money and have had not had any urges to gamble so that is good,

My counselling sessions are now every 2 week and I think I only have 3 more sessions then they will be coming to an end,

Just hoping my update will give people a glimmer of hope that things can and do get better but it is a hard road and I do not think I am out of the woods yet and everyday I have to remind myself why I cannot go out on a whim or buy things as and when I want but at least I can now plan and think if I stick to my guns in a few years I will be able to afford to treat those whom have helped me out..

The things that have helped me so far are:

Own up and tell people about the issues you have with gambling. Once it is off your chest you will feel better

Self exclude from all gambling sites you have access too

Hand over control of your finances to a family member / friend so you do not have access to money whilst you try and break the habit

Avoid places where you used to gamble and try and distance yourself from people whom you used to gamble with (My downfall was sports betting so I cut all Facebook links and emailed all I used to talk about gambling with asking them not to email me any sports related gambling info)

Block emails from betting companies and texts so they cannot pester you with offers and free bets

Speak openly about your gambling problem with people as it is amazing how many people know or have had issues with gambling and they will offer you support,

Don’t look back look forward and look towards and gamble free future

Do not lose hope if you do have set backs

Stay positive…

Good luck all and take one day at a time..

[Kirty1972]

Good evening all..

After speaking to my counsellor time and time again and trying to establish why I gambled it is still a mystery but sometimes I think was I looking for an escape from the rat race?

I have always worked from a young age but when I got bored off doing a certain job I would up sticks and move on to the next..

My counsellor said I am a non comformist (apologises if spelt wrong) but sometimes I feel like a lost soul whom is looking for the right place to settle.

Just having my eyes opened to life again makes you think why are we here and what is our / my purpose?

No urges to gamble just thinking need to work harder to pursue other goals possibly?

[Kirty1972]

Thanks all and I had contacted my friend to say I had stopped gambling previously and have reminded him that I no longer gamble and would appreciate it if he could support me..

As for the GG alerts and other mails I keep getting I think I will have to change my email address and open up a new account and start a fresh.. that way no pay day loans can send me the spam I seem to receive every day..

I appreciate everybody’s feedback and support..

Thanks again..

[Kirty1972]

I received a text this morning from a friend who owns a horse. He informed me it was running today and I also.got a GG alert with comments for a horse I had flagged up before quitting gambling. As I had the day off and money in my pocket and for a fleeting moment I thought that would make a nice double but dissmissed the thought and stayed at home doing jobs. Heard both horses won but was happier that I had installed 2 new double sockets at home. 😉

[Kirty1972]

Thank you Vera..

I have put things in place to keep me on the straight and narrow and I may look and see if a local charity might appreciate an hour or so in a morning that is not set in stone..

It is a sad time at the moment but my Uncle would not want anybody to dwell on negative thoughts and it has brought back memories for me of my dad so I am going to arrange something to remember them both…

Thank you once again and I will keep you posted..

[Kirty1972]

Well I had some sad news this week my Uncle whom I help care for died on Monday morning so been a lot of turmoil as had to help support my mum and sisters and the missus whilst coping with the busiest period ever at work so my head has been a bit all over the shop for the last few days..

My Uncle had been struggling with his breathing for the last week or so and his standard of life had dropped so it was hard to see him that way and he could no longer get out with his dog on his mobility scooter and watching him gasp for breath was just awful so it is small blessing but does not make it any easier for all concerned..

As this was my new morning routine I am looking at possibly joining the gym so I am not spending more time at home and hopefully get fit enough to do a charity event next year again as another challenge..

I have not had any urges to gamble thankfully although I am still getting hammered with spam from casino’s offering me endless bonuses.. the only thing that comes from bonuses is dept when you get hooked again..

My mum is off to see my sister in Germany next week so we have put the funeral back until she gets back to England…

Just wanted to log this as better to get things off my chest rather than dwell on them and possible stir the dark demons that lurk within…

Hope everybody else is coping or putting things in place to get a better life away from gambling…

Take care all and good luck with the stopping…

[Kirty1972]

Hello all..

Well pleased to say I am still gambling free and doing well on the road to recovery..

Since I was last on work has started to get really busy as we see more and more parcels being shipped in the build up to Christmas so not had a lot of time at home due to working days off and doing long hours but when I am at home the laptop is used more for watching films these days than sporting events thankfully..

My counselling sessions are now every other week as I approach my final 5 sessions so these should see me through to the New Year which will be great for going alone and keeping my New Year resolution to take on more challenges and give something back.. work will also go quiet if forecasts are correct so I will be able to crack on with whatever challenges I decide to set myself.

I managed to surprise the missus with a new fire / fire place for the front room that I purchased from Ebay after consulting my mother about available funds in my bank account.

Asked if I could use some of the money I had managed to save up to reward myself but more importantly Marie so she could see the bonuses of me not gambling and to show she does not have to go without because I got myself into financial trouble..

Anyway the fire got me a lot of brownie points and also finishes the room off nicely so it looks all snug and warm for Christmas. I have also used my bargain hunting to purchase some new shelving for the kitchen so again that put a smile on her face. I have also salvaged some wooden planks from the refurb at my mothers house to do some work in the garden next year so keeping myself busy…

So all in all things are going good but still a long way to go yet..

Those are all the positives anyway..

On a negative side and something that has been making me very angry is the number of texts and emails I have started to recieve from loan companies and betting accounts offering me funding and also free bonuses if I sign up for new accounts. I have blocked all the numbers but they continue to send them using international codes or slightly changing the text format.. I am fortunate that I have a strong resolve and I do not want to get back involved with the gambling side but for somebody whom may be struggling this could easily drag somebody back into the hole..

The emails I have been responding to directly saying if they continue to harress me I will take legal advise as a recoverying addict whom has already requested no correspondance from said companies. Hopefully they will get the message..

My counsellor said this is a regular tactic used by the gaming companies / loan companies to try and drag people back in when the seasons change and it becomes dark and miserable.

I just hope other people have not been tempted back in by these under hand tactics..

All in all things are looking good for me but still sit and think why did I get into the mess in the first thing but have to look forward and not back and concentrate on getting the loans paid off and getting my life back to normality..

Back to work for me now but hope other people are doing well and do not be afraid to speak to people about the situation you are in as I have found out a lot more people than you think have been affected by gambling..

Take care all..

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