Some success...but back again. What've I learnt?

​I've just realised it's been around 19 months since my last blog post. Which in the main, has been good news for me. ​I've had some good periods of not gambling, and managed to bring some of my debt down. 

The secret?

The key things for me were:

1. understanding your triggers - realise what these are and when you're most prone to relapse;
   
   
2. keep yourself busy - take up a new hobby or interest. For me, I've started tutoring accountancy - it really helped me to put some perspective on money. Each hour was worth £25 to me, less petrol etc., and this helped me stopped gambling as every time I went to gamble £25 (or more!), I'd remember all the hard work that'd gone into earning that money; and 
   
   
3. take it a step at a time - life's hard. Bills come through the door and sometimes it's impossible to pay them, and you have no idea how you'll ever repay them. Day by day, step by step, you can manage these bills. It may be through doing some extra shifts, getting a second job, spending less at the supermarket or running outside rather than being signed up to a gym. There will be sacrifices, and it'll be tough, but eventually there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

The bad news? 

I lost sight of what I learned above. I didn't keep myself as busy, and I thought after all this time a small bet on a site for the World Cup wouldn't be a bad thing. That I'd be able to control myself now. What I've learned is that I'll never be able to put on a small bet. I'll never be satisfied with it. I'll always have dreams of winning over half a million pounds and having the money I won way back when, when I started on this journey. 

Today is again day 0 for me. But I have trust that if I continue with my three steps above, I'll again rebuild my life and finally become gamble free. The truth for me is that I can't ever go back to gambling - I can never think I can have a 'cheeky' bet, or that I can just spend a little amount - I clearly can't. And I need to remember that, always. 

Sorry for my absence. I hope everyone is doing well. It's been a while since I've spoken to a number of people who follow my blog, and I'd love to hear your stories. Success stories, troubles, questions - please get in contact and share. I found talking to many of you really useful previously and this helped me become gamble free for the longest period in over 5 years.

All the best, 
​AGJ

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