I am stronger than I thought!

Hey char,

Just had a read through your diary looks like things have been tough for you mate, seems be some idiot writing some un kind things aswel....try not to let it all get to you you are amazing and with out you I wouldn't be where I am today, will always remember the night in the chat room when I was lost, yourself apg and graham pointed me back in the right direction.

Sorry iv not wrote back sooner been a crazy couple of weeks but picked myself back up again and sorted things with the other half and feeling positive again so will try and pop into the chat room have a catch up.

I'm glad you managed to speak to your bf about things as I know how reluctant you was at telling him but it can only be a good thing to have him to support you!

Take care mate I do hope you don't let that idiot stop you from posting,

Best regards

Shaun

Hiya Charlotte

Come back love...You have a right to be here.

Don't let him win.

Love and hugs Rach and Dotty xxx

How are you Charlotte?

Thanks Charlotte....and I feel the same way about you lovely....strong lady rising to the top...

Biggest hugs for you and your little one..

Rachel and Dotty xx.

Thanks for posting on my diary - get back onto yours and let everyone know you're doing ok!!

We ARE all in this together.

Hi charlotte great 2 c u back .

Hope ur ok !

Thank u 4 ur kind words and support on my diary:)

I needed 2 take a few days away from posting as I was feeling very weak..... I needed to regain my strength b4 I posted again.

I guess it's the same 4 all of us no matter how much we pretend, sometimes things will hurt. I am only human!

I have read some things on here over the last few days and it seems that some people want 2 gossip without knowing all the facts... that really does sadden me. But 1 thing I am learning is that ppl will say stuff, but no one can hurt me unless I let them. So I am not giving up my fight, in beating gambling.

On 2 the postives, yesterday I was 2 wks gamble free 🙂

I celebrated with a night out with my friends, it cheered me up and although we went into a pub. I did not feel ne urge to play the fruit machines... this was the 1st time I have felt like this, so I am taking it has a positive 🙂

I hope everyone else is doing well 🙂

Hi charlotte. Thanks for your post on my diary. I've just read yours from beginning to end and wanted to say that I think you are amazing! Your determination just shouts itself from your posts. 🙂

I know all too well about people looking down at you - I was 19 when I had my first baby too. She's nearly 12 now - when did I get so old lol!

Stay strong sweetie, you're not alone. x

Very happy to see you rested and back again!!

Two weeks is great and walking past those machines is immense!!

Well done you! xxx

Thank u 4 all ur support and kind words 🙂

Me and my bf took Maddison to the beach today, recommended by Graham 🙂

She really liked the sand... we r going to buy her a little sand pit.

My bf wanted to put her on the rides, but she is 2 young. Sometimes it is like having 2 kids lol 🙂

I saw a really sad thing, we were walking through the arcade and there was a little boy waiting outside the over 18 section for his dad. He was crying and saying he was hungry. His dad was telling him to be quiet and just carried on playing the machines. One of the staff said he was always there. It made me think how gambling really gets u. It is like we lose all sense of what really matters. It made me feel so determined to beat this... I would never want it to affect my little girl like that.

Walking thru the arcade 2day I was not once tempted to play the machines. Although having Maddison with me made it a lot easier!

It was a nice, relaxing day and walking past all those machines made me proud 🙂

No gambling 2day 🙂

Hope everyone else is doing well 🙂

charlotte. Great post, keep making those choices keep you beautiful family at your side and keep being proud you are living and continue to do so gamble free. Enjoy, be kind to yourself you earnt it. Duncs stepping forward never back.

Hi Charlotte,

So glad to have you back and looking so positive

🙂

You should be soo proud of how you are dealing with it all, what a brillant person you are, a great mum not wanting your daughter to go through what that little boy is at the arcades.

It's really great to see you as a family having some fun to boot to and 2 weeks wow go Charlotte.

Really proud of you

Keep Strong, i know your going to do this!

Smiling Lucy 🙂

Oh Charlotte,

I would have found that little one crying, heartbreaking too. I reckon that you have done the right thing though, and turned it into a positive - anytime you feel like gambling, just picture little M in the same position.

As an ex bandit J****E myself, if I could I would just like to offer a suggestion though? I live by the sea too, and as a result there are always arcades about. I have found the key to staying away long term for me, is to not be in them at all. I used to use a sunbed place that was above an arcade when I first quit. I was usually fine walking through it to get upstairs, but once in a while, in a weak moment I would be tempted. I found it better to use a more expensive sunbed place, that was not above an arcade because that 1 time out of 100 that I weakened, would set me back. It is just a suggestion based on my own mistakes, but I would walk around, rather than through any arcades for a good while, just to be on the safe side.

It is fab to see you regaining your confidence, you are doing great!

f x

Well done for having the strength to not be tempted whilst walking through the arcade - just be very careful though, maybe it's better to avoid altogether rather than tempting fate?

Great to hear that Maddison enjoyed the beach - how good must it have felt at the end of the day, knowing that Maddison had a great time with mummy, and all the while she was enjoying it too - with no thoughts about wasting any time or money gambling. Well done!!!

Hey Charlotte - just popping on to say how well you are doing and I hope you had a fab weekend! Keep up the good work x