Just why???

That’s a huge challenge and maybe worth thinking up a good “excuse” in advance and plan ahead for the questions etc. Those kind of things help with sudden anxiety. I’m certainly not trying to tell you how to handle it Cos you know you best, I’m just thinking that this must be quite a big deal and I think anyone would find that stressful. Also the fact it’s your dads birthday and you want it to be fun for him too. You have to look after number one though. These are the challenges we face but you are strong and I am looking forward to speaking later. I will come on later tonight and see how it all went. I hope your dad has a brilliant birthday and that you come away feeling even more proud of who you are. Don’t forget the mantra if you struggle... mop bucket wellies, mop bucket wellies , mop bucket wellies. :))) x

Mop bucket wellies love it!! Well they’ve all gone without me and god that was hard but I honestly think if I wasn’t on this forum I would’ve gone, in fact I know I would’ve gone. So thankyou all for being my rocks it’s working. The mop fights to live another day 🙂

Hey SS, we’ll done for that. I know what you mean with the family; I haven’t told anyone and have blocked all gambling sites on parental controls. My partner went to check the lottery and it wouldn’t work and I just had to go, 'oh, it must be down...'. Feel very silly at times at where I am.

As for a little luxury treat, I think it’s great to treat ourselves. I spend so much money just trying to look like everything is 'normal', but yes, let’s plan something for next month. (It’s going to take me a month to catch up in basics, never mind the big stuff but I’m trying to concentrate on dayto day right now!)

hmmm.... I’m looking forward to some kind of luxury face mask! I know, it's so silly, but I love the mud masks and everything... might have a look at some beauty sites....

Mud mask is a great idea lil, bit more luxurious than my mop. So when you going to read your statement? Im trying not to tell my family and maybe the shame of it is helping to keep me on the straight and narrow. Everyone’s situation is different lil so you gotta do what’s right for you and you alone. So we’ve got a mop and mud mask so far, what you going for tracyd? Pegs??

Loved reading this thread

Hmm.... end of the month will be good for me, but really, March 1st will show if I've made any headway into debts. I'm worried about putting too much pressure on myself... did find GamGlow mud masks though!

Join our club marypoppins, pull up a mop!:) lil do what’s right for you and don’t give yourself extra pressure. My debts won’t be gone for a long long time I’m just looking at the statement to see no stupid.com transactions. One step at a time, one day at a time. Get those masks ready:)))

Firstly- sosad.... yes ! What a milestone not going with the fam. Wow You should be so proud. I’m so glad this forum is supportive- it certainly is for me too.

Lil, I completely get the “looking normal” thing. The times I have missed payments on bills and tried to beat my partner to the post so he wouldn’t see. It’s a crazy way to live but it seemed a necessity at the time. Everything took a back seat but not any more. A mud mask is a lovely idea- lots of self care and self compassion is what we need. Sosad... pegs...? Hahaha love it! I’m probably going to get myself a nice bottle of perfume as my treat. I’ve been on the cheap and acting “normal” to the world for so long as I would rather wash my money down the casino toilet. So I think something pampery will be my treat for sure.

As Sosad (although this should now be Sostrong) said, welcome MaryP. X

Tracyd you can’t buy perfume that’s far too normal!:). Well you can for a real treat (of which you deserve) but for this club you gotta buy something a bit screwballish. Something silly that you should’ve brought before but couldn’t cos you’d lost it all gambling. Tho for the record wellies are not silly, my poor foot has suffered so much! :)) On a serious note tracyd I am very proud of myself for not going today, if I had of gone I wouldn’t have been able to tell you as I can’t let you down now. It’s bizarre, I don’t know you, never met you but I know I just can’t let you down. Mop bucket wellies:)))

Ok ok - quirky gift it is- lemme have a think! 🙂 I’m glad you’re proud for not going- hope you still had a lovely time with the family. It’s such a big deal to stay home when everyone else went. Also- no matter what, let’s tell each other even if we have urges or mess up- which we WON’T !! This is the place where we don’t have to feel shame , have secrets or “act” like we have it all sewn up. We are in this together 🙂 You are a superstar- I don’t know you either but I was so proud of you today. A connection is a connection, be that in real life or a forum. Mop club is the real deal and we will be the ones to clean up- not the casinos. Now to think of that quirky little treat! I have it!!!!! Plug in air freshener refills for the whole house haha I have been too tight to buy them as I was so strapped for cash and I love them. I used to look in the supermarket and feel a bit sad because I used to buy them before I started gambling. Then they seemed like a waste of money... That sounds so silly and also quite sad really. I am defo getting those as my quirky treat to myself- twenty quids worth of plug ins! Haha - yay!!

Sosad. That had to be so hard to say you weren’t going to the casino. Good for you. Shows your commitment to a life gf .

Tracyd I also feel a connection here . We all have a common goal to get our lives back . lil30 we all can do this. For the first time in too many years I can see a life without gambling.

Sosad I gladly accept the rules of the club. I will look at my statement with pride not to see any atm withdrawals from the casino. I think I’ll get a massage. I’m 63 and never had a real massage. I did have to look up doo lally made me smile

Gotta look forward and not dwell on the past.

Stay strong

Carol

Carol- I think we have found the perfect place for us to have a gf life and I’m so proud to be a part of it. This is our time and we can do this together! 🙂 A massage is a lovely idea and you deserve it. I can’t wait for the time when we have all seen our statements for the first time without any connection to those wretched places. I’m going to be paying off debts for years , as most others on here- but that’s ok as long as I can live a gf life. I’m not a liar or a sneak but when I was gambling I became that person. I love having “me” back again and I’m proud to be here with all you other lovelies 🙂 8 days for me now and it’s so so different now. I’m not gf because I am just waiting until I can get my hands on some cash , I’m gf because it feels right and feels good. Come on ladies! We are doing it and are in this together :)))

Air fresheners love it!! Ooh a massage yes yes yes! A bit sensible but we’ll let you have it:). Good lord can you imagine us all getting excited over a statement that we have so dreaded for so long?? Look how far we have come in such a short time!! Mop club rules ok!! It’s amazing that we are becoming ‘us’ again. You’re absolute rocks you lot, admittedly doo lally ones but rocks none the less 🙂

So who do we have as official mop club members now then? Sosad, Tracy, lil , carol, Mary- have I missed anyone?