New beginnings!

Me too, let's all make it our real target to hit 5 years gamble-free.

NT

Hey Luce,

Let's make a pact to strive as hard as Sabine did for that bet free life yeah?

One day at a time buddy xxxx

Hi Lucy, thanks for your post. Dressing up to the 'nines' in a boot sale, I've never seen it before but I reckon it would work, the only problem is you'd catch your 'death' from cold in this great British summer.

Glad you're well Lucy and still going strong, only a few more days until your 'big holiday' when you can relax and recharge the batteries. Take care, keep smiling

Steve

Good Morning World!

A busy busy week at work, had to find some new staff for the start of September and hopefully chosen the right one , we will see!

Lot's to finish off at the end of term, always a manic time for me and lot's of begging for funding , not too good at begging but getting there and it appears to work!

Money, ahhhhhh been thinking alot this week about it, not soo much as what i lost as i know that's never coming back but also in making the decision with the ex just how much less is coming in. It has been over 16 years since i have only had one wage coming in and finding it hard to not just do what i want. A friend said yesterday that if it was the same then i would have only gambled it as would still be soo unhappy and i think they are proberbly right so i've given myself a shake, i can do this and i will just have to learn to spend less , ohhh i have seen some nice shoes lol lol , no Lucy you do not need another pair!

So that's how i am going to think from now, do i need that? if the answer is no then i have to learn to walk away, another learning curve for me but one i know i have to do if i want the happiness and remain bet free!

Finish work on Tuesday for 6 weeks , could be a tricky time but trying to plan things to occupy my mind , some decorating, a week in the lakes , maybe another break later but one day at a time and whatever will be will be!

Son working hard today so no sunday carvery for me, was going to pop into town but i've decided i would find it hard not to spend so not going.

Sun out this morning so hopefully might get in the garden for a bit , who knows, my time is mine, not taken by gambling, noone to answer too so going to do whatever i fancy , though prob just chill!

Really got some focus even if had a bad urge yesterday (boerdom and bad weather i think), just know i do not want to gamble even when they come, just blared the tunes out , danced around the house like a nutter until they subsided, they did and feel great again this morning.

Thanks LMM for your post and yes, more determind than ever to continue on this bet free journey 😉

Look forward to raising a glass with you soon 😉

Keep Strong all

Smiling Lucy 🙂 xxxx

Hey Lucy,

Always Always Always great to hear from you and equally great to see you continuing on your own journey. It is mighty impressive you are staying strong even with all the goings on in your life. I noticed your little message regarding Sabine and I guess even in death people can inspire. Your life or our lives may feel a bit cr** at times not quite feeling 100%, not quite having the money we want, not having the relationship(s) we want but this lady stayed strong even in the fight for life. Inspires me!

You have been around the forum a while longer than me but I hope you continue to find the strength to remain gamble free. Dance like a nutter, do whatever it takes (I quite like the headbanging in the living room myself). Money is not our problem as compulsive gamblers but it is definitely our fuel. There are no shortcuts to recovery but there are plenty of shortcuts to gambling and the addiction will attempt to feed on the things which can and at times will get you down.

Hope that all makes sense, always looking out for you as you have done for me from Day 1!

Flagg

Ha ha, how did I miss that one? If you want a shining example how to give up gambling peeps, just look upwards. You'll see 'Lucy in the sky with Diamonds' showing the way. Lol

Take care, Steve

Hey Lucy,

That's a wise friend you got there!! 😉

Looking forward to raising a few glasses with you too buddy xxx

Hi Lucy,

Thanks for the message. Have missed seeing your posts of late but totally understand why!

Seems like you are moving into a new place now, you are still going so well.....Doesnt matter if you cant buy those shoes, at least you have your mental health intact!

You dance as much as needed, I sing a lot (well screech) am I any good? I would be THAT person everyone really laughs at in X Factor lol

You keep dancin' I'll keep singing!

Sue x

Hey Lucy,

Thanks so much for the post, always really nice to see your posts on here, Couldnt agree with flagg more, Its about ajusting ourselves to "What is" and sometimes the "What is" isnt always as we would like it, but we make the adjustments and like everything, things change, maybe its your next recovery lesson. ? One things for sure, you will adapt, look how much your life has changed in such a short place of time.

I only bought one pair of shoes on saturday lol, I love my shoes and my eldest is the same size as me so we can swap which means i have even more to choose from lol.

Enjoy your week lucy.

Blondie xxxx

Morning Lucy,

Thanks for your post.

Can not be long know till summer hols .

Keeping my fingers crossed that we get some sun, I know you're a trooper but surely walking up mountains in the wind and rain would not be on the agenda lol

Take care have a grrrreeeeeeeaaaaaat week.

Shiny xxxxxxxxxx

Lucy.

As ever my pulse raised a little and felt the corners of my mouth curling up when I see that name down the right hand margin!!!

Great to see you are yourself still smiling and can see the wood from the trees,I think we all once in the state of arrest re-evaluate our finances when we can see the true value of a pound,a believe Lucy you get a much better rate of exchange these days for your money.

weirdly I find budgeting enjoyable and decisions made through it come easy,like the smoking yes I enjoyed it(well my 25yr addiction did lol) but at over a ton a month I enjoy other things much more E.g Primarny lol my favourate new shop o*g where have I been I ask you say?? In a bookies for tooo long my answer. Tomorrow ?? NO CHANCE!!!

Lucy keep making that choice and life will improve.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Hiya Lucy

Good to see all is well and thank u for ur post , not long to go till u av a well earned rest , I recently took on a role as parent governor for my daughters school and av attended a couple of meetings , they were real eye openers and went into great detail of everything , teaching is a real tough role with many accountabilitys which really surprised me but supposed I shouldn't av been in this day an age , could see the headmaster shudder every time offstead got mentioned bit like me gettin a visit from the top boss but twenty times worst

So Lucy I av to give u real credit and back u if anyone dare say it's an easy life with all the school hols , I know ur probably waiting for the cheap joke or sly comment to come but not today

Also funding , try all ur big supermarkets around u they all should be working with schools to make the community better , I av done loads with my daughters school , raised money to take them to a farm , donated books , raffle prizes , fair trade mornings and tomorrow doin a stall for school fair with all proceeds goin to the school

Shame were bout 150 miles apart or would av helped u out a bit can't really say that it's for the community lol !

Take care from a very kind castle just for today

hiya Lucy....

just a drive by now im home....things looking up for a lot of us on here and you are doing so well with your recovery..

Love reading your posts and your toughest be they up or down..truly is a journey...

thank you for popping in...i am level...for me lol and enjoying a new romance but with stablisers on...am being sensible and applying the wisdom from here with me xx

hugs and hugs

rach and dooo xxx

Good Morning

Sitting at my desk, finishing the last bits of paperwork before i leave at about 1ish for a 6 week and 3 day holiday!

I feel apprehensive, a long time is that to be on my own, now a friend has tried to get me to look at all the positives about this and even though i might has disagreed to start once it sank in i have to agree.

Without gambling our life can feel strange, most of my spare time was taken up just sitting infront of the computer, god sometimes i was so excited i would rush home, poor a glass of something and settle down for the evening , by the end of the night or the next morning i would have blown more money, feel rejected and deflated and full of self-hatred.

I have not got that now and boy i'm sooooo proud of that fact and i have to keep reminding myself of how good it feels to remain bet free.

At times i start to feel a bit sorry for myself, in years and years i have realised that i never really thought about myself, i hid behind the gambling, i never faced up to real life and now i have made soooo many changes it is really hard to find a balance of emotions.

I do feel lonely, gambling i believed was my friend, i know it was the biggest and most destructive enemy i have faced but it was all i felt i had and now it's gone.

I'm sooo happy it's gone, i'm proud i'm kicking it into touch and i know i will continue to strive towards my happiness.

Today i will not gamble

Today i will not feel sorry for me, hey i have my son, a home, health, job and a clear conscience

Today i have the bestest friends around to support me and i know how lucky i really am that i am strong enough to continue to fight this awful addiction

Believe me when i tell you ,today i am smiling a huge grin cause in spite of everything i can still say i am bet FREE

Have a good one and will reply to your posts over the next couple of days

Thanks for all the support as always

Keep Strong all

Smiling Lucy xxxxx

Hi Lucy

Just a quick one was posting on stegordons diary and thought I'd gone on yours as there was a photo of some legs thought u had been out sunbathing ! Lol

Will send u some complimentary razor blades from work !

Well I was nice to u last time lol

Enjoy the hols

Castle2