New beginnings!

Hi Lucy

Great news girl and well done on changing the life around I am so happy for you everyone deserves a bit of love this time of year even the bad boys 🙂 I now I am one of them haha

Keep up the good work and stay strong

Just for today I will not gamble

Hugh

Boston,

You need a tree. I love the Xmas tree in the living room with all the lamps off and only the tree lights on. Good to see you are happy and feeling positive about life.

They say that opposites attract and that rings true because you are clearly a very nice girl.

Tomso.

Great post Lucy and thanks again 4 all your support and help and 4 being a really gud friend

take care and God bless

Hi Lucy,

Thanks for your post on my diary. Your support means so much and I really do appreciate it. It is a comfort to know that I am not alone with all of this. -joanxxx

hi Lucy...

Thanks for popping on my diary....I know what you mean also aboout getting angry and upset sometimes reading things on the forum nd i guess that my diary is a challenging read for most.

It took me around 6 months to fully accept gambling as a illness..as my ex convinced me that this was something he could give up tomorrow so I saw it as an act of deliberation.

I stayed on the forum due to gamblers who had a lot of recovery behind them and could see past my anger to the person I am ..for that I am thankful for their perseverence.

I read many things I don't like..still do... but now rather than wanting to lob the ipad out of the window in temper when I read stuff I don't like ..I figure I've more to learn....

Personally I am proud I remained on the forum as many people on the other side don' t as they think its all the other persons fault and they leave ...I've seen this many times.

I knew I was also part of the problem so that's why I stuck around and tried and still am trying to work through it and take responsibility for my part in it as a codependant.Is still have days when I feel a victim but we all do over one thing or another...

Healing takes time and i've posted my honest feelings on here..the good bad and ugly and not just the nice me..It was a shock to see my exes mum on here saying nice things about me yesterday...and she saw me at my worst.

All the best for Xmas and hope you are now in the spirit

R and D x

Hi lovely Lucy,

Hope you have an amazing xmas my friend.

I'm on a bottle of red...toasting my beloved dad...watching my hero (rod stewart) xmas special on sky plus........No gambling demons whatsoever!

Womble xx

HI Lucy,

Hope that smile is fixed firmly and not moving, just wanted to pop by and wish you and yours a very happy, healthy, and peacefull christmas. Thank you so much for your support .

Take care

Blondie xxx

Hi Lucy,

If I didnt already, I just wanted to thank you for your support -- always there in my not so shining moments. That's the best time for a friend. When they are the hardest to find. Thanks buddy! Have a great holiday and let's kick b**t in 2013!! 😀 joanxxx

Hey,

Merry Xmas my super smiley friend 🙂 I hope you have a really lovely xmas break and bring those smiles into the New Year.

Thanks for all your support this year you are a lovely lovely lady!!

Flagg x

Merry xmas and a happy new year just 2 hours 2 go and u can start a new day mate

take care and God bless

Good Morning World

Thanks for all the lovely messages , it means the world :-)x

Boxing day and no hangover , well that's a miracle but much more important is the fact that this year i have not woken up knowing i spent 5k the day before and that my life had reached rock bottom!

What a difference a year down the line, this year although very sad christmas eve as it was my wedding anniversary , now im not sad about leaving my husband just sad that my marriage was so sad and all i had hoped it would be was far far from the reality.

Today , i have the knowledge and belief that i can continue to abstain from gambling, that i can have a better life, i can be happy and that i am becoming the person who had been locked away!

Today i smile, not a grimace but a great big grin, i have someone in my life that although is not the fairytale i envisaged lol does seem to have fallen for just me , apart from he does not know i am a complusive gambler he does know alot about me, i have spoken about my life and i have only done that before with my good good friend footprints and he and the new man did not run for the mountains but have listened and there have been many gory details, they have not judged me but believed that although bad stuff has happenend it was not my fault and that there is a genuine person who has alot to give and both have made me start to see that person and believe in me again.

I have been dreading this christmas but like most things the expectations are normally worse than the real thing, i spent the day with my son and then he went to his girlfriends late afternoon, i spent the evening chilling , watching cr** tv , chatting to footprints and felt ok , i did have a little urge but think it was out of boredom and it quickly passed when i thought about last year.

I need to remember that feeling i had and not forget ever just how gambling nearly destroyed me.

I know i will always have days that are harder than others but i also know that i can continue to do this and continue to remain bet free a day at a time!

Yes , i could do with a bit more money, leaving my hubby also lost me 2k a month coming in but you know all i did was gamble it and more so i just have to get used to less available funds, spend less on stuff i don't need like more shoes (back up to 50 pairs after having a huge clear out in the summer), less handbags and defo less clothes that at the time i just must have but are still hanging with the labels on cause i do not go out that often!

So i continue to fight and i know the new year brings new hope , new beginnings, hopefully lots of good times and just maybe Lucy has chosen the right path, one that i'm sure will be a little bumpy at times but one that i can deal with and continue to grow into the person i really am, and you know this one is ok actually, i am seeing what others do, i no longer look in the mirror with disgust but now occasionally grin and say 'Hey not looking too bad girl ' lol , i hold my head up proud that i made the decision to change my life and that it defo was the right one even though it has been hard and will still at times!

I hope you have all managed to stay bet free and have that inner peace knowing it really is the only choice we have if we want to be happy!

Take Care

Keep Strong and enjoy the holidays

Smiling very wide Lucy xxxxx

Morning Lucy.

Wow!!!!

That post said so much about recovery.

You have done something truly amazing this year,you took your life by the horns and stood in the face of adversity and triumphed!!!!

2013 will be a year of new beginnings one of which those foundations have been laid

no more despair. No time for it

i hope that reflection keeps smiling back.

You my dear friend thoroughly deserving of it.

Merry xmas Lucy from the bottom of my heart.

Duncs stepping forward never back

Yo,

What a post ,

So much of it I could have written about myself ,

I no longer look in the mirror with disgust .

That line alone brought a tear to my eye .

Because like you I was that person, but like you have moved forward , and see a different person standing before me, head high .

Thank you so much for posting that , it has touched in so many ways .

Stay well honey

Shiny xxxxxxx

Hi Lucy,

Don't know who's grin is biggest...mine or yours...after reading that post!

Thank you for being there for me my friend......You are one very special lady!

Sue x

hi Lucy

Keep that grin Going smiler you are doing fantastically well