I’m glad to hear that your hb is still gamble free. When I read your post I was reminded of the classes I took and the books I read during my training program. There was a large section on the topic of relapse and this is also an issue that treatment programs of all kinds cover one way or another. What you describe in your post is very similar to the behavior my hb engaged in when he was gamble free but not really in true recovery. I learned that a lot of addicts might never drink/use/gamble again but will remain in “relapse mode”. That does not mean that they will actually relapse, as weird as it sounds. There is a book that was a real eye opener for me. It is called “The relapse syndrome” by Terence T. Gorski. Maybe it would be a good idea for you to read it. It might help you to understand a little better what might be going on in your hb’s mind? Just a thought…
