Hi Cathy
I know you wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t thought a million times that your son’s problem was as a result of something you had done – however it was never your fault that your son became/is a compulsive gambler and you are doing everything possible to support him now which is all that matters today, what went before cannot be undone.
Is your son still living with you? How is his behaviour towards you when he slips? Are you aware when it happens or does he tell you? Does he earn enough money to keep himself out of debt?
When enough money is earned to avoid debt the CG often believes that they are handling their addiction because they believe they are not hurting anybody else or taking money from anybody else. However they are hurting themselves. I am glad that you are no longer giving him cash, I take it that he earns enough and doesn’t get it elsewhere either.
Does he give any indication why he slips? Does the GA group ask him what he is going to do differently this time? Returning to your first post on this latest thread, is he still suffering very low self-esteem, cutting himself, threatening suicide? If so how are you coping and how is your husband and your son’s siblings dealing with him
Oh boy! I have just seen a string of questions which was not my intent. However it would be good for me to know where ‘you’ are in the great scheme of things. Your health and happiness are so important. Laughter and joy can be absent from a home with the addiction to gamble in it – I hope that is not so for you.
As Ever
V
