[NicoleG]

We had a prefect life with 2 beautiful kids and I didn’t think that he had an addiction. I believed he didn’t care about us enough to stop his entertainment tricks which cost us a lot of money. We have been down this road many of times yet I didn’t understand that this was now an addiction like alcohol or drugs but just a bit different.

My husband recently confessed to me that he has been gambling again for the past 8 months . I was torn and kicked him out. I kept thinking of my kids but truth is I was not educated about what he was going through. This doesn’t mean what he did was right but here he was confessing to me and indirectly wanting my help and support. I cried and then picked up my broken pieces and started reading up on gambling and addiction. This is a disease that needed a cure. He is back home and attending group sessions with Gamblers Anonymous, he also sees a psychologist for individual sessions.

I have attend a session at the psychologist and I hope to attend more. But more especially I now know that I am not alone, there are many of us that have loved ones out there and all we can do is support each other and give each other strength that we are strong enough to support our loved ones with this addiction/ disease. I constantly read up and I now know he didn’t intentionally want to hurt the our kids or myself but his addiction has become something he use to go to bed thinking of and waking up too. Now I want him to go to sleep and wake up thinking of us his family. I will continue reading up and attending sessions to understand how we can cure this disease for my family and hope my journey will also give light to us the family and friends of loved ones.

[velvet]

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Hello Nicole

Thanks for starting a thread in the Gambling Therapy friends and family forum. This forum will provide you with warmth and understanding from your peers.

Feel free to use the friends and family group, you’ll find the times for these if you click on the “Group times” box on our Home page. Now that you have introduced yourself you’ll find that many of the people you meet here have already read your initial introduction and they’ll welcome you in like an old friend 🙂

If you’re the friend or family member of someone who is either in, or has been through, the GMA residential programme please take extra care to make sure that nothing you say in groups, or on our forums, inadvertently identifies that person. Even if your loved one isn’t connected with GMA, please don’t identify them either directly or indirectly just in case they decide to use the site themselves.

You’ll find a lot of advice on this site, some of which you’ll follow, some you won’t…but that’s ok because only you fully understand your
situation and what’s best for you and the people you love. So, take the support you need and leave the advice you don’t because it all comes from a caring, nurturing place 🙂

We look forward to hearing all about you!

Take care

The Gambling Therapy Team

PS: Let me just remind you to take a look at our
privacy policy and terms and conditions so you know how it all works!

[velvet]

Hi Nicole
Just a quick message as I am just going away for the weekend. I wanted to say that you are definitely not alone and you have landed in a place of warmth and understanding.
You sound as though you are already doing the right things and your husband appears to be making the right steps towards controlling his addiction but knowledge is a powerful thing and that is what you will receive in this forum and in the group on Thursday.
Well done writing your first post, it is always the hardest.
Velvet

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