Hello,

I have been with my partner for 5 years. After two years of dating, they disclosed their gambling addiction to me which I kept between us and encouraged them to stop. However, being surrounded by others who like to gamble on football and other things partner did not change. Which is something I have found out this year.

I feel like a fool because I trusted them that they would stop and they did not. I had to make the decision to disclose this to their family as it was impeding my mental health. I fear that because I have stayed with my partner for so long they think I am always going to be around and do not take me serious or this issue they have.

I feel so broken because they betrayed my trust and threw away our lives together as were supposed to be moving to America from Australia but I cannot even trust this plan anymore. I don’t know what to do because my partner is a good person but they have an issue and are incapable of understanding how deep this is affecting our relationship or my love for them. Life was good, we were gunna go somewhere but everything just collapsed and I am the one that has to pick up the pieces because they are not the one in pain or the one laying up at night thinking about this. They are not the one that wakes p feeling conflicted about the decision to stay with them. It bothers me how after all of this my partner is still so excited to speak about our lives together as if they are delusional. I am even struggling to see life with them.

I don’t know if I am allowing myself to be a pushover especially after I tried to support them before and they have not changed. I don’t want to date someone who is happy losing 700AU a month on their gambling. Please help me because I feel stuck they are a good person but I did not sign up to be with this disease especially as we are both 26 years old. I worry that they are stealing my twenties and by the end I am going to be left with nothing when I was looking forward to building a family together.

Sometimes I think maybe I am holding on to them because I have been focused on my career and nothing else. I also have lost some friends over the years due to just growing apart and different morals/political views. My circle of close friends is three people which I have not even disclosed this to.