Hi Calsteve,
Never simple answers ever with this addiction. I was too familiar with my father’s relapse in memory, when he said he had a gambling problem, really thinking he had finally hit rock bottom, to only be let down again. This went on for years.
I believe there comes a point when you just have to let go trying anymore. You have to be strong enough to let them fail, to experience real hard times and to pick up their pieces and to see what the addiction is. This is so hard do but without real change everything will stay the same. Your son has to wake-up and your words won’t help if you don’t back it up with action.
I didn’t speak to my father for over a year because his addiction to gamble and refusal to see it caused great anxiety to myself and my family. You have to set the tone and don’t sway. Just remember whatever you say you must stand firm with or the addiction will see you are easy.
You will always love your son, as I did my father, but I did not love the addiction. I separated it from my father, however there have been times when I just couldn’t when my father was in too deep with gambling and in that case I kept my distance.
In the end I hardly acknowledged the addiction to my father, he knew it was never welcomed, so he either figured how to get what he needed, or he didn’t, but he didn’t ask me anymore.
Twilight
