Hi Leo, another familiar post.
You’ll probably find that your family hate the gambler in you, not the non-gambling you. I’ve lost many people in my life, not because they hate me, but because I’ve frustrated the hell out of them and hurt them of course. We always want everyone to understand our plight, but I realise now that it’s extremely hard for non-gamblers to understand our addiction and because it is so hard to understand, they get frustrated and distance themselves from us. Can you imagine how blasé we must seem to them. If you’re anything like me, I gambled on regardless of any help I received from loved ones and ignored everything that was important in my life, the next bet was all that mattered to me. From an outsiders view point, It’s not a pretty image is it? I’m certain if you can address your problem, bridges may be able to be rebuilt with regards to your family. I hope so anyway.
You’ve taken a massive step just posting on this site, so people around you will eventually see that you are serious about turning your life around and may change their stance.
Honesty’s probably the best policy here. Leading a double life, gambling behind your wife’s back will make matters much, much worse. I know, I’ve been there and bought the T-Shirt more than once! Try and muster the courage to tell her, remember a problem shared is a problem halved. It will also make it more difficult for you to gamble as she will be looking for the signs and take preventative measures.
Good luck and keep posting, there’s plenty of fantastic support and advice on here.
Charlster.