Hi Retail Magpie
Well done starting your thread.
You don’t say if this is the first time that your husband has indulged in such unacceptable behaviour so I am not entirely sure how to support you best.
Assuming this is the first time I suggest you ask him to look at this site or contact our helpline which is anonymous, one-to-one, private and judgement-free. Compulsive gambling starts with a simple gamble which is an activity enjoyed by thousands of people every day with no ill-effects; it’s just a night out with friends, a bit of harmless entertainment. Unfortunately for some, addiction is the consequence of this activity. If a compulsive gambler knew that addiction was going to be the result of a trip to a casino they would never go in the first place. It bring misery to those who own the addiction, misery to those around them; loss of friends, family, home and happiness.
If this is the first time your husband has behaved like this he might be able to explain to you how he felt when he gambled. If he felt he couldn’t walk away or didn’t want to walk away then the warning signs are there for him.
Nobody asks for or wants an addiction to gamble but to stop it becoming insurmountable it is important to accept that there is a problem and get support. In my opinion it is important that you don’t lose your cool when you talk to your husband, if he has a problem he will probably be frightened and ashamed – listening to him will help him and help you to understand what is going on.
It is important that he understands that gambling to win back the money he has lost is the worst thing he can do. Our helpline would be pleased to explain this to him and to answer any other worries he may have.
The support is here and I wouldn’t be writing to you if I didn’t know that the addiction to gamble can be controlled.
I will leave this first post to you here and await your reply
You are being heard and understood
Velvet
