Hi
My partner has recently admired his problem and has been borrowing money from friends so there is no trail to his gambling. His phone has a block to prevent him gambling and his parents have took over finances. This is not his first time admitting his addiction, he admitted a few years back and his mum dad and himself attended meetings and they took control over money. However it’s the first time since we have been together that he has admitted he has relapsed. He has spoken to his Dr and they have prescribed him medication as he says he’s not in a good place. I am a bit lost and don’t know what I can do to prevent him gambling. I don’t want to speak to his so called friends as they won’t help as they are gamblers themselves however feels he needs to block and delete them out his life. Can anyone help me on what support I can provide?
thanks
Good evening Tryingmybest,
Welcome to the Forum, I am really sorry to hear that your partner has recently admitted he has a gambling problem, but it is a good step that he has taken in being honest with you as that can be a really difficult step to take.
At the moment there are two things to take into account, these being: Support that is available to help your partner to recover and support that is available to best help you with supporting your partner. Our services don't only support those with a gambling addiction but affected others like you too. We understand how worrying it can be for you and at times how alone you may feel also. The good news is there is a lot of support available to you and one of our Advisers will be happy to talk you through the support that is available. You can call them on 0808 8020 133 or contact us via our NetLine
We also have a family and friends Chatroom on a Thursday evening between 9.30 - 10.30 where you can receive support from others in a similar situation that you are faced with.
In the meantime, for support you can provide to your partner, I'd recommend you encourage him to contact us too, as we can go through tools with him to help him to stop gambling, including free 1 to 1 treatment.
But for the moment, I would rather focus on you and how you are coping, as this must have come as a big shock to you. I really want you to know that we are here for you too and our services are available 24/7.
Kind regards
Chrisk
Forum Admin
Thank you I will definitely be joining in for the chat rooms. He has a contact from when he attended meetings the last time and is going to contact him. Today’s steps he has cleared his overdraft and closed account and gave his mum full control of finances. He has of his own back deleted social media as he feels that’s were temptation can occur and also deleted toxic people’s numbers so I feel this is a positive start (long may it continue). I have told him that he has hurt me and that I need actions not words and I know this won’t happen over night. I just want to know what signs to look for and anything that I could or should be doing to help prevent him to gamble
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
