Upset (long post, just want to vent)

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(@pep1952)
Posts: 163
Topic starter
 

No he hasn’t relapsed. But i feel so upset. Basically we agreed to not have alcohol for 4 weeks to lose weight and also because we’re going on a holiday next week so we thought we can celebrate and drink again when we get to the holiday. No we’re not alcoholics but just thought to challenge ourselves. Was going really well until the other day. I was looking for a stapler so went to his study room, he panicked jumped out of bed and blocked my way. Knew something was going on he said he wasn’t hiding anything but just have a terrible back pain so if i could get me paracetamol downstairs. Knew it wasn’t true but did anyway. When i got back i asked him why was he lying. He said he wasn’t.  I told him there’s no point in lying because i know he’s hiding something. After asking 3x, eventually said he’s hiding a bottle of wine in one of his drawers. He said since it was Thurs (our last day of work before our big hol) he felt like drinking but didn’t want to disappoint me. He cried he said he felt very guilty and he apologised and said he won’t lie again. We moved on from it. 

Fast forward to today (not even 48 hrs later), he went to the shop ‘to buy breakfast for tomorrow’. But after he unpacked in the kitchen i again saw a hidden bottle of wine while i was tidying up. I was so upset! I didn’t know how to react so went for a shower. When i came out of the shower, he tried speaking to me i ignored him. I just said why do you constantly lie? And he said if it’s the wine he felt really guilty so while i was in the shower he brought it into the kitchen counter because he didn’t want to hide and lie (this was true) again. He said he felt bad when he initially hid it. 
 
But the point is, he still did think about lying again. I feel so traumatised and paranoid and upset. He was asking me what he can do to make me feel better, and i said i don’t really know. He said he’ll give me receipts for all the shopping that he does. I said it’s not really the wine that upset me. It’s the hiding, lying, scheming (or at least his initial thought to do so even though he changed his mind in the end). Why not just say, ‘i can’t do this challenge i’ll have a drink, i deserve it after a hard day at work’. 
 
Feel so upset i don’t even want to go to the holiday anymore.
 
Posted : 14th August 2021 6:19 pm
Forum admin
(@forum-admin)
Posts: 5975
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Dear @pep1952,

I'm sorry to read how disappointed you are finding your partner once again being secretive and not telling you the truth.

Old habits are difficult to break. However from what you've described, your partner is trying to change.

It sounds like you both would benefit from another talk about honesty. As you've said in the past the shock and the trauma didn't come from the gambling, it came from all the lies and the secrecy. It might be good for him to hear this message again. To know you are not upset about the drinking, it's more about the secrecy and how this impacts your and his recovery.

It really does sound that there is a lot of change that happened for the both of you which is positive. When there is a set-back it sometimes help to reflect on the progress that already happened.

Wishing you all the very best and I hope you will still enjoy your holiday.

Eva

Forum Admin

 
Posted : 15th August 2021 2:49 pm
(@charlieboy)
Posts: 1013
 

Hi pep1952, as Eva said unfortunately there are deep seated traits associated with gambling and the secrecy and lying is perhaps the most difficult to deal with on both sides. Gamblers get into the habit of lying and the truth is at one stage the saying " I couldn't lie straight in bed" was a good one !! You get to the stage where it becomes second nature and as wrong as it is its a difficult habit to break. He once again set himself up to fail by agreeing to something he felt difficult to fulfil, I'm in no way saying his behaviour is correct but I think he's lost himself a bit in his trying to always do the right thing. For you the issue is lying and secrecy for him maybe he feels that he's lost some control in his life ? Hope you find a way , nobody said this was going to be easy, if I were you I would try and use holiday as a total escape and a reset point. Take care

 
Posted : 15th August 2021 4:13 pm
(@pep1952)
Posts: 163
Topic starter
 

Thanks Eva and @charlieboy for taking the time to reply i really appreciate it.

Feeling a bit better now, we had a long chat this morning. I explained how hurt it makes me feel when he hides/lies about something.  It’s like reliving the trauma and pain that i have been through at the height of the gambling addiction. I mean, no one’s perfect, we all have shortcomings and make mistakes for sure. But we have to own up to it rather than cover it up and be secretive about it. In the future, if he makes a mistake and does something to disappoint me, he needs to be honest about it. If it’s something frustrating, i will be annoyed for sure but nothing compared to the flurry of emotions that i feel in my core when he lies. 
 
Thanks Eva for the reminder of the progress. He’s 18 mos gamble free and i’m 18 mos into my healing also. In a way, setbacks like this is good in such that it reminds me of his addictive nature/personality. And how we both should never be complacent and to continue our hard work of fighting this addiction together as a team.
 
 
Posted : 15th August 2021 5:58 pm

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