I have been with my partner off and on due to gambling and drgus. When he is in recovery he is the most amazing man i have ever met. I work part time and i have always covered the bills and rent as he moved in with me. I dont make a lot on minimum wage but i am good at budgeting. He on the other hand makes around 70 thousand a year. For the first while I helped him pay off his debts. And they were "paid" or so i was told. I found out a few days ago, they have not been paid. I have a child who was looking forward to a holiday next week which has now been cancelled. He has gambled everything and has not a penny left. When his behaviour changed recently i approached him and asked was he depressed. He snapped at me and said that i was nagging him and talking to much. He finally told me that he had stolen thousands. And i broke down and told him to leave. He went to the shop and i locked my front door. He shouted abuse at me. But i did not let him in. He blames me for not noticing the gambling signs and said its all my fault. I have tried everything. This man has a bath run for him on return from work, his dinner prepared, snacks brought for him and a lunch made if i have time. He gets his cloths washed and ready for the next day. He gets love and support and i dont even socialise with friends any more. I work 4 days a week and i am returning to university in October. I am absolutely heart broken that I can not believe I have accepted these behaviours for so long. He has told me hes applied for a place in rehab. And wants me to take control of his finances and help him. But im exhausted, i have a busy life as it is and this constant surveillance of another human is weighing me down. I walk on eggshells and i used to be fun and bubbly. Now i am a shell of myself. I keep telling myself that the abuse is because of his gambling addictions and that hes hurting and i need to be strong, not take it personally and that it is one day at a time, that tomorrow might be better. But i dont know if it is. I wish someone could shine a light on the links between gambling and abuse. Im afraid it will get worse. He said he can not do this without me. I feel guilty for kicking him out. But he needs to know that his behaviour is unacceptable and impulsive. He has made me feel disgusting and used, he said i am only good for the bedroom. Im embarrassed to say that i actually believe this, even though if i heard this from someone else i would say its nonsense. But i dont believe i am good enough. I dont even know what else to say. Im broken, but if anyome else has experienced this type of abuse that is in relation to a partners gambling relapses, please tell me what to do.Â
Hi @Heretochat
I'm sorry to hear that you're going through such a hard time.Â
We are here to support you on our Helpline (0808 8020 133), if you would like to talk to an adviser. Sometimes it helps to talk things through, and we can also help with identifying support that you might find beneficial.
If you are worried about your partners abuse it can be worth contacting a service such as Refuge ( https://www.refuge.org.uk/ ) or Women's Aid ( https://www.womensaid.org.uk/ ). If you feel however you are at immediate risk of harm please do contact the police.
Please do reach out to us.
Kind regards,
Tommy
Forum admin
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