So Monday I opened up to my wife about my gambling problem. She’s going to help me through it, I was so worried that she would leave and I would lose my family. Thankfully we’ve come up with a plan and I am going to stick with it. I am 29 yrs old and I’ve been gambling since I was 19. It’s taken over my life financially and socially. I’ve had enough, I’m in debt and feel so ashamed. I’ve not gambled this week I guess that’s a positive. I’ve asked that she take control of our finances and leave me with the minimum that I will require for the week. I think I need some counselling has anyone on here had counselling and did it help?Â
Hello Papa trying
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It is good to see you here on our Forum;Â You will find connections with others in Recovery from problem gambling which will help you to not feel so isolated.
Along with the Forum we also have Advisers available 24/7 to help you through this. You can contact an Adviser by calling our HelpLine on 0800 8020 133 or by using our LiveChat option. I encourage you to make contact so we can discuss the best way forward to overcome gambling issues you are currently facing.
There is also a Fellowship for loved ones to get support and to try and understand problem gambling which will be of help to your wife:
Gam-Anon
I would also strongly recommend you have a look on the https://www.gam-anon.org  This is a website specifically for friends and families of people who are affected by problem gamblers. There is all manner of support on there for people who are and who have gone through the same experiences and many find this peer-to-peer support incredibly helpful, both for themselves and to be able to help their loved one who is experiencing difficulties with gambling.
In the meantime, please continue sharing here on the Forum where others will share their experience, strength and hope with you.
All the best
Amanda
Forum AdminÂ
@forum-admin Thank you for those links Amanda, I will definitely have a look, quick update for the week. I've not gambled all week and I feel ok, I have this big guilt hanging over me so I will definitely be looking into those support options.Â
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.
