Once you fall in love you can’t help yourself, the feeling it gives you deep inside you makes you lose yourself and you can’t seem to find the right words to say like me. I have been with my loving boyfriend for 2 years now and I couldn’t be happier. Our trust is amazing: that’s how to keep a relationship going: it is based on trust and honesty. When I first met my boyfriend I knew he was the one. He loved me for who I am not for my looks or my weight. He loved my personality and me in general and I him. He was amazing: smart, good looking and his personality was to die for.

I always knew he was a gambler but I didn’t realize it was that bad. A few months into the relationship I noticed his gambling got quite bad. He would stay with me but there was a William Hill just round the corner from me right next to the shops. He would always say “I’m going to the shops be back in a minute”, give me a kiss and walk out the house but I wouldn’t see him for an hour. When he came home and asked him where he had been, he would always say “Oh I was in the bookies just putting on some bets” but would just come home with a bottle of juice which got me suspicious. In time it got worse but I was there for him: he needed help and I stood by him. The days went past and I caught him in the bookies a few times. I didn’t want him gambling but I couldn’t get mad I was upset with his lying. He went to casinos with his best mate and I just didn’t know what to do. Then one night we were both in bed in his house and out the blue he said he needed help with his gambling problem. He soon realized he had no money to get by or to give to his parents what he owed to them, so he took a deep breath and went down to tell them about his gambling problems. After that I wished he hadn’t, they didn’t take it that well which made matters worse. I lost all trust for him but I stuck by his side because I loved him. 

My partner’s parents told him to live with me. He found out about Gamblers Anonymous that night and went to his first ever meeting in Coatbridge. It really helped him a lot. He soon realized what it was doing to him and to our relationship.

I am really glad for Gamblers Anonymous for helping my boyfriend: it has made him a better man today than he was before when I first met him. I had also found my way to helping him become this better man. Gam-Anon had really helped me figure out what to do to help him to get better with his illness. Today he can say “Hi, my name is Stephen and I am compulsive gambler and I haven’t bet for a year now”. Stephen got his head together, got his debt sorted out and got his head into work. He is now an assistant store manager. He is planning to do his own business modifying xbox controllers. He is there for me when I am feeling blue and I will always be by his side because there is no point in leaving someone who has an illness. Stick by them no matter what because you love them and they will always love you for being there for them. They will soon realize in life what they have and they will appreciate you for what you have done to help them.

Now 2 years has gone by for us and he hasn’t gambled and our relationship is stronger than ever. My love for him is unbreakable. If he has a slip up he can always start again and I will always be there for him and he will know that Gamblers Anonymous meetings will be there for him. He goes to 2 meetings a week to remind him that he is a better man. I would love to thank everyone in Gamblers Anonymous for helping my boyfriend out so much! And I would love to thank Gam-Anon for helping me come to terms with his illness and understanding it more. You have helped me out a lot: I am no longer depressed and a happier woman than ever before. I would love to help Compulsive Gamblers wives, husbands, sons, daughters, mothers or even fathers and boyfriends or even girlfriends. I would recommend Gam-Anon but I will always be here if you are too scared to go to Gam-Anon

I am hoping that my partner someday realizes that he will always have me no matter what he has done to me. He has now got my trust back and I will always love him. Thank you GA and Gam-Anon!