Vasilis, can I gently ask why your Mother does not know about your problem? What is stopping you from telling her? Shame, fear of rejection, her anger? I have found that the more people know, the better it is for me. No secrets, no lies, no shame. I am a compulsive gambler and today I have not gambled – have some pride in that. I haven’t gambled for many years, but one of the last bets I had was when sitting in a pub on a wet afternoon, I was bored. I saw the fruit machine and thought “what harm will one or two pounds do?” And I lost that and another 10 … and then I started calculating how I could get more money and would it be okay to leave the machine while I did this, and then it hit me. I wasn’t bored any more. My head was spinning with regrets and plans and strategies – all for just £12 or so. I walked away – for once I had learnt from my gambling. Yes it does put “meaning” into my life, but at a heavy cost. Perhaps you have learnt something from your recent bet, enough to keep you gambling free for years. I do hope so.
