I’m addicted to gambling – I won £30,000 and within two months it was gone

DEAR DEIDRE: HORSE-RACING is my first love and my girlfriend comes a respectable second.

I’ve gambled nearly every day since I was 19. I am 40 now and my girlfriend is 36.

We have been together for eight years. I have only had three part-time jobs in my life and it’s beginning to dawn on me that I’ve really wasted my life.

I have lost all my friends, not that I had many, and I hate the person I have become.

My girlfriend encourages me to bet because she wants me to win her a beautiful house just like the ones her sisters have.

I won just over £30,000 a couple of years ago but within two months it was all gone.

I have been chasing it ever since – all to no avail. That win was one of the biggest regrets in my life.

I feel stuck in a rut. I don’t know how or if I want to break it.

I have broken so many promises to my girlfriend that we will win bigger than ever before.

To keep my girlfriend’s family happy I have told another lie; that I have a part-time job working in a betting shop.

My life really is spiralling out of control. I am so ashamed of myself. I feel physically and mentally exhausted.

DEIDRE SAYS:  This is no way to live. Like all addictions, your gambling will be linked to underlying issues and triggers.

It’s concerning that your girlfriend is encouraging you to bet.

You need someone looking out for your best interests, not their own.

It is important to speak to your GP about the impact of gambling on your mental health.

They may refer you to specialist services if they feel this will help.

You have admitted you have an addiction, now you need to get help to tackle it.

Start by finding support through GamCare (gamcare.org.uk, 0808 8020 133).

My support pack Gambling Problems? will help too.