我结婚将近20年了，今年，我丈夫也已经做了约15年的慢性赌徒。第一年我们一起去赌场玩pokies，获得很大的乐趣。那时我并不知道他已经上瘾了。不用说，我发现之后，对他给予很大的支持—为他组织并安排好辅导的医生。我以为事情就此结束。不过，很快事情又开始出现了，并变得更糟糕，他每天都是那样，下班后都是1或2点才回家。不过，我知道这是一种疾病，是难以控制的，因此给予他更多的爱和支持。我向我们所有的朋友和家人保守着这个秘密。

　　多年之后，事情变得更为糟糕，本来我想离开，但是他恳求我留下来。当时我们正在经营一家企业，他有大量的现金和时间，这对于他来说是非常不利的。在过去几年中他的病情一直很糟糕，现在我已经告诉他，我会带着我们的孩子离开。可悲的是，这种赌博就像嗜酒问题一样糟糕，他已经变得冷漠无情。每天晚上，如果他不打pokies，他会回家睡觉或玩电脑游戏。在我怀孕期间，他把大量的时间花在pokies上。

　　他本来是一个宽厚，善良的人。但这种嗜好将他的许多美好素质扼杀了。我看到站在我面前的是一个自我毁灭，绝望的，更是一个暴躁的男人。这对我和我的的孩子来说都是不公平的。对我而言，已经没有任何理由还需要坚守他的这个秘密。我现在觉得坚守这个可怕的秘密，只会助长他的恶习，最后为自己换来的只能是谎言和欺骗。我们工作了这么久，还什么都没有积攒下来。在过去的15年里，他已经输光数十万美元。

　　因此，对于所有的赌徒来说，你不仅要对自己负责任，你还应该为你的爱人和你的孩子负责任。我不知道孤独的度过了多少个晚上，独自哭泣，默默的祈祷。孩子等了几个小时就为了最后能够跟爸爸一起共进晚餐，而作为父亲的他，只会在孩子们都睡着的时候回到家里。

　　能够走出赌博的深渊并获得帮助，这是值得的。没有人愿意以孤独和悲惨结束自己的一生。愿上帝保佑你们，我希望你们全部都能获得成功，但你必须首先忘掉你曾经的过失，并期待着美好的未来。祝你好运！

　　译文

　　I will be married 20 years this year and my husband has been a chronic gambler for about 15 of those years.The first year that he played pokies we used to go to the casino together and play for fun - or so I thought. I didn't realise he was addicted. Needless to say, I found out and was very supportive - even organised for him to see a counsellor. I thought things were going well for a little while. Then it started again, and got worse, he was going straight after work and coming home 1 or 2am. Still, I understood it was a disease and hard to control and offered more love and support. I kept it and have still kept it a secret from all our friends and family.

　　Things have got worse over the years and I have tried to leave twice and he has begged me to stay. As we run a business he has access to alot of cash all the time which doesn't help. The last few years it has been so bad that I have now told him that I am taking our kids and leaving. The sad thing is that this gambling and since then drinking problem is so bad that he has become emotionless. Every night, if he is not playing the pokies, he will come home and sleep or play computer games. He spent most his time during my pregnancy at the pokies.

　　He is a generous, kind man. But this addiction has killed his wonderful qualities. All I see in front of me is a self destructive, sad, mostly angry man. It is not fair to me or my kids. There is no reason for me to protect his secret any more. I now feel that by protecting this terrible secret, I have helped his habit grow and all I have got in return is lies and deceit. We have worked for so long and yet have nothing. He has gambled hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last 15 years.

　　So to all you gamblers out there, you not only owe it to yourself, you owe it to your partners and kids. I have spent many nights alone in bed crying and praying for strengh to get through this. My kids have waited for hours on end to have dinner together with Daddy, who came home after they fell asleep waiting.

　　So come clean with your selves and get help. It is so worth it. Nobody wants to end up alone and miserable. May God bless you all and I hope you all succeed, but you must own up first and forget your losses and look forward. Goodluck!