It remains a source of guilt and shame that we still live in rented accommodation because of me – and that even if we could afford a mortgage, my terrible credit rating would prevent us from getting one.
Gambling addiction is thought to be a male problem, but during my recovery I was given a shocking insight into the number of other women suffering as I was, from mothers and nurses to lawyers and architects.
Gambling addiction is thought to be a male problem, but many women - respectable, middle-class professionals - hide their problem from loved ones.
No one in my family gambled, so they didn’t suspect what I was doing during all those hours spent on my phone and laptop; in their minds, gambling probably happened in High Street betting shops or in casinos.
But I was in the grip of a 12-year gambling addiction, with total losses of well over £75,000 – money that my husband and I could have used as a hefty deposit on a house.
