I wrote this book to help others get through this devastating gambling addiction and reclaim their life back. Successive governments in the UK are actively encouraging the gambling industry to flourish without even having the fundamentals of proper control in place. More and more young people are growing up thinking that gambling is "normal" and risk free. NOTHING could be further from the truth as I found out to my considerable cost. I don't blame anyone other than myself for the addiction I contracted but that is not so say that the industry didn't gladly assist in my downfall. A gambling addiction is a nasty, hidden misunderstood illness. Most people will brush it of as selfish immature behaviour which, on the surface, is all it is. If you are in that camp, then please take a pause and think why would an intelligent, well educated, successful businessman, from a loving secure upbringing and with a successful career, throw everything away and destroy his life? For me it wasn't chasing an adrenalin rush; I got that in my job working in some of the "wildest" and most dangerous places on earth. It wasn't the money; I had more than I needed and could buy pretty much whatever I wanted. It wasn't boredom or loneliness. So why? I'll never know and for me it isn't important as that was the past. My book concentrates on the now and the future. How you stop NOW and how you stay stopped in future. Working closely with my wife we continually look at the problem, and indeed the solutions, from both sides of the fence i.e. from the compulsive gambler's side and from the partner/spouse's side. That way we achieve a balanced approach. We look at the problem and solution from the partner's side not simply to better help the compulsive gambler but to better help the partner. Often we switch the focus away from the compulsive gambler and on to the partner as that is what the compulsive gambler needs to do. All the time they were gambling it was "me, me, me". Coming out of gambling has to be different. I sincerely hope you will get a lot from this book what ever your involvement in problem and compulsive gambling is. Life is good gamble free Stay strong Phil
