Dear Amy: I realized that my wife’s spending was getting out of control.
A few years ago, she ran into financial trouble, racking up about $6,000 in credit card debt. She told me about it and I rescued her.
Last week, she said it happened again. She looked at her credit card statement and saw that she had paid for Christmas and the rest of her vacation trip. I agreed to help her again.
She then admitted to me that she had another card and was nearly $10,000 in debt due to gambling.
This is very shocking. She didn’t even know she was gambling. She feels terrible. I think I can probably cover this too, but I’m not sure if that’s correct.
– Concerned
For those concerned: Your wife needs to get professional help for her gambling addiction immediately. You and your girlfriend should see a therapist who specializes in this. Like any addiction, this one must be viewed as a very serious illness that requires treatment.
You should also get legal and financial advice on how to protect your property and assets from her debts.
Because online gambling is easy and ubiquitous, it is very easy for people to hide their addiction until the financial consequences force them to confront their addiction.
Email Amy Dickinson at [email protected] or send a letter to Ask Amy, PO Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter. @askingamy or Facebook.
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