Family and friends web film

Lucy: James, wake up. My husband has a problem with gambling. I've given up trying to fix it – it's just what our life is now. At times I feel like I'm stuck in a room where all the doors are locked and I can't get out.

Rosa: My son gambles. I sometimes wonder if it's my fault. Did I do something? Or not do something? It's affecting everything. Actually I'm a bit embarrassed that it's got this bad.

Chloe: My Dad gambles a lot. He thinks I don't know about it, but I do. I've known there was something going on for a while now. I look at my friends' parents and it's a whole other world than mine. It's nothing special. It's just… I don't know… normal. I want normal.

Rosa: My other kids don't say anything about it any more. And it's not the sort of thing I discuss with my friends. Everyone has their own problems. I would like to think that my son could take control himself, but I know it's not that simple. And gambling is everywhere you look, these days.

Chloe: I used to get my hopes up that things might change - that one day we'd all just wake up and things would be better. But I know that that's not gonna happen. I thought about talking to Mum, but it's like, if I'm OK, she's OK. But I know she's not, she's not okay.

Lucy: The gambling makes life hard, but it's the loneliness that really gets to me. I don't talk to anyone else about it because I don't want anyone to know. I know that he's hurting, and I don't want to have to choose, but the kids need to be my number one priority.

Voice over: It's not just gamblers who need support. It's those around them.

Visit gamblershelp.com.au for support, advice and counselling.

Voice over: Authorised by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Melbourne.