Phil Mickelson: Wife Helped Him Overcome Gambling Addiction
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Pro Golfer Credits Wife’s Support for Overcoming Gambling Addiction
Phil Mickelson, professional golfer and three-time Masters Championship winner, shared that he is grateful to his wife for her support through his gambling addiction.
“She has loved me and supported me through my darkest and most difficult times. I couldn’t have gotten through this without her. I’m so grateful for her strength in helping us get through the many challenges I’ve created for us. Because of her love, support, and commitment, I’m back on track to being the person I want to be,” Mickelson wrote on X.
The golfer made it clear that he will not gamble this football season. In a public acknowledgment of his addiction on Sep. 18, Mickelson that he “crossed the line.”
Faithwire reported, “The athlete’s admission comes a little more than a month after gambler Billy Walters revealed in his book that Mickelson has bet north of $1 billion over the last 30 years, including allegedly wanting to place a $400,000 bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup while playing for Team USA.”
The Guardian added, “Walters said he formed a gambling partnership with Mickelson in 2008 that lasted until 2014.”
Mickelson confessed, “I was so distracted I wasn’t able to be present with the ones I love and caused a lot of harm. This lack of presence has been so hurtful. ‘You’re here but you’re not with us,’ is something I’ve been told often throughout my addiction.”
“It affected those I care about in ways I wasn’t aware or could fully understand,” he continued. “It’s like a hurricane is going on outside and I’m isolated in a shelter oblivious to what was happening. When I came out there was so much damage to clean up that I just wanted to go back inside and not deal with it.”
“If you ever cross the line of moderation and enter into addiction, hopefully you won’t confuse your enablers as friends like I did,” Mickelson advised his followers. “Hopefully you won’t have to deal with these difficult moments publicly so others can profit off you like I have. But hopefully you WILL have a strong and supportive partner who is willing to help you through being your worst self, and through your worst moments like I have in Amy.”
Mickelson said that he went through recovery and feels healthy and peaceful now. The golfer finished his statement with these words of wisdom: “The moments with the ones you love will be far more remembered than any bet you win or fantasy league triumph.”
Movieguide®reported about increases in teen gambling:
In an interview with Good Morning America last year, a 19-year-old shared his struggles with gambling, an addiction he fell into due to easy access to online gambling sites. In a follow-up with the pseudonymously named “Steve,” GMA found that it is incredibly hard for those exposed to gambling at a young age to overcome the addiction…
‘It was just the temptation of sports betting, you know, all the ads. I’m not going to say that the ads are the reason I did it, but just constantly being reminded of it,’ he said.
Steve had completed three months of rehab before his relapse and had been one month clean when he talked with GMA. He plans to continue battling the addiction as he heads off to college and will work with his sponsor while he is away from home.
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