#adidiction

I have always been a massive sports fan, a typical ‘lad’.

I placed my first bet at the age of 17, to think you could turn £5 into a larger sum of money gave me an instant thrill. I placed a bet every weekend through my ex,ex-girlfriend’s dad until the age of 18 where I was able to open online gambling accounts - after a short time I became a gambling addict.

I used to bet on everything from the most ridiculous football games played in countries that I have never had even heard of to virtual sports. I worked 10 hours a week in a shop, was in full-time education and I basically blew my wages every month and student loans on gambling, sometimes I would strike lucky and win some money, sometimes quite a-lot of money - but the winnings, most of the time quickly disappeared into the hands of the bookmakers again. 

From the ages of 18 until I turned 21 there was not a day were I didn’t think about some form of gambling - this had a negative affect on my mindset and my relationships. The girl who I was with at the time was in a well paid job, could afford the finer things in life - I used gambling to try and be able to do the same - this was never going to be a good idea and made my problems worse. My gambling led to constant arguments, I had lied and said so many times that I had stopped gambling, I did try so hard but like all addictions, it’s not easy to ‘just stop’. Ultimately it was a cause to end that relationship.

My financial situation still hasn’t recovered as a result of my gambling, thousands of pounds wasted has left me at the bottom of two overdrafts with little to my name, owing money to friends and family, but that will change with the security of a full-time job and good money, I no longer have to try and get money through betting.

Betting has a serious affect on an individuals mental health - the high of winning doesn’t compare to dreaded sense of loss which creates mood swings, irritability and general unhappiness, losing makes you chase and chase, losing more money - an endless cycle. Even the simple thing of spending quality time with friends etc. and constantly checking your phone to look at a bet that’s in play - it ruins the quality time you spend with people, just like using social media in others company - cherish others company for what it is because one day you’ll regret it when you can’t spend time with them.

In the past year, I have gambled but I can safely say i am no longer an addict. I have closed all my online accounts bar one. I can watch sport without thinking about betting - don’t get me wrong, the odd small bet adds a bit of excitement to watching sport but if I lose a bet it doesn’t bother me like it used to, I don’t care about it, I don’t need the money that I would have received if it had won and I won’t miss the odd £5 that I had spent. On Friday past, I went into the bookmakers with a work colleague after lunch, he had blown the guts of £200, a situation i’ve been in too many times in gambling establishments, I didn’t spend a penny - in the past I would have been him.

This is an issue I’ve never really spoken about, this has helped, it’s what this is all about, changing attitudes and behaviours, being positive, taking the weight off your shoulders