Declan's story
Declan had a gambling addiction for 10 years, reaching rock bottom at the age of 26. Today, Declan works with the charity Chapter One, delivering gambling harm awareness and prevention training to schools, youth groups, and sports clubs.
My life is so much better without gambling.
Hitting rock bottom
I started gambling when I was 16 years old and quickly got hooked. In the beginning, it was fun, but it gradually became worse with time, and I became well-known in the bookies in Belfast as I spent a lot of my time and money there. Eventually, I turned to online gambling which was even more destructive.
I would wake up every morning wondering when I would be able to bet and how I would get the money, I would look forward to payday every month so that I could bet more and if I didn’t have the money before then I would take out payday loans.
On many occasions, I would get paid one evening and by the next morning, I wouldn’t even have the money to get to work as I had already stayed up all night and gambled my whole paycheque away. I lost such a huge amount of money in a short amount of time and gambled every day for over 10 years straight. When I was 26, I lost £8000 in an hour and in a number of days, I had lost all my savings, my mental health was in ruins, and I was having serious suicidal thoughts. At this point, I knew I had hit rock bottom.
Reaching out
I tried many avenues to quit gambling including Gamblers Anonymous and counselling. I confided in my friends and family and one of my friends told me about Gamstop. I found registering with Gamstop and the cold turkey approach to work best for me, it was the best thing I have ever done. I was also lucky to have lots of support from my family and friends during this time which definitely made it easier.
A better life without gambling
I’m doing much better now and haven’t gambled for over six years. I now work for a charity raising awareness about gambling-related harm. I do still have dark days even now, but I know that my life is so much better without gambling, and this thought keeps me going every day.
My advice to someone struggling with gambling? I’d say that if you can, talking to friends and family can be a great step to take. Registering with Gamstop was key to my recovery. I’d encourage anyone in a similar situation to give it a try.
Take control of your gambling
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Adam had a gambling addiction between the ages of 18-23 and registered with Gamstop to get his life back on track.
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Steelworker Jack registered with Gamstop to take control of a gambling addiction that was burning through his wages.
More ways to control your gambling
Gamstop Online is just the start. Many people who use Gamstop Online also use the Multi Operator Self Exclusion Scheme (MOSES) to block themselves from betting shops, install gambling blocking software on their devices, or receive advice and support from specialist organisations that support those struggling with gambling.