Bevan

Problem Gambling

I'd tried to give up gambling several times and each time I went back to it. I was desperate for some help.

It got to the point where I had a lot of debt and was unable to provide for my family. Any time I got any money in, I would feed it straight to the machines. I hated them and hated what I was doing, and realised that if I was to get back to a normal life, I had to give it up.

My family was badly affected. My wife was working 50 hours a week trying to pay the bills and make ends meet, and while she was out doing that I was wasting money on pokies.

It was hard for me to approach The Salvation Army. I was in a distraught state when I arrived, but was received very well and made to feel comfortable.

Group sessions worked really well for me. You can be honest with the group and get feedback from others as to their problems and how they deal with them, then check back week by week. It’s great to have this kind of support structure.

I'm now to the stage where I feel that I can trust myself again with money and not go gambling. I know it will take a long time for my family and friends to fully trust me again, but there’s a huge improvement in my life.

Once you’ve admitted to yourself you’ve got the problem, you need to get help.

The Salvation Army will be there for you – they make it a lot easier because it’s probably not something you can do on your own.