[blueandy]

To Start At the Beginning my 1st Experience of gambling came as a youngster around 7/8 years old attending horse / greyhound meetings with the family & this continued for several years with year upon on year me becoming more engrossed the more i went. IStill remember getting angry the once, when after " picking " a winner disovering my dad did.’nt back it. As the years grew i started going to funfairs & seasides and as most kids do enjoyed them, however & not to be known til several years later, this is where i feel my addiction started. 2/10p Roulette machines even as a young kid / teenager were a severe addictive draw & to me at the time with a limited know how of the value of money, wer’nt aware of the dangers ahead, nor did it bother me at the stage, as it was only pocket money or parents will still treat me to things at the fair.

Things changed when i got an apprenticeship in a newsagents, regulary serving customers for lottery tickets / scratchcards, as a group wed have scratchcards on the "slate "& myself i would often syphon some myself.
Then The Big one came, i turned 18, welcome to the world of bookmakers,casinos,fruit machines,loans & other forms of gambling / moneytary gains,all of which were a regular occureance. After about 6 months of not being allowed to afford things,people started getting suspicous as to why, so id use any excuse to cover up, wages not paid spent more on this , paid deposits etc &henceforth i started doing more desperate things, stealing, selling / pawning things, taking out loans/ catalogues i knew i couldnt repay.
Eventually everything started to unfold & i was semi  forced ( although willing) to go to GA.I Attended for best part of 2 years on and off,but it seemed to have no effect as i continued with my lying decietful ways,in the process (not all through gambling) skipping work, losing my job ( which i since have a new aquired one) & continuing to hurt those around me, as well as losing out on growing up as a young adult / social life.
Come to April this year & enter a 14 week stay at Gordon Moody in Beckenham, where the rest of my life starts,From the moment i arrived to this very point in time, a huge weight as been lifted from my shoulders, through the course art/drama sessions to personal one to one support sessions, it really cant be underestimated how much i feel my lifes been given a new lease. Ill end my story with thanks to all the staff at Gordon Moody (in particular one person who can that i mean them),to all residents past & present, some of whom who i most certainly intend to keep incontact, not so much as  a reminder but to keep focus and a check on one another and last but not least anyone in a Similar position,theres help out there if you want it & give Gordon Moody a try…. youll not forget it.
 

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