“I’ve been a gambler most of my adult life, and I was familiar with GamCare. When I actively decided to seek help I knew I could turn to them. My gambling behaviour became compulsive in my late twenties, and after ten years of suffering I decided to see what help was out there for …

“It gives you the stonewall you need, that you’ve got to have in order to stop and then you can start doing the work on why you did it and what the real problems are behind it."

I got so good at lying about gambling, now I help others open up through the Peer Aid programme. You can talk to someone who understands. Call the National Gambling Helpline now for free support, self-exclusion and gambling blocking software.

"I found GamCare online and got the ball rolling in my recovery by talking to an Adviser on their NetLine. I had tried to stop gambling many times before, and each time I started again within a few weeks or months. Nothing had changed, and I now realised I needed help if I really wanted to halt …

Sean, 31, Shetland Islands

Mark had a successful career in the financial markets before his gambling behaviour began to take a toll. He says: “I got to the point where I started chasing my losses with gambling, and that’s when I really felt everything went downhill. I began stealing from the company I worked for in …

Mark, 52 from Derbyshire

The first thing I would say is that for anyone looking for help, you are not alone. There are organisations like GamCare, Gamban and GAMSTOP, that have great tools and people to help get you through the tough times.