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Show notes
Chris Murphy became addicted to gambling at 17, within weeks of placing his first bet he was gambling daily and beginning a downward spiral that eventually led to a suicide attempt. He’s now employed at Sporting Chance as a communications manager and gambling education facilitator as well as working as a darts commentator.
We discussed:
how Chris started gambling and the impact it had on his life as his addiction developed;
his suicide attempt and coming clean about the extent of his problem;
his recovery journey and relapses;
what has really helped him stay gambling free;
the connection between addiction and wider mental health;
Sporting Chance and the needs of sports people for specialist mental health and addiction services;
how to recognise gambling addiction in yourself and others;
where to get help with gambling issues.
Chris recommends checking out:
NHS support for problem gamblers to learn about the warning signs and the help that is available to stop;
Support groups: Gamblers Anonymous for people with gambling addictions and GamAnon for those close to them.
You can learn more about Sporting Chance and support their work.