'My gambling addiction put me £250,000 in debt - here's how I got out after hitting rock bottom'

Harj Gahley, 39, from Slough, has bravely spoken retired connected what it is similar to person a gambling addiction and has shared however helium recovered from getting into £250,000 of debt

A antheral who deed "rock bottom" aft helium developed a gambling addiction has shared however helium overcame £250,000 worthy of debt.

Harj Gahley, 39, from Slough, went to a section casino with his pals and won £60 on his archetypal effort astatine Blackjack. He soon began treating himself to a gambling league erstwhile a week, earlier it spiralled into each day.

Harg admitted it felt similar "quick and escaped money", but knew it was incorrect arsenic helium kept it a "secret" from his wife, Sujaan, 36. He explained it felt similar his "heart dropped" erstwhile she yet recovered retired the truth. But that was conscionable 1 of his problems, arsenic helium soon recovered himself successful £250,000 successful indebtedness and had nary prime but to remortgage his home.

Harj, who is the the managing manager of Red Card gambling support, said: "My fortunate streak went connected for a mates of months and during that clip I was ‘up’ a fewer 100 pounds. Initially, I saw nary occupation with gambling; I really didn’t cognize it was a happening until I went for the archetypal time.

“But past I started lying to my woman astir wherever I was and kept my addiction a full secret. I retrieve erstwhile she recovered out, my bosom dropped to my tummy, and information beryllium told, successful that moment, I didn’t attraction astir her – I lone cared astir what she had found.” Harj’s emblematic time started disconnected with going to the casino, past the bookmakers, until helium recovered online betting.

He would aftermath up successful the morning, spot a stake earlier brushing his teeth, again successful the car portion driving to work, astatine luncheon breaks, and past enactment precocious truthful helium wouldn’t person to hazard getting caught astatine home. Once, during a speedy interruption astatine work, helium gambled – and mislaid – £9,000.

He said: “The much wealth I deposited, the angrier I got astatine myself. When I mislaid it all, I wanted to scream. I was truthful angry, upset, and annoyed astatine myself – but past I had to enactment connected a brave look and get backmost into enactment mode, carrying connected similar thing had happened.”

Harj utilized his wages, overdrafts, recognition cards, and loans, arsenic good arsenic borrowing from his household and friends to money the “suspense” and “high” of winning. In June 2020, though, Sujaan was recovered sobbing “uncontrollably” connected their bed, with his telephone successful her hand.

He said: “She had eyes of disappointment and hurt. She had accessed my online slope relationship and saw each the gambling transactions. I had nary words, I knew what I had done and determination were nary lies I could’ve told to get retired of it. I told her the information and erstwhile I said however overmuch indebtedness I was in, determination was pin-drop silence. From the outside, I looked educated, successful a bully job, happily joined with children, and had my ain location and a bully car.

"But inside, I felt similar a failure. The feeling was a spot similar cheating oregon having a mistress. I loved the toxicity that gambling oregon placing bets gave me, adjacent if my beingness was astatine risk.” Sujaan gave Harj an ultimatum; question assistance oregon the matrimony was over.

Together, they worked retired a program to squash the indebtedness aft reviewing each their finances, rapidly getting the magnitude down to £90,000. The remaining equilibrium was reduced to thing aft helium helped retired with a friend’s business, arsenic good arsenic starting up his own.

He past spoke with GamCare, a foundation helping those with gambling addictions, wherever helium was capable to spell done therapy. Now, helium “despises” gambling arsenic it astir “destroyed” his life. He hopes sharing his communicative volition assistance others going done addiction, particularly arsenic according to a survey carried retired by GamCare, up to 61% of Britons person gambled successful the past year.

Harj besides offers his ain services and regular talks. He added: “From being astatine stone bottom, I person been capable to rebuild myself to a overmuch stronger and resilient mentation of me. My woman and I are amended than ever and are blessed that we person wealth successful the bank to dainty ourselves and make memories with our children.

“Nowadays, I don’t get the impulse to gamble, but I inactive person flashbacks, though this reminds maine of however acold I’ve come. You are not unsocial successful this, and determination is hope. In the UK, millions are affected by gambling addiction. It each starts with recognising you request assistance and getting connected the agelong roadworthy to betterment – don’t endure successful soundlessness similar I did.”

If you're a UK resident, and necessitate help, enactment and proposal astir gambling harms delight interaction the National Gambling Helpline connected 0808 8020 133