A BRAVE mother has opened up on how she won £25,000 on her birthday, but before long had lost everything.
Gabby Walker, a from the UK, explained that her hefty prize should have been life-changing, but instead, it made her realise that she had a very serious issue to deal with.
Now, the recovering is on a mission to raise awareness, as she candidly shared her story on .
Posting online, the acknowledged that her “big win”; was the “worst thing”; that has ever happened to her.
As she sat in her car, she said: “Two years ago, on my birthday, I won £25,000 – it might not seem a lot to everyone, but to me, that was life-changing.
“I should have been able to do so much with that but because of my gambling , I couldn’t.”;
Gabby claimed that “the urge to gamble is horrible”; and described it as though something has “taken over you.”;
She voiced that during the height of her addiction, she was “always”; on her phone, “constantly trying to get that next win.”;
And rather than treating her family to a after receiving her prize, Gabby instead put the money straight back onto , and even spent £1,000 on gambling in a single day.
She confessed: “After winning that £25,000 I felt like I’d lost everything, I put it all straight back on [gambling sites], when I should have been spending it on a holiday or activities to do with the children, but I didn’t.”;
Opening up on her “regrets”;, Gabby described her actions as “selfish”; and admitted that her “gambling issue”; has even put a “wedge”; in her .
Getting candid on her partner’s support, she recalled: “He has to always for me to survive for the month and for the children to survive for the month and it’s awful, it really is.”;
But looking to days free from gambling, the mother explained: “I’m glad I’ve got to the stage now where I’m wanting to change and wanting to get better, and I know it’s gonna be difficult at times.”;
Gabby stressed that she has a “long road ahead”;, but “needs to stop gambling”;, as she acknowledged if she doesn’t, she is “gonna lose everything”; and will have “no family”; to turn to for support.
Social media users react
The clip, which was posted under the username @gabbywalker360, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 72,900 views, 981 likes and 135 comments.
Social media users were stunned by Gabby’s story and many eagerly raced to the comments to share their support.
I’m glad I’ve got to the stage now where I’m wanting to change and wanting to get better
Gabby Walker
One person said: “I wish I could have that much money!! But good luck hun!!! Being honest with yourself is always the first step!!!”;
Another added: “You got this, this is so brave sharing with everyone. I wish you all the luck getting through this.”;
A third commented: “Honestly massive well done for reaching out it’s not an easy thing to do! Massive love to you.”;
At the same time, others bravely opened up on their own , as one man shared: “I won £36,000 & in 6 days.. lost it all in 4.. years later I won £40,000 in 3 months, lost it all in 5 days.. when gambling you lose respect for money.”;
A woman voiced: “I won over £60k in the space of 6 weeks and still managed to get into £23k worth of debt, it literally ruined my life.”;
Whilst someone else wrote: “I had £34k in and out of my account last April.”;
What to do if someone you know has a gambling addiction
As previously reported, , Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, national clinical adviser ongamblingharms at NHSEngland, said.
As well as this, a (PHE) study in 2021 found the rough overall cost of health harms caused by gambling was around £960million.
That includes , which costs £619.2million.
The study also found an estimated 409 suicides were linked toinevery year.
There are a number ofstepsyou can take if you believe someone you know is struggling with a gambling addiction.
Be Gamble Aware’swebsite suggests ways you can help someone who might need help and some of the steps include: understanding what an addict is going through, knowing how to talk to someone with a gambling addiction, and avoiding rewarding gambling behaviour.
If you personally are struggling with an addiction, the NHS has auseful webpagewhich offers a range of helpful tips.
Some include trying cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a talking therapy that can help change the way you think and behave.
There are also treatment and support groups available for people wanting to stop gambling.
Additionally, GamCareoffers free information, support and counselling for problem gamblers in the UK.
It runs the National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133) and also offers face-to-face counselling.
