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To run into Matthew on the
street would give you no reason to
think that he is anything but your
average 22 year old. Take the time
to get to know him, however, and
you may be amazed by the
wisdom that this gentleman
possesses at such a young age.
Aside from being a son, brother,
uncle and friend, Matthew
has a severe gambling problem
and works every day to battle
an urge that took control of his
life for two years.
Matthew came to Problem Gambling Services in January 2004. At the time he was playing cards, roulette and slot machines three to six times every week. Once or twice a week he would buy scratch tickets and a couple of times a month would bet on sports and buy lottery tickets.
On his 19th birthday, while enrolled in the school of Social Work at the University of Windsor, Matthew celebrated at the local casino with a few friends. Soon after he was skipping important classes as his gambling increased. "Between September 2002 and May 2003, I was spending more time at the casino than in class. I lost a big chunk of my student loan to stay in action". By the end of his 2nd year of university, it became clear that school was not going well and was not financing his gambling. He found a part-time job working 25 to 30 hours per week. Shortly after, a full time job offer came and school became a thing of the past. The new job provided a reasonable income as well as the means to apply for credit cards and loans. Convenient bank machines would spit out his daily limit as he continued gambling around his work schedule. When Matthew came to Problem Gambling Services in January 2004, he had been gambling away his income for months and accumulated loans and credit card debt to the tune of $23,600. "Going through the treatment program at Problem Gambling Services (PGS) taught me how disconnected I was from my emotions. Not only did I have trouble expressing my feelings, but for the most part I couldn't even identify what my feelings were. The program has helped me in ways I never thought possible. No more lying, hiding or pretending. I can be myself and be proud of that." Matthew remained in treatment and aftercare for a period of eight months and has made significant improvement in many areas of his life including relationships, work, emotional health and finances. January 2005 marked one year since Matthew has placed a bet of any kind but he doesn't think the battle is over. He has joined a weekly support group to stay connected with others sharing the same problem.
"I have met some great people
along the way. It's a support system
that keeps me honest and accountable
and sometimes I'm even able
to help someone else just by helping
myself - amazing."
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