About

“Ruleetteout” is a page that I’ve created, in hope of attracting an online community of those affected by gambling harm. My goal is to simply offer practical support based on my experiences of gambling and to also share my thoughts with the world! I’m not an expert in any area nor claim to be. But I might be able to get you on the path on the right direction, as I’ve been there personally and have been able to overcome it.

Whether you’re worried about your own, or someone else’s gambling, don’t be shy – say hello! I’m happy to hear from you and can assure you of confidentiality. I get it folks and I understand.

All throughout most of my teenage years and continuing on into most of my twenties, I struggled on and off with gambling: mostly on sports betting, which then manifested into Casino games – namely Roulette and for a time, online slots. But at the height of my addiction, I was chaotically betting on pretty much everything.

For a long time, I was living what I can only describe as a double life: No one really knew the extent of my betting, and I refused to open up to anyone. I was keeping down work and functioning socially the best I could, but mentally I was reaching a low point in my late twenties. I recognised that I could no longer control and support myself.

I tried and tried again to give up, but I always found myself back at square one. I really needed help. The methods that I had put in place for myself failed on every level, and I couldn’t quite fathom why.

Why: A simple word that is easily overlooked, but a simple word that held most of the answers.

I recognised, that if I could just understand why it is I behave the way I do, then I would hold the power to tackle the problem thoroughly and through a fresh way of thinking.

Coincidentally, a few things started to fall in place for me that year: I was going through a hard time at work, specifically with management. My lack of attention to detail and of real awareness was getting me into all sorts of trouble. They wanted me to address this and I was set up with a local Psychiatrist. This led to a diagnosis of ADHD. This was the first big step for me in moving forward, as it led to me taking an active interest in how the brain works and what practical things I can do to help myself.

Also at this time, a colleague of mine was training to be a Life Coach. She asked if I wanted free coaching, as part of her qualification. I initially scoffed at this – as I did with many things at that time – but soon realised that I had nothing to lose and soon warmed to the idea. Over the course of two months, I opened up in a way that I never had before. Something changed mentally with me: I felt fresh, clear, focused and empowered.

This would become one of the most important periods of my life as, for the first time, I recognised my gambling habit for what it was (an addictive and destructive habit) that needed positive, specific and tailored action.

I started to meditate and use hypnosis (two more scoffed at things…) and read about how habits work within brain chemistry; I safe-guarded my finances; I put blocking software on all of my devices; I became healthier mentally and physically and began thinking more positively and talking more positively; I gave up gambling and felt temptation free for the first time in years.

As the days and months passed, I made a promise to myself that if I could go two years gamble and temptation free, I would look to give back to those who are also struggling. Seven years later, I’m well into that commitment.

So…what have I been up to?

I volunteered for Gambling Therapy, on their online chat: a charity that offers practical and emotional support to gamblers worldwide. That was for 18 months (they were fantastic and very supportive.) I have also been quite active on Instagram, where you will find short, one minute videos offering my own tips and advice on how to give up gambling. If you’re not on Instagram, you can find all of my content on YouTube or Facebook. You can also follow me on Twitter. And now I’ve decided to finally get around to starting a blog page – which i’m very excited about. It’s an old hobby of mine, which I’m now getting around to revisiting. I love to write, and have felt shackled by a character limit! So here I am: full circle, back to what I was doing when I was eighteen. And in truth, it’s where I feel the most comfortable and happiest: digging deep, being creative, and honestly reflecting with limited distractions. It feels like coming back home.

All the best an take care,

Darren.