NHS Northern Gambling Service

Leeds-lad Nathan faces his demons following life-changing conversation

Former gym instructor and Leeds lad Nathan Barnes started gambling when he was 18 years old. Seven years later, he had three bad debt credit cards, a high interest overdraft, a standard overdraft, four payday loans and £4,500 of tuition loans . . . and found himself sleeping on his brother’s floor.

He suddenly realised he needed to make a change when someone at work told him they’d been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He said: “I was wasting my life trying to win money from companies designed to take my money from me. After that I vowed never to gamble again and confessed everything to my family and friends. I also vowed to my new partner that I would never gamble again and that has been absolutely crucial in my recovery.

“What I would say to myself if I was dealing with my undiagnosed self would be to conjure up the courage to accept you’ve got a problem and you need help.”

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