Introduction
Brian Hatch threw away his dreams of being a comedian to spend his nights in casinos. After a 14 year battle with gambling and relapses, he decided to try talking about his feelings and joining Gamblers Anonymous. In January of 2015 he started ALL IN The Addicted Gambler’s Podcast. Since that time the podcast has grown to over 350 episodes with interviews from the lived experience community, affected others, clinicians, academics, advocates, public health workers, and industry representatives. He speaks from the heart about his own recovery and hopes it helps. (source)
- Brian’s Website
- ALL IN The Addicted Gambler’s Podcast
- FALL IN The Problem Gambling Podcast for Military Service Members and Veterans
- The Bet Free Life
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Quotes
“They sent me the information and it was these 20 questions, it’s the same 20 questions you asked if you go to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting, and in it it says, if you answer yes to 7 or more, you have a gambling problem.”
“I got complacent in my recovery … eventually I just decided, well, I don’t need Gamblers Anonymous, I’m fine I can do this on my own.”
“I stayed away from GA because there was shame about returning and changing my date, which is silliness. You shouldn’t worry about that at all. Gamblers Anonymous expects that you’re going to have a recurrence and need to come back to the room … as long as you don’t place a bet today, that’s what matters.”
“Anytime my bank account has money in it and I would gamble … I would over withdraw my account, and so there wasn’t money to pay back the payday loan and then it was further in the negative and it was just a nasty cycle.”
“My dad died suddenly and I went to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting that night because I knew better. I knew that it would make me want to gamble. I knew that gambling would make me feel better about him dying.”
“I didn’t have a good time but I just was there because I was addicted and I was compelled to gamble.”
“It not only affects you mentally but it affects your wallet and our livelihood is money, and if you don’t have any, you’re not exactly looking for a livelihood anymore. You’re not looking to be alive if you can’t function in life. Gambling has the highest rate of suicidality than any other addiction.”
“Gambling is known as the hidden addiction – you can’t see the physical signs of it … it’s very easy to hide.”
“It ends when you have no money and that’s the sad part. If you’re addicted you’re not going to stop until you’re out of money, until you can stop funding your addiction … you’re going to keep playing until you’re out of money because you’re convinced that you will win and you are convinced that if you win, all your problems are solved.”
“I can never win because I can’t leave. Even if I do win a jackpot or money of some amount, I’m gonna give it right back because it’s all just to fund the gambling … I’m gambling for the rush.”
“The solution for me is to reduce accessibility. Like a bar, a casino should close, an online gambling operator should close, because that’s the only way you get these people who are addicted off without them losing everything they have.”
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