Former gambler says the pokies almost won

LEILANI HATCH/Manawatu Standard

NO GAME: Margaret Ryniker talks with counsellor Lea Orpana.

Relevant offers

A reformed Palmerston North problem gambler has spoken about her fight back from an addiction that almost tore her world apart.

Engrossed in the pokies, Pat – who asked that her surname not be printed – said she began to feel safe and comfortable in a world where no-one else could tell her what to do.

Her addiction was sparked by a $12 win, and spiralled after she won $801 in a jackpot.

"I was overwhelmed by the thrill – it was like there was a red light on top of my head," she said.

But it wasn't just the winning that mattered. It was also the sense of isolation and escape while she played, over and over.

Pat talked openly about her battle with gambling at Downtown in Palmerston North yesterday while taking part in the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand's Gamblefree Day.

One of the three per cent of Kiwis who suffer from problem gambling, she has gone four months without feeding the gaming machines.

It took three months treatment at Te Nikau training centre in Paraparaumu for her to understand her behaviour and take charge of changing it.

"I had really hit rock bottom," she said.

"I was just lying to everyone and to myself, and I lost myself, I lost who I was as a person."

She said gambling was no different than other addictions like cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. And she would know, she managed to kick all four during her treatment.

To quit the pokies, Pat said she had to first confront the problems and damage from her past – issues that gambling had helped her to escape from.

"I was introduced to alcohol first, and that made me feel bullet-proof. The gambling gave me a place to run away," she said.

Her challenge now is to stay addiction-free, something she says is tough when many of her friends and family still have the problems she's managed to overcome. She's had to learn to put boundaries in place to avoid being sucked back into old habits.

"But I believe I've planted a seed among my family and friends. They can see I'm more bubbly, and I can speak truthfully," she said.

Pat was yesterday joined by foundation counsellor Lea Orpana and Best Care Whakapai Hauora gambling awareness co-ordinator Bob Tamihana. They encouraged people to have a day without gambling, and to encourage those with problems to seek help.

- © Fairfax NZ News